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Search is simple. As a person who, like millions of others, uses Google as a go-to search engine, most of the time I am able to find exactly what I’m searching for with just a basic query. Simply type whatever comes to mind in the search box, hit enter, and Google will search the web for pages that are relevant to the query.

However, with the availability of dozens of Google search guides, we are now able to make our Google searches more efficient by refining our search techniques. Some are obvious tips that you may use in your every day life, but others aren’t quite so popular -or even known.

After viewing a recent article that provided 20 tips on how to search Google like an expert, I listed below some of the favorite search tips that caught my eye:

1. NOT-
If you don’t want a term or phrase, use the “-” symbol. [-louisville media buying] will return pages that contain “media” and “buying”, but that don’t contain “Louisville”.

2. SIMILAR TERMS-
Use the “~” symbol to return similar terms. [louisville internet ~marketing -marketing] will get you pages that contain “Louisville internet services” and “Louisville internet businesses”, but not “Louisville internet marketing”.

3. WILDCARD-
The “*” symbol is a wildcard. It is used if you are trying to find the lyrics to a song, but can’t remember the exact lyrics you are searching for. [all you need is *] will return the Beatles song you’re searching for. The wildcard is also used for finding stuff only in certain domains, such as educational information: ["louisville media buying" research *.edu]

4. DEFINITIONS-
Use the “define:” operator to get a quick definition. [Define: media buying] will give you a whole host of definitions from different sources, including links.

5. CALCULATOR-
Google can also be used as a calculator. Type a quick calculation into the search box and you will get the fast answer you need. Use the +, -, *, / symbols and parentheses to do a simple equation.

6. NUMRANGE-
This rarely-known operator searches the web for a range of numbers. For example, ["best media buying companies 2005..2007"] will return lists of best media buying companies for 2005, 2006, and 2007. It is important to note the two periods between 2005 and 2007.

7. SITE-SPECIFIC-
Use the “site:” operator to search only within a certain website. [site:mediavenue.com seo] will search for the term “seo” online within this site.

8. MOVIES-
Use the “movie:” operator to search for a movie title along with either a zip code or U.S. city and state to get a list of movie theaters in the area, along with show times.

9. MUSIC-
Use the “music:” operator to find content only related to music.

10. CACHED PAGES-
Use the “cached:” operator if you are looking for a version of a page that Google has stored on its own servers. This can help with outdated or updated pages.

For more Google Search tips and to read the article in its entirety, visit 20 Tips For More Efficient Google Searches.