5 useful tips to make better use of Google

Do a Google search for another country

By default, Internet users in France use the French version of Google. But you can ask the search engine to show results from other parts of the world. You can use a VPN, which can send your connection via your preferred country or change the language settings on PC and mobile.

Check your English status on Google

Google offers two lesser known services that allow you to evaluate your English language. You can answer small vocabulary quizzes, but also test the quality of your pronunciation. Quizzes are very basic and if you are not very helpful if you are ready for TOEIC, pronunciation help is crucial if you have an impossible pronunciation.

Learn advanced search operators

You’ve been using Google for years, but did you know that there are advanced techniques to streamline search? Of course, there are tools provided by an American company that allow you to filter by date (an hour ago, less than 24 hours, a week ago, etc.), language (French or not). Or country wise. But there are others.

These operators must be entered directly into the search field. There are a few dozen. Here are the highlights:

• Quotes ⁇ : Search for the correct expression without each word individually. For example, ” I like cake “Search the internet for this exact phrase, not only” I like »+ The »+ Pancakes In the sentence “, for example” I like to eat good pancakes .
• Dash / hyphen – : Allows you to exclude a word when it is placed in front of it. For example, query Images svod -Netfix Search all pages containing keywords Movies And swod And not included Netflix. If you wish, you can exclude more than one word at a time.
• Site: At the beginning of the query to search for results on a particular site. For example, query Website: numerama.com svod Shows all pages talking about SVOD only in Numerama. You can use this target on the home page of a site, but in a certain way, filter the pages even more. Website: numerama.com/tech/svod.
• Link And : Find pages that contain all the words in the query, not just some. For example svod and Image and Netflix. It is written in capital letters.
• Link Or : Find pages containing such terms or others. For example Mobile or smartphone or portable. The link should be written in capital letters. It can be replaced by mobile | portable | smartphone vertical bar.
• File Type: At the beginning of the query, it indicates the file format you are looking for. For example, File Type: PDF livre Allows you to Google all PDF documents containing the keyword book. It works with other formats like doc (Word) xls (Excel).
• Title, All text, inurl, Allinurl, Anchor, Allinanjor : Policy is site-like:, except it targets specific elements of a webpage: its title (title), text body (Allintext), URL (inurl and allinurl) and announcers on pages (inanchor and allinjur).

These operators can be linked (we can imagine the type query Site: numerama.com svod -netflix «Prime Video» or Disney +) These tools allow search with surgical accuracy, but for this you need to have a clear vision of what you want and sometimes have to do that, changing this or that operator.

Sing to find a song on Google

Google integrates music identification service into its search engine through its mobile application. Express the results with a hum, hum or whistle, perhaps avoiding your name, but finding the song that runs through your head. Clearly, Google has integrated a tool like Shazam.

Have Dark Mode on Google

If you stay up late at night in the net and turn off the lights, you may not want to be blinded by the brightness of the screen. You can minimize it or choose Google’s Dark Mode. The search engine has decided to offer its service – which it offers for all its other products.