Here are some Google search tips courtesy of http://blog.hubspot.com that you may find useful – the list is by no means comprehensive.  But, if you learn and use the tips below, you’ll be up there with the Google experts …

1. Explicit & Exact Phrase:

Lets say you are looking for content about business networks – and perhaps The Web Biz Network specifically.  Instead of just typing internet business networks or web biz network into the Google search box, you will most likely be better off searching explicitly for the phrase.  To do this, simply enclose the search phrase within double quotes (Google calls this ‘phrase match’) or square brackets (‘exact match’).

Example: "Sales Lead Secrets" or [sales lead secrets]

1. Exclude Words:
If, say, you’re searching for content about internet business networks, but you want to exclude any results that contain the term computers.  To do this, simply use the minus sign (‘-‘) in front of the word you want to exclude.

Example Search: “internet business networks” -advertising

1. Site Specific Search:

You may want to search a specific website for content that matches a certain phrase.  Even if the site doesn’t support a built-in search feature, you can use Google to search the site for your term. Simply use the "site:specificsite.com" formula.

Example: "network" site:www.northernriversportal.com

1. Calculator:

To do a quick calculation, instead of bringing up your Calculator application, you can just type your equation in to Google.

Example: 428 * 3.5

1. Word Definitions:

To look up the definition of a word or phrase, simply use the "define:" formula.

Example: define:abeyance

1. Similar Words and Synonyms:

If you want to include a word in your search, but also want to include results containing similar words or synonyms, use the "~" (called a ‘tilde’) in front of the word.

Example: "business network" ~ internet

1. Numeric Ranges:

You may not use this often, but it can be quite handy…  Let’s say you want to find results that contain any of a range of numbers.  You can do this by using the X..Y formula (use two full stops between the numbers).  This search format is useful for years, prices or any series of numbers.

Example: oil price 130..140  or prime minister 1930..1940

I hope these Google search tips prove useful to you… there are many more.

What are YOUR favorite Google power tips? Please share them with us by adding them in the comments box below.