- Tip #1: Fine-Tune Your Query with More Keywords
- Tip #2: Search for Either One Word or Another
- Tip #3: Include Stop Words
- Tip #4: Exclude Irrelevant Words
- Tip #5: Search for Similar Words
- Tip #6: Search for Similar Pages
- Tip #7: Search for an Exact Phrase
- Tip #8: Use Google's Advanced Search Page
- Tip #9: Search Within Your Search Results
- Tip #10: Search Google's Other Sites
Tip #5: Search for Similar Words
Sometimes you're not completely sure you're thinking of the right word to describe what you're looking for. Maybe somebody else describes this item using different words than you would; maybe there are lots of different ways to describe the item.
In this instance, it helps to search not only for a single keyword, but for words that are similar to that keyword. To this end, Google lets you search for similar words by using the ~ operator. Just include the ~ character before the word in question, and Google searches for all pages that include that word and all appropriate synonyms.
For example, to search for words that are like the word "elderly," enter the query ~elderly. This finds pages that include not just the word "elderly," but also the words "senior," "aged," "nursing homes," and so on. This really expands your search results, giving you a lot more options to choose from.