List of Google Search Operator for Digital Marketers

May 30, 2020

Author: Spicetree Design Agency

When it comes to dig?ital marketing the first thing that a marketer should do is reach those high potential customers who search for their products or services categories on search engines.

This is made possible by optimizing the search results on the search engine so that the marketer's brand is prominently visible when the search engine returns the results for the search query. This process of optimizing the search results is called Search Engine Optimisation or SEO.

Google is the leading search engine and is used by close to 80% of users worldwide for searching for information across thousands of categories. For every digital marketer and SEO specialist, it is important to know the intricacies of Google and SEO like the back of their hand. Google should be the number one search engine to focus on, as it is here that potential existing and future customers will find your products and services.

For using Google to the optimum, you must know in detail about Google search operators. Using search operators efficiently significantly reduces the time you spend on Google and gives your better results in SEO.

For SEO professionals and digital marketers, it is important that they are familiar with the complete list of Google search operators.

What are search operators?

The official definition of search operators as described by Google is "those words, phrases or symbols in your search which ensure that your search results are specific and precise." Basically search operators are shortcuts that enable you to achieve better search results.

By using a search operator, you’re guiding Google towards narrowing down the search results in a more definite and precise manner. Some search operators use setting website field, specific text, domain name requirements or media type to refine search results.

Some search operators are deployed to establish logical conditions for search execution or alter Google’s semantic query interpretation. Typically, these search operators, or command phrases, are broadly classified into two main categories: Basic Search Operators and Advanced Search Operators.

Symbols that assist in refining or modifying search intent falls under the category of basic search operators, while advanced search operators comprise of word commands for defining technical requirements or boundaries for achieving relevant search results.

You can also combine basic and advanced search operators with text searches for further refining the search results.

List of Google search operators

Basic Search Operators

" "

When users put in the search query within quotes, they get search results that exactly match the query.

Users insert in the search query for representing any word with a wild card symbol.

This command returns search results limited to either one or both search words.

This vertical pipe command basically has the same search result function as the "OR" command.

For excluding the terms or operator filters from the search results, users insert a "-" symbol in front of any term in the search query.

This search operator basically sets a numeric range for matching the search by surrounding the ".." with numbers.

()

When the search terms are within parentheses, they get priority for how the search order will be executed.

$ or €

This command returns SERP listings, but excludes Shopping listings, with their prices and works only in USD i.e. $ or Euro i.e. €.

Advanced Search Operators

site:

This command puts a restriction on the search result to domain and website extension.

allintitle:

When this command is used, the search result includes all words listed in the meta title tag text.

intitle:

When this command is used, the search result includes any word listed in the meta title tag text.

allinurl:

When this command is used, the search result includes all words listed in the URL text.

inurl:

When this command is used, the search result includes any word listed in the URL text.

allintext:

This search operator limits the search result only to pages which contain the words and phrases in the text.

intext:""

This search operator limits the search result only to pages which contain the phrases and words in quotes in the text.

around(#)

When the user enters this command in the search bar, the search results are limited to pages where two or more terms comes within a specific number of words of each other.

cache:

This search operator is used for commanding the search engine to display the most recent website cache snapshot, along with the respective date and time.

define:

For getting definition results of the search query, users deploy this search command.

filetype:

When users want to find a specific type of file extension, i.e..pdf,.ppt etc., they use this search operator.

This command returns websites which are similar to the url entered after the command.

info:

All the information along with contact details of the domain entered after the command, becomes available to the user when this search operator is deployed.