I think we can probably all agree that Google is an incredibly powerful search engine. In fact, it is sometimes frightening just what you can find out on the internet. However, there are a lot of very useful functions of Google that most people don’t even know about. It’s all out there, so you might as well take advantage of it. Here are 5 great tips on what all Google can do for you.
1. Math! Yeah we know you probably have a calculator on your desk and probably on your phone, but if you’re already on the Internet and don’t have a traditional calculator on hand, Google can help you out. Simply type your equation into a Google search bar and it will return you the answer. It will also then display a calculator for more calculations.
2. Google Translate: This feature has grown significantly in popularity over the last few years, and if you’ve never used, it you should. You can translate other languages, put in an English word or phrase to find a word in another language and even figure out what language you are looking at. The auto detect feature will identify what language the words you have typed or pasted in come from. One important thing to note is that sometimes the languages don’t translate perfectly and there are often discrepancies especially with native phrases.
3. Site Search: If you’re trying to find something within a specific website, you can search for a term within that url. Ex: If I wanted to see where all my name is listed on this blog I could put the following phrase into a Google search bar: site:blog.fsioffice.com Emily and every article or picture where the word Emily is found will show up in Google results. This is great for many situations such as if you’re trying to find the head of human resources for a specific company, you could search site:www.companyname.com human resources.
4. Conversion: How many times have you caught yourself trying to remember how many cups are in a quart or centimeters to an inch. You can type your exact measurement question into the Google search bar for an instant answer. From there, it will pull up a unit converting system that you can continue to use if necessary.
5. Search with Numbers: Whether it’s an area code, zipcode, license plate or flight number, Google knows how to recognize certain number strings based on format and length. Type a zip code in the search bar and see where it is located. Type an airline and flight number into the search bar and see the status of your flight. Whatever you’re looking for, there’s a pretty decent chance Google can figure it out.
Hopefully this article explained a few of the useful tools available with Google, but it only scratched the surface. I’ll be offering more posts soon on search features, Boolean search and other Google products.
–Emily Leazer
Marketing Assistant, FSIoffice
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