As a translator, there is a wide range of online resources that you probably use on a daily basis. But do you know if you are making the most of them?
In this post, I would like to take a closer look at Google and see if you are making the most it. If you’re like me, you probably use Google many times a day but, chances are, you probably still use Google in its simplest form. If your current use of Google is limited to typing a few words in, and changing your query until you find what you’re looking for, then let me tell you that there’s a better way – and they are simple to use.
Here are 8 Google Search Tips
- Explicit Phrase:
Lets say you are looking for content about Spanish translation provider. Instead of just typing Spanish translation provider into the Google search box, you will likely be better off searching explicitly for the phrase. To do so, simply add double quotes to the search phrase.Example: “Spanish translation provider”
- Exclude Words:
Lets say you want to search for content about Spanish translation provider, but you want to exclude any results that contain the term free. To do this, simply use the “-” sign in front of the word you want to exclude.Example Search: Spanish translation provider -free
- Site Specific Search:
Often, you want to search a specific website for content that matches a certain phrase. Even if the site doesn’t support a built-in search feature, you can use Google to search the site for your term. Simply use the “site:somesite.com” modifier.
Example: “transcription” site:oceantranslations.com - Similar Words and Synonyms:
Let’s say you are want to include a word in your search, but want to include results that contain similar words or synonyms. To do this, use the “~” in front of the word.Example: “Spanish translation” ~professional
- Word Definitions:
If you need to quickly look up the definition of a word or phrase, simply use the “define:” command.Example: define:subtitling
- Specific Document Types:
If you’re looking to find results that are of a specific type, you can use the modifier “filetype:”. For example, you might want to find only PowerPoint presentations related to Spanish translation.Example: “Spanish translation” filetype:ppt
- This OR That:
By default, when you do a search, Google will include all the terms specified in the search. If you are looking for any one of one or more terms to match, then you can use the OR operator. (Note: The OR has to be capitalized).Example: Audio OR video transcription
- Calculator and Converter:
The next time you need to do a quick calculation or a conversion, instead of bringing up the Calculator applet, you can just type your expression in to Google.Example: 14697 * 3.54
Example: 10USD in euro
Example: 10km in miles
Hope this list of Google search tips proves useful in your future Google searches and do not hesitate to share your personal favorites with us as there are many more.
