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Table of Contents:

Modules - Google Search

Module 1

  • Search Egnine
  • How Google Work
  • How to Search on Google
  • Flip a Coin
  • “I’m feeling lucky”

Module 2

  • Weather Searching
  • Performing Calculations on Google
  • Currency Conversions
  • Unit conversions

Module 3 - Search Operators

  • Search on Social Media
  • Search for a price
  • Searching Hashtags
  • Exclude words from your search
  • Search for an exact match

Module 4

  • Searching within the range
  • Combine searches
  • Search with a Specific Site
  • Searching Related Websites
  • See Google’s cached version of a site
  • Search by file type
  • Top Results from Wikipedia
  • link Operator

Module 5

  • Stocks Operator
  • Map Operator
  • Define Operator
  • Quick facts
  • Image Search
  • Search Image with a URL
  • Search for an exact image size
  • Advanced Search Operators
    • Intitle
    • inurl
    • Intext

Module 1

What is Search Engine

A search engine is a software system designed to help users find information on the internet. When you enter a query into a search engine, it searches its database for relevant web pages and presents a list of results. These results typically include hyperlinks to web pages, along with brief descriptions or summaries.

Search engines work by using automated programs called web crawlers or spiders to scan and index the content of web pages. This indexed information is then used to quickly retrieve relevant results when a user performs a search.[1][2]

How to Search on Google

https://www.google.com/

  • Tip 1: Start with the basics

  • No matter what you’re looking for, start with a simple search like where’s the closest airport?. You can always add a few descriptive words if necessary.

  • If you’re looking for a place or product in a specific location, add the location.For example, Multan.

  • Tip 2: Search using your voice

  • To search with your voice, say “Ok Google” or select the Microphone

  • Tip 3: Choose words carefully

  • When you’re deciding what words to put in the search box, try to choose words that are likely to appear on the site you’re looking for.

  • For example, instead of saying my head hurts, say headache, because that’s the word a medical site would use.

  • Tip 4: Don’t worry about the little things

  • Spelling: Google’s spell checker automatically uses the most common spelling of a given word, whether or not you spell it correctly.

  • Capitalization: A search for New York Times is the same as a search for new york times.

  • Tip 5: Find quick answers

Search for the name of a celebrity, location, movie, or song to find related information.

For example:

population pakistan

unemployment rate pakistan

unemployment rate china

Flip a coin

  • To flip a coin in Google Search, simply type “flip a coin” in the search bar and click on the “Search” button. Google will then display a coin flipping animation, and the result will be either “Heads” or “Tails”.
  • You can also flip a coin in Google Search using the following voice command: “Hey Google, flip a coin.”
  • If you want to flip a coin more than once, you can simply click on the “Flip again” button.

“I’m feeling lucky”

  • click on “I’m feeling lucky” if you’re searching for the site of a company or the official site of a product.
  • “I’m feeling lucky” sends you to the first search result.

Module 2

Weather Searching

For example,

weather Multan

or

weather Lahore

Calculations

Enter a math equation like 3*9123, or solve complex graphing equations.

Unit conversions

Enter any conversion, like 3 dollars in euros.

  • To convert from meter to inches: 10.5 meter to inches
  • To convert litre to ml: 10.6 liter in ml
  • To convert cm to inches: 10 cm to inches
  • To convert Fahrenheit to Centigrade: 100 f to c
  • To convert number in Roman: 125 to roman

Module 3

Search social media

Put @ in front of a word to search social media.

For example:

@twitter

islam @twitter

islam @facebook

Search for a price

Put $ in front of a number.

For example:

camera $400

Search hashtags

Put # in front of a word. For example:

#islam

Put - in front of a word you want to leave out.

examples,

jaguar speed -car

or

electric cars -Tesla

or

best smartphones -Apple -Samsung

Search for an exact match

Put a word or phrase inside quotes.

For example,

"tallest building"

Wild Card based Searching:

"tallest * building"

Module 4

Search within a range of numbers

Put .. between two numbers.

  • For example,
camera $50..$100.

Combine searches

  • Put “OR” between each search query.
  • For example,
marathon OR race

Search for a specific site

  • Put “site:” in front of a site or domain.

For example,

site:youtube.com

site:.gov

  • To search for web pages that have similar content to a given site,Put “related:” in front of a web address you already know.

  • For example,

related:cnn.com

or

related:freepik.com

or

related:facebook.com
  • The Google search info keyword is a special keyword that allows you to get information about a particular website. To use it, simply type info: followed by the website’s URL into the Google search bar.

For example, to get information about the website wikipedia.org, you would type info:wikipedia.org into the search bar. Google would then return a page with information about the website, such as its title, description, page load speed, and other metrics.

See Google’s cached version of a site

  • Put “cache:” in front of the site address.

Search by file type

  • You can use the filetype: operator in Google Search to limit results to a specific file type or file extension.
  • For example, filetype:pptx computer will search for PPTX files and URLs ending in .pptx whose content contains the term “computer”.
filetype:pdf climate change report

filetype:xlsx financial statements

filetype:docx how to write a resume

filetype:pdf site:nasa.gov

See also :

Top Results from Wikipedia

  • Wikipedia is free encyclopedia that have more than 2.9 millions articles Add “wikipedia” to your Google search query to find the top results from Wikipedia.

  • For example,

Computer wikipedia
  • Want to know how many links there are to a site? Try link:sitename
  • For example,
link:www.mozilla.org

Module 5

Stocks Operator

  • Using this operator, we can find the trend of the stock market for a particular company for example, if we want to see what the stock market trend for the company “Apple” is, we can write the following query:
stocks:aapl

Map Operator

  • Looking for a map? Just add map to the end of your query.

For example,

map:Lahore

pakistan map

dera ghazi khan map

define Operator

Google Search Keywords - define

Put define in front of any word to see its definition.

For example,

define gorgeous

define character

other related queries :

Overview:

gratitude meaning

Usage examples:

gratitude in a sentence

Pronunciation:

pronounce gratitude

Similar and opposite words:

synonyms of gratitude

or

synonym:gratitude

Search image

Google finds images just as easily and lists them at the top, when you add image to the end of your search.

For example,

flower image

Search Image with a URL

  • On your computer, go to a web browser and access the website with the image you want to use
  • To copy the URL, right-click on the image and click Copy image address.
  • Go to Google Images. Click Search by image Google Lens and then Paste image link. In the text box, paste the URL and click Search.

Tip: Browsers don’t save the URLs you search within your browsing history. Google may store the URLs to make our products and services better.

https://images.google.com/

Search for an exact image size

Right after the word you’re looking for, add the text imagesize:widthxheight. Make sure to add the dimensions in pixels.

  • Example:
imagesize:500x400**

Advanced Search Operators

intitle

  • Google has some very powerful, hidden search parameters, too. For example “intitle” only searches page titles.

For example,

intitle:herbs

filetype:pptx intitle:social media marketing

Inurl

The modifier inurl only searches the web address of a page: give

inurl:herbs

intext

If we are interested to search anywhere in the body of the document, we can use intext operator, for example:

intext: "Ghazi University admissions 2023”

Search Operators

  • You can use symbols or words in your search to make your search results more precise. Google Search usually ignores punctuation that isn’t part of a search operator.
  • Don’t put spaces between the symbol or word and your search term. A search for site:nytimes.com will work, but site: nytimes.com won’t.

Refine image searches

Overall Advanced Search Go to Advanced Image Search. Use filters like region or file type to narrow your results. At the bottom, click Advanced Search.

Common search techniques

Search with an image on Google

  • You can learn more about an image or the objects around you with Google Lens.
  • For example, you can take a photo of a plant and use it to search for info or other similar images. What you find when you search

Your results can include:

  • Search results for objects in the image
  • Similar images
  • Websites with the image or a similar image

Upload an image

  • On your computer, go to a web browser.
  • Go to Google Images.
  • Click Search by image Google Lens.
  • Click Upload a file.
  • Select an image.
  • Click Open or Choose.

Drag & drop an image:

  • On your computer, go to a web browser.
  • Go to Google Images.
  • On your computer, find the file with the image you want to search with. Click the image.
  • Hold down the mouse, drag the image, and then drop it into the search box.

Search with an image from a website

  • On your computer, go to the Chrome browser.
  • Go to the website with the image you want to use.
  • Right-click the image.
  • Click Search Image with Google Lens to display results in a sidebar.

Search with an image from search results

On your computer, go to Google Images. Search for an image. Click the image. At the top right, click Search inside image .

  • On your computer, go to images.google.com.
  • Search for an image.
  • Click an image.
  • Find images:
    • In the right panel: Scroll to find images related to the image that you clicked.
    • In the left panel: Scroll to find images related to your search.

https://trends.google.com/

Google Scholar: A comprehensive search engine for scholarly literature. Find academic papers, books, and other scholarly articles from a variety of sources.

Google News: Google News is a news aggregator service developed by Google. It presents a continuous flow of links to articles organized from thousands of publishers and magazines. Google News is available as an app on Android, iOS, and the Web.

Google Maps: Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

Review Questions

  1. What does the minus sign (-) do in a Google search query?
  2. How can I use Google to search for information on specific websites?
  3. What is the purpose of using quotation marks in a Google search query, and how can they enhance your search results?
  4. Explain how the use of the “site:” operator in a Google search query can help you narrow down your search to a specific website or domain.
  5. How can you use the “filetype:” operator in Google search to find specific types of files, such as PDFs or Word documents?
  6. Describe the significance of using the “intitle:” operator in a search query and provide an example of when you might use it.
  7. Explain the purpose of the “related:” operator in Google search and how it can be used to discover related websites.
  8. Describe the steps to use Google’s “define:” operator to look up the definition of a word or term directly from the search bar.
  9. How can you use Google search to perform calculations, conversions, and unit conversions without leaving the search results page?
  10. How do you use the “intitle:” and “inurl:” search operators effectively in Google searches?
  11. How can you use Google to search for information on specific websites?
  12. What is the Google search tip that you find most useful?

True/False

  1. Use the Google Translate search engine to translate web pages into other languages. True/False
  2. Use the site: operator to search for results of a specific file type. True/False
  3. Use the Google Bookmarks feature to save websites that you want to come back to later. True/False
  4. You can use quotation marks around a phrase to search for the exact words in that order. True/False
  5. Google offers advanced search operators like “filetype:” to find specific types of files (e.g., PDF, DOC) on the web. True/False
  6. You should use the plus sign (+) to include words in your search results. True/False
  7. Google’s “Define:” operator can be used to look up definitions of words or phrases. True/False

Multiple Choice - Select the best answer

Which of the following Google Search tips is the most effective way to find a specific phrase or sentence?

  1. Use quotation marks around the phrase or sentence.
  2. Use the site: operator to search within a specific website.
  3. Use the - sign to exclude a term from your search results.
  4. Use the * wildcard to replace any word or group of words.

Which of the following Google Search tricks can you use to find images of a specific size?

  1. Use the imagesize: operator followed by the desired width and height of the image, in pixels.
  2. Use the filetype: operator followed by the desired file type of the image, such as jpg or png.
  3. Use the site: operator to search for images within a specific website.
  4. Use the - sign to exclude a term from your search results.

Which of the following Google Search tips can you use to search for a specific file type?

  1. Use the filetype: operator followed by the desired file type, such as pdf or docx.
  2. Use the imagesize: operator followed by the desired width and height of the file, in pixels.
  3. Use the site: operator to search for files within a specific website.
  4. Use the - sign to exclude a term from your search results.

Which of the following Google Search tricks can you use to combine two or more search terms?

  1. Use the OR operator to combine two or more synonyms, such as “cat OR kitten.”
  2. Use the AND operator to combine two or more related terms, such as “cat AND food.”
  3. Use the * wildcard to replace any word or group of words.
  4. All of the above.

Which of the following search operators can be used to search for results within a specific website?

  1. ”
  2. +
  3. site:
  4. *

Which of the following search operators can be used to exclude a word from your search results?

  1. ”
  2. +
  3. -
  4. *

Which of the following is NOT a valid Google search operator?

  1. site:
  2. filetype:
  3. intitle:
  4. quick:

Which Google operator can help you find the definition of a word?

  1. define:
  2. word:
  3. meaning:
  4. lookup:

What is the purpose of the “intitle:” operator in a Google search?

  1. To find results with the specified keyword in the title
  2. To exclude results with the specified keyword in the title
  3. To find results from a specific website
  4. To search for images with the specified keyword

Which feature allows you to search for books and publications on Google?

  1. Google Books
  2. Google News
  3. Google Trends
  4. Google Scholar

What is the function of the “inurl:” operator in a Google search query?

  1. To exclude results with the specified keyword in the URL
  2. To find results from a specific website
  3. To find results with the specified keyword in the URL
  4. To search for images with the specified keyword

Which of the following is NOT a Google search operator?

  1. site:
  2. inurl:
  3. find:
  4. intext:

Which Google operator is used to find pages linking to a specific URL?

  1. link:
  2. to:
  3. from:
  4. connect:

Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” button takes you directly to:

  1. The first search result
  2. A random webpage
  3. A list of related searches
  4. Google Maps

How can you use Google search as a calculator?

  1. Type calc: followed by the expression
  2. Type math: followed by the equation
  3. Type the expression or equation directly
  4. Type solve: followed by the problem

What is a search engine? A) A program that creates websites B) A tool to find information on the internet C) A software for sending emails D) A social media platform

Here are some easier multiple-choice questions (MCQs) about search engines and Google Search suitable for beginners:

  1. What is a search engine? A) A program that creates websites B) A tool to find information on the internet C) A software for sending emails D) A social media platform

Answer: B) A tool to find information on the internet

  1. What does Google do? A) Hosts websites B) Provides online shopping C) Searches for and displays web pages D) Creates videos

Answer: C) Searches for and displays web pages

  1. Which of the following is a popular search engine? A) Facebook B) Google C) Instagram D) Twitter

Answer: B) Google

  1. What does the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button do in Google? A) It takes you to a random website B) It shows you the first search result directly C) It provides related searches D) It changes the search language

Answer: B) It shows you the first search result directly

Exercises

  1. Find the name of the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physics. Use the site: operator to limit your search to official Nobel Prize websites.
  2. What is the capital city of Pakistan? Use the define: operator to find the meaning of the word “capital” in the context of geography.
  3. Who is the author of the famous novel “The Catcher in the Rye”? Use the intitle: operator to find web pages that have the title of the novel in their title.
  4. What is the name of the largest bone in the human body? Use the filetype: operator to find a PDF document that contains a diagram of the human skeleton.
  5. What is the formula for calculating the area of a circle? Use the inurl: operator to find web pages that have the word “math” in their URL.
  6. What is the name of the national anthem of Pakistan? Use the cache: operator to view an older version of a web page, such as the Wikipedia page on Pakistan.
  7. What is the meaning of the word “”? Use the synonym: operator to find synonyms for a word in your query.
  8. What is the meaning of the word “Gratitude”? Use the synonym: operator to find synonyms for a word in your query.
  9. Use the site: operator to find articles about climate change from the New York Times website.
  10. Find a translation of the phrase “If you can dream it, you can do it.” into 10 different languages.
  11. Find a scientific article about the benefits of exercise for mental health.

References

[1] “Search engine,” Wikipedia, Dec. 04, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine [2] Computer Hope, “What is a Search Engine?,” Computerhope.com, 2019. https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/searengi.htm ‌‌