Most people use Google but almost everyone has heard of it. Although it is the most popular search engine, there are a lot of pretty nifty things that you can do with it other than a basic search. Here are a few of the more useful ‘tricks’ that the average user might not know.
Find the definition of a word
A lot of people either go to Wikipedia.org or Thesaurus.com to find the definition of a word they’re not familiar with. However, lots of people don’t know that you can discover what a word means simply by typing it in the Google search box. For example, if you want to find out what ‘extravagant’ means, all you need to do is type it in the Google search box – there’s no need to go searching out other dictionary websites.
Find places in your area
You can find restaurants, shops and other points of interest in your area simply by typing in the place you want to visit. If you wanted to find the addresses and information of Italian restaurants in your area, simply type ‘Italian restaurants’ in the Google search box. There is no need to type ‘Italian restaurants’ followed by your area, because it will automatically show only the ones which are located in the area you live in.
Find websites that are linking to your website
If you have a website and you want to see exactly how popular it is, you can discover the webpages and websites that are linking to it by typing ‘link:’ followed by the URL of your website. This will show you where your traffic is coming from, who likes your webpage/website and you may also discover information that will be useful for you to use yourself.
Search a Website That Doesn’t Have a Search Function
Although most websites nowadays have a built in search function, many don’t. If you would like to search a site that doesn’t have one, simply type “site:www.site.com search query”.
Convert Currency, Units, and Perform Math Functions
If you want to convert currency simply write it out as a math function. For example, “4 dollars = ?pounds” will convert this for you according to the latest conversion rates. For units, “5 inches = ?centimeters” will convert from inches to centimeters. As a calculator, simply enter in your equation: “5*3.12=”