Google Tips

These tips are specifically for Google.  If you use another search engine you can try them.

When you go to Google ( www.google.com ) click on Advanced Search to see how you can include and exclude words from your search.  Note that besides searching on the Web you can also search for Images Groups Directory and News.  You can, for example, type in mars and click on Images to get just images of Mars.  You can also click on Preferences to tell Google how many results to put on a page and what language to use and search for.  If you click on Language Tools you can have Google do some translation for you, English German French Spanish Portuguese and Italian are supported.  (Tip:  Use copy {Control + C} and paste {Control + V} to get your text into Google.

Syntax
Did you know there is a Google Toolbar available?  Go to www.toolbar.google.com to get more information and to download it.  You must be using IE version 5 or higher.

Google has a fairly complete list of syntax elements at www.google.com/help/operators.html  Here are examples using intitle: intext: link: site: and define:
intitle:"san ramon"  will search for all pages that have San Ramon in the title.
intext:"san ramon" will search for all pages that have San Ramon in the text.
link:http//www.sirinc.org will search for all sites that link to the SIR site.
"san ramon"site:edu will search for all educational sites that reference San Ramon
define:SIR will look for a definition of SIR.  (You'll find seventeen definitions, but none of them are Sons In Retirement!)

Categories
You can also search Google by specific categories.  For example Arts, Movies, Health, Sports, etc. etc Go to: http://directory.google.com/ 
 

Services
Calculator;  Just type in (for example) 1+2*3 and see what you get.  More information is available at: www.google.com/help/features.html#calculator
Spelling;  Type in any search and if a word is spelled incorrectly Google will suggest the proper spelling
Phone Numbers;  Type in the name city and state, city is optional, and see what you get.  Look for your own phone number.

Shopping
Go to http://froogle.google.com to search for products and prices from online stores.  This can be abbreviated as http://froogle.com 
Go to http://catalogs.google.com to search for products and prices from nearly 6000 paper catalog.  This one can NOT be abbreviated.
Go to www.googlestore.com if you are interested in buying products with the Google logo.

Other
Go to www.google.com/options/index.html to see the other tools that are available to Google users.
Try www.google.com/newsalerts to have Google monitor the news for a topic of your choice and email you when it finds something.
(This can also be done at www.googlealert.com which is not affiliated with Google, but uses their search engine.)

The Future
If you want to know what Google is working on take a look at http://labs.google.com  Google says:  "Google labs showcases a few of our favorite ideas that aren't quite ready for prime time. Your feedback can help us improve them. Please play with these prototypes and send your comments directly to the Googlers who developed them."

Google Giggles
There are people who "bomb" Google by forcing results to specific sites.  If you want a Google Giggle put in a searches for the following and click on the I'm Feeling Lucky button::
"miserable failure"
unelectable
"weapons of mass destruction"
"french military victories"

Summary
Go to http://websearch.about.com/library/weekly/bl-google-search.htm to find a summary of Google advanced search features.  (Thanks Bernie)