THE World Wide Web is populated with a wealth of information that can be accessed with just the click of a button. You can find information on virtually any topic within minutes through your preferred search engine.

The information is so much that, at times, you have to sift through several results to find exactly what you need, turning what could be a one-minute search into hours.

With Google being the most popular search engine worldwide, according to Net Marketshare, DigIT has compiled a list of effective search methods to yield better results.

According to Google support, one method of controlling search results is through the use of search operators and symbols.

While

Google ignores punctuation marks when conducting a search, there are a few symbols that have specific functions which the search engine recognises when properly used.

Check out these seven Google search methods.

1. Whole Phrases

If you are searching for specific phrases or words in an exact order, the simplest and most effective way to do so is to use quotation marks.

Let’s say you heard a song on the radio but you can only remember one line from the lyrics. Just typing the words into the search bar would give you results with these words appearing in any order on a website and not the specific order in which it was typed.

Now, do the same search, but this time type it within quotation marks, example: “turn your lights down low”. You will get only results showing the words in the exact order that you typed them — a great method to finding the lyrics to your song.

2. Forgotten words

But what if you didn’t catch a full phrase? You heard the line in the song but some of the words in-between were a blur.

Google recognises the use of asterisks in place of any unknown or wild card terms and can use this to narrow your search. Example: Turn your * down low ** your * curtain

3. Finding numbers within a range or time frame

For researchers who want to dig into information within a specific time frame, you can focus your search on a specific time period with the use of periods. This method also works for other ranges, such as pricing.

Examples: smartphones 2000..2005 or laptops $200..$400

4. This OR that

In the event that you don’t quite remember the information or the name of someone to start your search, it’s possible to conduct a search on multiple variations using ‘OR’. For example, you can’t remember which Jennifer starred in the movie you watched last night, type Jennifer Lopez OR Lawrence.

The same rule applies when you want to use a word and other synonymous terms. Example: marathon OR race.

5. Search specific sites

You can also search for results on a certain website. To do this, type a keyword or phrase then the address of the site(s) you want to search.

Example: site: drone regulations jamaicaobserver.com

To search multiple sites use: drone regulations site:jamaicaobserver.com OR site:jcaa.gov.jm

6. Eliminating unwanted search terms

Sometimes you want to conduct a Google search but would like to eliminate results from a certain website or you’re looking for words with multiple meanings and would like precise results. To do this, simply type a minus symbol or dash before the search term or site.

Examples: jaguar speed -car OR -site: wikipedia.org

7. Finding similar websites

Google also allows its users to find sites that are similar to a specified web address using the word related, followed by a colon before the desired site.

Example: related:jamaicaobserver.com

It is important to note that when using the methods listed above, you should not add spaces between the search operator (site: or related:) and your search term, according to Google support. A search for site:jamaicaobserver.com will work, but site: jamaicaobserver.com will not.

While DigIT selected only seven search methods, there are a number of other advanced search operators you can explore.