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Boolean Search Fundamentals Explained

This document discusses search strategies for Google. It recommends visualizing the successful results you want to find before entering search terms. Specifically, it suggests imagining the words and phrases that would appear on the desired pages. Then it advises using those visualized terms directly in the search box. The document also cautions against using "OR" in Google searches, stating it is better to do separate searches for synonyms or alternatives. It provides an overview of common Google search operators as well.

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Adnan Yousaf
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369 views18 pages

Boolean Search Fundamentals Explained

This document discusses search strategies for Google. It recommends visualizing the successful results you want to find before entering search terms. Specifically, it suggests imagining the words and phrases that would appear on the desired pages. Then it advises using those visualized terms directly in the search box. The document also cautions against using "OR" in Google searches, stating it is better to do separate searches for synonyms or alternatives. It provides an overview of common Google search operators as well.

Uploaded by

Adnan Yousaf
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Introduction
  • Example Searches
  • Search Strategies
  • Questions and Conclusion

Boolean and

Fundamentals
Speaker: Irina Shamaeva
[Link]

Sourcing Training Library


[Link]
What Will This Google Search Find?

"see who you know in common" java engineer


How About This?

"public profile badge" pharma scientist


This?

"current city and hometown" "others named"


certified accountant
This? 😉

site:gov "confidential" intitle:"contact list"


Why Did We Get Those Results?

Because we searched for what we expected to find on pages

To search well, “visualize success” first: imagine that you are


looking at a page that is a great result. What are the words and
phrases on the page?

(Use your imagination! Look at sample pages, too)


Then, put the terms you expect to find into the search box
What Google Says
Visualize Success

12
Imagine…

• …what a person may have said about him- or herself


• …what others may have said about them

• Use the words you have imagined in your search

13
Please Say No to OR on
Google

● Using ORs for synonyms and similar terms on


Google is counter-productive.
● If you want to include either term in your search,
it's best to run two or more consecutive searches,
where you will know what you are looking to find
in each.
Using OR does not help to find
many terms on one page

● If you search for Accenture OR Deloitte, Google


will run queries with one, then another, and mix
up the results pages. It won't prioritize pages with
both terms if that is what you wanted.
The Full List of Google Operators
Operator Meaning

allinurl: / inurl: Keywords must appear in the URL


allintitle: / intitle: – the Title
allintext: / intext: – the text
allinanchor: / inanchor: – the anchor text
filetype: Only files of this type
site: Narrow results to a site
related: Shows similar sites (being phased out)
info: Shows page info
define Gives a definition
The quotes ("") Search for a phrase
The minus (-) Exclusion
OR Alternatives
Numrange (..) Search for a range of numbers
Asterisk (*) Stands for a word or a few words
AROUND (n) Proximity search
before:, after: Date search
One Thing to Remember
Questions!

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