Hidden Google Search Tricks You’re Not Using (But Should)
🔎 You’ve Been Googling Wrong (Well, Kind Of)
We all use Google daily—but most of us are just scratching the surface.
Did you know you can search within a specific site, filter by file type, or exclude words with a simple symbol?
These aren’t “hacks.” They’re built-in power tools for people who want answers faster. Let me show you 10 of the best ones I use all the time.
1. Search Within a Specific Site
Want results only from a particular website?
site:nytimes.com “climate change”
✅ Searches only within NYTimes.com.
Great for forums, news sites, or when a site’s internal search sucks.
2. Exclude a Word (or Multiple)
Want results about Java (the language), but not Java (the island)?
java -island
Use the minus (-) sign to eliminate irrelevant results.
🧠 Combine exclusions for multiple terms:
java -island -coffee
3. Search for a Specific File Type
Need a PDF guide, PowerPoint, or Excel sheet?
"content marketing strategy" filetype:pdf
Use filetype: to filter results by format.
4. Use Quotation Marks for Exact Matches
When you want that exact phrase, wrap it in quotes.
“artificial intelligence ethics”
Google will now look for those words in that exact order.
🔍 Essential when fact-checking or researching quotes.
5. Use Asterisk (*) as a Wildcard
Let Google fill in the blank.
“* is the mother of invention”
It’s perfect when you’re unsure of exact wording.
🤫 Also great for uncovering patterns or clichés.
6. Find Pages That Link to a URL
Want to see who’s linking to your site (or someone else’s)?
link:cruntrix.com
Great for SEO, PR tracking, or curiosity.
7. Use “OR” for Multiple Searches
Want to search two things at once?
iphone 15 OR samsung s24
Must be all caps (OR). This shows results for either term.
8. Check Cached Versions of Pages
Site down? Want to view older content?
cache:example.com
🧢 Jake’s Trick: It works for articles that have been edited or deleted, too.
9. Search by Price Range
Great for shopping.
smartwatch $100..$200
Google returns results within that range.
Works with numbers, dates, and even megapixels (camera 12mp..48mp).
10. Search Using Related Sites
Find alternatives to a site you already like.
related:unsplash.com
You’ll get other free image sites like Pexels, Pixabay, etc.
🎯 Great for discovering similar tools or competitors.
⚡ Jake’s Quick Reference Table
| Trick | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
site: | Searches within a domain | site:reddit.com python |
-word | Excludes a term | tesla -elon |
filetype: | Filters by format | resume template filetype:doc |
“quotes” | Finds exact phrase | "machine learning basics" |
* | Wildcard | "* is golden" |
link: | Finds backlinks | link:example.com |
OR | Combines options | apple OR orange |
cache: | Shows stored version | cache:bbc.com |
.. | Sets a range | phone $300..$500 |
related: | Finds similar sites | related:canva.com |
📢 Final Word from Jake
Google is still the world’s most powerful search engine—but only if you know how to speak its language. These simple tricks have saved me hours of digging, and they’ll do the same for you.
Got a favorite search operator I missed? Drop it in the comments—I’ll test it in the next round.
