Refine Google’s key word searches to keep them on-topic

One of the ways that Google’s search engine looks for rich, comprehensive results is by looking for pages that match a variation of the search terms you’ve entered. The Google Operating System offers some tips for how to refine your search so Google sticks strictly to a search for your keyword – as well as offering a way to make the search even *more* fuzzy. By adding a + before a keyword, you can ensure it won’t be ignored:

“Instead of searching for [blogger profile images], you’ll use this query: [+blogger profile images]. Alternatively, you could use quotes even for a single keyword: ["blogger" profile images] or add a plus after your keyword: [blogger+ profile images].

If rather than narrowing your search you want to cast your net wider, you can use the synonymous operator (~). Using this operator, a search for [~images] will also return results containing “imagery”.

Less Approximate Google Searches [Google Operating System]