Find a Phrase

Use quotes around a phrase to keep the words together

"nanaimo river basin"

Combine Search Terms

Use a + symbol to add combine search terms

ebooks +free

This search will return free ebook links.

Find Similar

Use a ~ before a word to find other similar words

MLA citation ~guide

This search will pick up guides, manuals, reference documents related to MLA citation style.

Take A Word Out

Use the minus key to remove a concept from your search.

jaguar -car -automobile

This search will look for jaguars other than cars and automobiles.

Fill in the Blanks

If you don't know a word, use a *.

Origin of *

Find Keywords in a Specific Site

Use site:<whatever.com> to limit your search to a specific site.

tshirts site:www.thinkgeek.com

This search will look for tshirts within the site www.thinkgeek.com.

Find a Specific File Type

Use filetype:<whatever file type>

"social media" filetype:ppt

This search will look for PowerPoint presentations on social media.

Find summary information about a URL

Use info:<url> to retrieve summary information

info:viu.ca

This search will attempt to retrieve information including:

Google Advanced

http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en

Google Search Cheat Sheet

http://www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html

http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html