The Art of Google Search.

I've heard a few funny stories about employers who were shocked to see "googling" listed as a skill in some applicants' resumes. These stories have made me realise that "googling" is probably one of the most underrated skills in the world and it's quite surprising considering how important it is. It's one of the most essential research and problem-solving skills you'd need. Having this skill will make you stand out because a lot of brilliant people don't even have it.

Being a writer and having spent a lot of time looking for information for projects and articles, I know how time-saving knowing where and how to look for what you want can be. If you've ever used Google, you'd know that sometimes finding the simplest things isn't all that simple. So, in this article, I'll be outlining some basic tips to help make your next google search faster and more productive. These tips have helped me over the years and I'm sure they can help you too.

Just to be clear, when I talk about googling, I'm simply talking about how to carry out a google search. Tons of effort is put into optimising articles to meet this search engine's algorithm standards and help you get the best information sources; Yet, all this work would be a waste if you, the end-user have no clue how to tap into the well of resources at your disposal. You should try these few steps the next time you have to research on Google:

Use the right keywords: Finding results tailored to your search depends on the kinds of keywords you use. You should include as much relevant information as is possible in your search. Be careful when doing this. You do not want to clutter your search box. For example, you may want to find out "How to make fluffy pancakes". You should type this out in your search box. A lot of blogs and websites write articles in response to questions you might ask so I find it useful to begin my search with a question. If you want to make fluffy pancakes and have no baking powder, your search should go something like "How do I make fluffy pancakes without baking powder?" This way, Google is more likely to bring out answers to specifically suit your question and save you the stress of touring through pancake recipes that may not be what you are looking for.

Use quotation marks: These little marks can make all the difference. When you put your keywords within quotations, they help Google make a complete search. So, Google carries out your search with the entire sentence or question in context. If you want to find results faster, you should try this.

Watch out for related articles: Sometimes, you might not find what you are looking for during your first search, but a lot of times, there are always links to related articles or information for further research should you need more information about a certain topic. These links save you the trouble of carrying out another search and even give you more information you probably never thought you'd need.

Use your synonyms: Synonyms can save the day! You may not get the information you require with certain keywords but then I have played around with synonyms a few times and gotten lucky. There was this particular lengthy article I had to write and the client asked that I not mention the keywords more than four times. Of course, I had to use synonyms! This tip isn't just helpful in writing, it's important for researching and using Google. If you are not exactly sure of a synonym, you can just input "synonym of" and then whatever word you need another word or phrase for.

Use a Colon to find specific sites: If you use Google often, you'll probably have noticed a few sites that seem to have better information about a particular niche. If you have, the next time you want to find something related, you'd probably want to go back there. To do this, simply add a colon and include the site name with your keywords in the search box and it'll pop right up. Sometimes these sites might not appear on the first page when you carry out a Google search but you can find them yourself using the colon. The good thing is that even if these sites don't have what you are looking for, Google may bring up related sites that you may find helpful.