13 tips to POWER seach google like an expert

Google is only 10 years old, yet is a household name across the world crossing almost all language barriers. The text-box for google search (as seen below) is common site and millions use this as their homepage.

Everyday SITE... Google search box!

If you are one among those billion people using the above text-box to search internet, then here some useful tips and tricks that you can apply using the same Google Search text-box. By the time you finish reading this entire hubpage, you will become sort of an expert in using this world famous Google search Text-Box. You will be doing more than just search! Of course, I do agree that some of these tips you might already be knowing, for them, it will be just refresher tips!

(1) Basic Search: To do the basic search, just key in the keyword. For example, type GOA to look for information on GOA, or better still be more specific, like

GOA BEACH HOTEL

to get information on hotel in and around beaches of Goa. Google search queries are not case sensitive - meaning, you type "GOA bEach HoTeL" will give the same results of "Goa beach hotel"

If you want the exact phrase, then include that phrase within double quotes, as:

"lord of the rings: the two towers"

(2) Weather for a city:

You can weather of most cities by typing the word weather followed by the city name, as

weather bangalore

you will get weather update for next four days.

(3) Time for a city

Know the time for a city by entering TIME followed by city name. To check the time for Bangalore city by enter the following query in the text box:

time bangalore

(4) Calculator - at your finger tips!

Use the search text box as a quick calculator, using maths operators *, /, -, +, =, ^ etc.

Example query the following:

(300 x (2^8)) / 5

(5) Unit Conversation

Do quick conversation between units, example:

9 miles in kilometers Or 100 meters in inches

The conversation work for whole lot of things like "100cm in inches", "100us gallons in uk gallons", "100bar in psi", etc. You can experiment with all variations.

(6) Currency Converter - Exchange Rates between currencies of different countries

Google has built in Currency Converter. My favorite is the exchange rate between US dollars and Indian rupees. As I check this to know my earnings in ADSENSE which shows in US Dollars -and I always wanted to know how much money I have made in Indian rupees. You can check for most countries exchange rates.

150 usd in inr Or 150.40 U.S. dollars in Indian rupees

(7) Movies timing and favorite restaurants (for US)

Get the moving timing for your local area by entering the word movies followed by the area code, as:

movies 55014

also you can do local search your favorite eat outs, as

chinese food 55014

(8) Fill in the blank (*)

Another trick is to use * to fill in the blank. To know what CV Raman discovered, enter the below query. It is like asking a question in the query box.

c v raman discovered *

(9) Tracking packages

You can track packages if you know AWB or tracking number of UPS or USPS or FedEx by entering the tracking number inside query box.

1W99999Z999999999999

(10) Definition

To know the meaning of a word or phrase, simply type define: followed by the word or phrase. Example:

define: psychopath

(11) Search specific site

If you want to search for SANIA MIRZA in hupages.com only, then you can do a site specific searches. For example enter the following phrase exactly as it is, and see the results.

"sania mirza" site:hubpages.com

Also check my other hubpage on finding files inside RapidShare website. [click here to goto 99-Rapidshare-Search-Engines hubpage]

(12) File Type Specific search Also you can look for file-type specific searches, like

"Bhagavada Gita" filetype:pdf

Will list all pdf file for subject Bhagavada gita.

(13) Phone Book searches

Another favorite of mine is phone book searches (US specific). You can search for any telephone in United States by typing

Phonebook: ramesh

It will give you phone listing for ramesh including the address and also link to location map for that address. This is one wonderful tool, which I often use to search for telephone of long lost friends living in US.

PhoneBook Search give you phone no. and address as well link to address location inside Google map!

After-thought:

Try this and experiment:

Go to website:

http://labs.google.com/sets

and enter shirt, tie, pants and press enter and see the result. Or Try another sets, like BRA, PANTY, BIKINI and press enter to see interesting results.

You can also do reverse phone search, by typing the telephone number instead of the name.

Phonebook: (845) 346-8392

(this number may not return results, type correct number to get results)

Hope you will put these 13 tips to practice and search google like an expert. If you have difficulty in using any of the above tips, please feel free to drop a comment or if you like, please add you won tips out of your searching experience. By the way, these tips can be applied to YAHOO.COM as well. Some of these will work fine there too, the currency converter, weather, calculator, definition will all work. I will write hubpage on YAHOO.COM search as well later next week.

Also refer the following two google help pages.