Google 101 - To Quote a Phrase
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If you type in more than one keyword, Google automatically searches for all the words anywhere they appear on a Web page, whether they’re side-by-side or scattered throughout. For example, if you search for this—
to be or not to be
—then Google gives you results that contain those words anywhere on the page, including pages called Hot or Not? and the National Do Not Call Registry. Probably not what you had in mind.
If you want only Web pages that contain your words in order, as a complete phrase, let Google know by enclosing them in quotes. Google calls this a phrase search. But despite the fancy name, it’s really the most elemental search trick on the planet.
So if you search for "to be or not to be", Google gives you matches only for pages that include that whole, exact phrase. You get links for lots of articles and movies with the famous phrase in their titles, and a bunch of Shakespeare-related sites, too.
Gem in the Rough: Home on the Number Range
Most people use Google to search for words. But it also lets you search for a host of identficaton numbers, like package tracking IDs, as described on page 42. Even more exciting, Google lets you search for a range of numbers or dates. Just type two periods between the numbers at either end of the range, and Googe shows you results that include those numbers and everything in between.
For example, if you want to find references to New York City in the first half of the 19th century, try 1800..1850 “New York City.” Google shows you results mentioning the Big Apple during that entire span of years. This trick is also good for prices $50..75 Tiffany) and for other types of numbers (45..55 MPG Honda, or 400..600 thread count cotton, or 200..300 watt bulbs).
Searching Within Your Results
You wanted to see if you could find the text of Hamlet online. So you searched for "to be or not to be," enclosing the phrase in quotes, and you got 173,000 results—most of which didn’t even mention Denmark.
Google has a great feature for helping you narrow your results to find the really relevant pages, although almost nobody uses it. Double your Google effectiveness simply by using the “Search within results” link at the bottom of any results page. Figure 1-4 shows you how.
And vs. Or
When you run a search, Google assumes that you want to find all of the search words you type. For example, if you search for this—
chimps "Los Angeles" trainer
—then Google finds a list of Web pages containing the words chimps, and the phrase Los Angeles, and the word trainer. (Put another way, Google automatically inserts the word AND between each term.) It does not include Web pages that are just about Los Angeles, or even about Los Angeles chimps. A Web page must include all three phrases, or it doesn’t make the cut.
If, on the other hand, you want to find pages that have either one term or another, type OR between them, like this—
"Ben Affleck" OR "Matt Damon" OR chimps
In this case, Google gives you pages that include any one of the three terms.
Finally, if you want one term plus any of several other terms, group the options in parentheses, like this—
chimps ("Ben Affleck" OR "Mark Wahlberg")
—then Google shows you pages that include the name “Ben Affleck”or “Mark Wahlberg” plus the word “chimps.” Handy when you can’t remember which actor was in the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes.
Tip: You can use the | (pipe) character instead of OR, as in: chimps ("Ben Affleck" | "Mark Wahlberg"). The pipe is above the backslash on your keyboard; to get it, press Shift + \. (This tip is brought to you by the National Society of Unix Gurus and Other Geeks Who Use the Pipe Symbol in Their Programming All the Time.)
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