Start simple
No matter what you're looking for, our motto is "keep it simple." Start by entering a basic name or word. If you're looking for a place or product in a specific location, enter the name along with the town or zip code.
No matter what you're looking for, our motto is "keep it simple." Start by entering a basic name or word. If you're looking for a place or product in a specific location, enter the name along with the town or zip code.
Simple, one or two word search terms will usually give you the broadest results. Start with short search terms, then refine your results by adding more words.
Search ignores punctuation. This includes @#%^*()=[]\ and other special characters.
Google's spell checker automatically defaults to the most common spelling of a given word, whether or not you spell it correctly.
Search “gooogle”
A search engine works by matching the words you enter to pages on the web. So using words that are most likely to appear on pages will yield the best results. For example, instead of saying my head hurts, say headache, because that's the term a medical website would use.
Put quotation marks around words "[any word]" to search for an exact phrase in an exact order. Keep in mind that searching with quotes might exclude relevant results. For instance, a search for "Alexander Bell" will miss pages that refer to Alexander G. Bell.
Search “"to be or not to be"”
The more unique the word, the more likely you are to get relevant results. So [celebrity ringtones] is probably better than [celebrity sounds]. Keep in mind though, that even if the word has the correct meaning, if it's not the one most people use, it may not match the pages you need.
Search isn't case sensitive. A search for new york times is the same as a search for New York Times.
Highlight common words and characters such as the and & if they are essential to your search (as in a movie or book title) by putting quotation marks "the" around them. You can also use the minus - sign to specify particular items you don't want in your results, like ingredients in a recipe.
Didn’t find what you were looking for? Browse a complete list of Tips & Tricks