Google’s recent removal of the option to use the plus sign to force search terms to be included wasn’t universally popular. While you can still use double quotes, Google has now added a new option to let you control your search terms more precisely: Google Verbatim.
You access Verbatim by clicking on the More search tools option under All results in the left column of the search results page. (As with many Google feature rollouts, this is a gradual process that will take a few days; it hasn’t showed up for me yet.) With Verbatim switched on, Google doesn’t apply automatic spelling corrections, doesn’t use your search history when generating results, and doesn’t include synonyms or similar terms. In simple terms, it searches for exactly what you asked for.
Realistically, this isn’t going to be the default search option you use: more often than not, Google’s auto-corrections and educated guesses improve the search experience. But it is nice to know that the choice is available, especially if you’ve found Google’s recent round of changes unnerving.
Search using your terms, Verbatim [Inside Search]
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.