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Search Tools Summary and Comparison

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Selected Google Commands

Top Search Tips (HTML)
(PDF version)

Comparison Table PDF (40 KB)
HTML Version

Business Key Starting
Points & Search Tools

(PDF 30 KB)

Links to Search Tools

Purchase

Get Arcobat Reader

Get Arcobat Reader

Google
www.google.com

Yahoo!
uk.search.yahoo.com search.yahoo.com

Bing
(formerly Live.com)
www.bing.com

Default search

Usually all of your words but Google sometimes only looks for some of your terms

All of your words

All of your words

Wild card or truncation

No. Automatically stems words and looks for variations.

No

No

Alternative terms or variations ~for synonym search e.g. ~aspartame
Use the Boolean OR
Use the Boolean OR Use the Boolean OR
Suggests other search strategies and related terms Google Suggests as you type in your search terms. Suggests alternative searches as you type Related Searches on the results page depending on the type of search

Phrases

".." e.g.
"peak oil"

".." e.g.
"peak oil"

".." e.g.
"peak oil"

Proximity

Use the asterisk to stand in for one or more words in a phrase e.g. solar * panels

AROUND(n) e.g. solar AROUND(2) panels

No. NEAR:n e.g. solar NEAR:2 panels
Google
Yahoo!
Bing

Must include word

Use "..." around words to force an exact match or search for a phrase (does not always work)

Precede stop words with a plus sign (+)

".." around stop words

Exclude pages with a word

Precede words with a minus sign

Precede words with a minus sign or use NOT

Precede words with a minus sign or use NOT

Boost importance of a term Repeat the term 2 or more times in your search. Repeat the term 2 or more times in your search. prefer:

Word in URL

inurl:
allinurl:

inurl:

inurl:

Word in title

intitle:
allintitle:

intitle:

intitle:

Links to specified URL

link: to find pages that link to a specific page e.g. link:rba.co.uk/sources

link: looks for links to the specified page e.g. link:http://www.rba.co.uk/

linkdomain: looks for links to any page on the site e.g. linkdomain:rba.co.uk

No

Google
Yahoo!
Bing

Similar pages

related:

No

No

Specify part of domain

site:
Advanced Search

site:
Advanced Search

site:
Advanced Search

Limit by Web site

site:
Advanced Search

site:
Advanced Search

site:
Advanced Search

Filetype or format

Advanced Search or use filetype:
PDF, DOC, RTF, XLS, PPT, PS, WPD, RSS, XML

Advanced Search PDF, PS, DOC, XLS, PPT, XML, RSS

or use originurlextension:

filetype:

Search by date

Advanced Search or use the sidebar on your results page

Advanced Search

No

Limit by language

Advanced Search

Advanced Search

language: or use Advanced Search

Limit by geography

Country versions of Google

Advanced Search or region: e.g. region:africa

loc:followed by two letter country code or use Advanced Search

Google
Yahoo!
Bing

Boolean

OR

AND
OR

AND
OR
NOT
Boolean operators can be nested using parentheses for more precise searching. Availability of Boolean is erratic.

Cached copy Click on the cached link in the preview of the page iin the results list or search using cache: e.g. cache:www.rba.co.uk Click on the cached link next to the entry in the results list Click on the cached link in the preview of the page.
Unique features

Numeric range search e.g. DVD player $100..200

Synonym search (~)

Additional search features under Show options on results page

region: command

region: followed by one of europe, asia, downunder, africa, centralamerica, northamerica, southamerica, mideast, southeastasia

prefer:

contains: for pages that have links to a particular document or file type

 

Important: Many country versions of Yahoo are now using the Bing database for their standard search and give the same results as Bing. Both Bing and Yahoo retain their own interfaces and commands.

PDF Version (32 KB)


This page was last updated on 26 October, 2011 Copyright © 2011 Karen Blakeman