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Google Search

This guide provides a description of how Google's search feature works and how users can get the search engine to work for them.

Boolean Operators:

Connect keywords using Boolean Operators.

Boolean Operators are logical operators used to inform a search index how to handle multiple keywords in a search query. There are three Boolean Operators; AND, OR, NOT.

For example: if you want to search for a website containing the following keywords:

  • global warming
  • icebergs

You would enter the keywords in the search bar as:

global warming and icebergs

You could also use the operator OR in this search. The results would be expanded to include websites containing only one keyword or the other as well as both in one site. 

global warming or icebergs

Using the NOT operator eliminates websites where both keywords are used, giving the user results limiting the nature of the search inquiry. 

global warming not icebergs

For help with search strategies, check out HCTC Library's Distance Learning Guide's Search Strategies page.

 

Natural Language Searching:

Google Search includes an algorithm which allows for natural language search optimization. This basically means that when a user searches a question as it naturally occurs to them, Google will attempt to understand the user's intent regardless of things such as:

  • misspelled words
  • stop words (a, as, the)

For example:

cooking spagetti for four

This search will likely return results containing recipes for spaghetti with enough servings for four people despite the misspelled word and the two identical sounding words.