google_custom_search_engine

Search Tips for Finding the Right Application

google_custom_search_engineTry the following tips to find an application suited to your needs. These tips apply specifically to Google searches, but may work with other search engines also.

See Google Inside Search Basics for helpful hints.

 

1. Try Exact Phrases Search Queries

Use common sense phrases enclosed in quotations to obtain exact results.

2. Append your search with “vs” (and note auto-complete results)

After locating one or two applications that are close to your needs, append the name of an application with “vs” (e.g., “Freshbooks vs”)

Google vs autocomplete3. Precede your search with “better than” or “similar to”

… for example, “better than Freshbooks” or “similar to Freshbooks”

4. Find related sites with “related:”

Preface your search with “related” (e.g., “related:Freshbooks”)

5. Remove search results of terms that are not useful

To remove a term from search results (maybe it appears to commonly), precede the term with a “-” (e.g. “better than freshbooks -harvest” will omit “harvest” from search results.

6. Advanced search opinions

Search using the preface “allinanchor:”; the results will be located in anchor text on other websites. For example:

allinanchor:”Freshbooks” (use quotes if you are searching for phrase

For more Google search query options, see Google Guide: Search Operators.

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