Aug 0819
When Google is More Than a Search Engine
August 19th, 2008
Last week, I needed to convert miles to kilometers. A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to find a sushi restaurant in Alexandria. In both cases, I turned to Google.
We normally think of Google as a really terrific search engine where you type in a keyword or phrase and get results, but here are my favorite tips for getting the most out of your Google searching:
- You can use Google as a calculator; simply enter the calculation you’d like done into the search box. Example: 5*9+(sqrt 10)^3=
- If you want the status of a flight, enter the airline and flight number. Example: American 2182
- If your caller ID is showing an area code you don’t recognize, just type it into Google. Example: 415
- Want to know how your favorite stock is doing? Type the ticker into Google. Example: MSFT
- Come across a word you don’t know? Type define before the word. Example: define obsequious
- If you’re mobile and need information, simply text message your search query to 466453 (Google on most devices)
- Looking for a the closest Chinese restaurant, go to maps.google.com and type the address + Chinese (or pizza or Italian or hardware store). Example: 1033 N.Fairfax Street Alexandria, VA 22314 pizza
Finally, if you want to know what Google knows about your Web site, try these:
site:www.matrixgroup.net
shows indexed pages in your site
link:www.matrixgroup.net
shows pages that link to your site’s front page
cache:www.matrixgroup.net
shows the current cache of your site
info:www.matrixgroup.net
shows information Google has about your site
Learn more about how to get the most out of your Google search experience by checking out these helpful guides:
Happy searching!
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I also recently learned about Google’s free 411 phone service. You can dial 1-800-GOOG-411 and request the address and phone number of any business for free! It came in very handy this weekend when I was looking for a restaurant.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Goodness, who can keep up with all of the services provided by Google these days? Thanks for sharing. I wonder if the phone company is feeling threatened by Google’s new 411 service. And to think that Google is providing the service via a toll-free 800 number - wow!