PowerPoint Presentation

Tips and tricks for using Google

1How does Google search?Googles AimThe perfect search engine would understand exactly what you mean and give you back exactly what you want.Larry Page, Co-founder & CEOHow does Google search?

How does Google search?

200+ Factors

When you search on Google you are searching the web pages that Google has indexed. Google uses over 200 factors to return the results that based on this most closely match your search query. 5Results

There are two types of results, the paid-for results and the organic search.6Phrasing your search queriesTips for phrasing1. Start simplyWilliam ShakespeareThis will return results for everything to do with William Shakespeare from biographies to criticism, to the website for Startford-Upon-Avon tourism office. 8Tips for phrasing2. Add relevant wordsWilliam Shakespeare LifeBy adding life you narrow the search to web pages about his life. 9Tips for phrasing3. Think within the fieldThe Bard of AvonThis search query would give you alternative results which are potentially more in-depth as this is a nickname Shakespeare is known as within the field. 10Tips for phrasing4. Only use important words*Not ideal: When will the sun come up in London tomorrow? Ideal: sunrise LondonTips for phrasing*Common words are ignored:

The a for to and all in some its that Tips for phrasingmost of the time

whothe

Google is intelligentDont worry aboutSpelling autocorrectsPunctuation ignores @#%^*()=[]\Capitalisationthe new internationalist = The New InternationalistWhen you search Googlesuggestsspelling correctionsand alternative spellingspersonalizesyour search by using information such as sites youve visited beforeincludessynonymsof your search terms to find related resultsfind results that matchsimilar termsto those in your querysearches for words with the samestem, like "running" when you search for[run]Verbatim Search

Verbatim search allows you to search for exact phrases. It has the same effect as using quotation marks around a phrase. 17Using special charactersQuotation MarksSearch for an exact phrase in an exact order.e.g.

to be or not to be

Warning: you may exclude relevant results.e.g. a search for"Alexander Bell"will miss pages that refer toAlexander G. Bell.Minus SignExcludes words from your search e.g.

The Great Gatsby -filmTildeSearches for synonymse.g.

~food factsincludes results for nutrition facts2 full stopsSearches for a specific number rangee.g.

prime ministers 1900 .. 2000

N.B. Make sure you put a space either side of the full stops. Phrasing your search queriesSearch within a sitesite:allows you to get your search from a specific site or type of site (.gov, .edu).

e.g.unemployment site:gov

would only give you search results from .gov websites

Search relatedrelated:allows you to find pages that have similar content to a site

e.g.related:www.bbc.co.uk

would give you other news and media agencies

Definedefine: gives you a definition of a word

e.g.define: irony

Filetypesfiletype: searches for specific filetypes

e.g.the war of the roses filetype:ppt

This is a great way to find a presentation or worksheet on the topic you are teaching. 27Further informationLinksInside Search Helphttp://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&safe=vss&answer=134479

All Tips and Trickshttp://www.google.com/insidesearch/tipstricks/all.html