Mastering Google Search: A Comprehensive Guide to Google Search Operators and Commands

A Comprehensive Guide to Google Search Operators and Commands

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Google’s Search Operators, What Are They?

Why Do Google Search Commands or Advanced Search Operators Exist?

Google Cheat Sheet for Search Operators

Content Marketing Research with Google Search Operators

Organize terms using parentheses

Building links and PR with Boolean Operators and Google Search Commands

Other Google Tools Search Operators

Here is a complete list of Google’s search operators

Synopsis

Conducting a Google search may appear straightforward: type in your keywords, and voilà, the desired results appear. However, for individuals seeking more specialized, niche or technical information related to a specific term or URL, a standard keyword search may prove insufficient.

Enter Google’s search operators and commands—tools designed to refine your searches and deliver targeted results swiftly. While seasoned search professionals are well-acquainted with these operators and commands, novices might find them intimidating or intricate. In this guide, we aim to demystify the basics of search operators and commands, empowering you to harness their full potential effectively. By mastering these advanced tools, you can elevate your Google search experience and unlock the platform’s true capabilities.

Google’s Search Operators, What Are They?

In essence, Google search operators (GSO) are unique characters incorporated into search terms to yield more precise results.

These operators typically fall into three categories:

1. Punctuation-based search operators
2. Boolean search operators
3. Advanced search operators

Whether you’re seeking an exact phrase, converting units of measurement, or performing various other functions, there are search operators tailored to your needs. Below is an example of a straightforward Google search operator:

Why Do Google Search Commands or Advanced Search Operators Exist?

Advanced search operators, also known as Google search commands, elevate the search experience even further. These terms and commands, when added to a search query, can significantly alter the search focus and often necessitate additional parameters or a URL within the query.

Primarily employed to refine search results or extract specific information unattainable through normal queries, these operators provide enhanced search capabilities. For example, you can confine a search to page titles only or target specific document formats.

The following is an example of a Google search command:

Google search commands and operators and Google search operators can be integrated to produce even more refined and sophisticated results. Below is an example showcasing a Google search command working in tandem with a Google search operator:

Google Cheat Sheet for Search Operators

Google offers an extensive range of search engine operators, including unique options tailored for tools like Google Drive and Google Mail. These operators can be employed for various SEO-related tasks, such as technical checks, content marketing research, or link building opportunities.

We’ve compiled a Google search operator cheat sheet below to help you select the appropriate operators for your specific task. For a comprehensive list of Google search operators, refer to the table at the end.

Content Marketing Research with Google Search Operators

Numerous Google search commands can be employed individually or combined to assist you in conducting technical audits on a domain. By integrating these commands with other analytical approaches, you can delve deeper into the issues a website may be facing, using nothing more than a varied than varied search syntax.

This allows for a more comprehensive understanding of a site’s performance and potential areas of improvement. Here are a few examples demonstrating the use of Google’s advanced search operators for technical SEO purposes:

Using Google Search, you can check whether a URL has been indexed

This is a simple use of one of the advanced search operators:

site:apple.com

The site: operator enables you to swiftly search for results from a single domain. It displays the number of results available for that domain, which can be especially beneficial when dealing with large websites.

An example would be:

The search results reveal that there are 109,000,000 pages indexed on the Premier League’s website. This operator is particularly useful for identifying indexation issues.

For example, if your website has 5,000 pages but Google indexes 10,000 (or vice versa), it indicates problems that need to be addressed. While you still need to pinpoint the exact issues, this high-level information serves as an excellent starting point.

Are there indexation issues with search pages? What about HTTPS or subdomains?

The initial search might display an overwhelming amount of information or pages, making it difficult to spot these problems. However, it’s valuable for demonstrating the potential scale of the issue. The next step involves using more advanced search commands to investigate specific areas of the site, such as a blog or category section.

You can do this by executing the following query:

site:domain.com/blog

(whichever prefix you want for that domain to be checked under)

The site: operator displays the number of indexed pages for the specified section of the website, allowing you to promptly determine if there are too many.

Furthermore, it reveals the URLs of the indexed pages. If a result that shouldn’t be indexed appears, you can investigate and implement solutions to resolve the issue.

An example would be:

The Apple website has 1,800 pages indexed in its news section. To examine any subdomains associated with the domain, whether you’re aware of them or not, you can use the following search operator combination:

site:*.domainname.com -www

Wildcards

This operator employs the same site: search we discussed earlier but introduces an asterisk (*) as a wildcard prefix to your domain name. It then removes any results containing “www” using the exclusion operator (‘-’). An example would be:

The Apple.com website has 47,000,000 pages on subdomains that are being indexed.

This includes subdomains such as locate.apple.com, support.apple.com, and apps.apple.com.

You can remove subdomains from your Google searches by following these steps

If you wish to exclude subdomains from your search results, you’ll need to incorporate an additional Google search operator. Although this method requires you to know the names of the subdomains, it is especially useful for filtering out development or staging sites from your searches.

site:domainname.com -inurl:subdomainkeyword

This search command employs the ‘site:’ operator to search the domain, while utilizing the ‘-‘ exclusion operator combined with the ‘inurl:’ operator to eliminate any URLs containing specific keywords. Keywords might include terms like ‘dev’ or ‘staging’, but you can also use this technique to exclude any sections you don’t want to examine, such as a certain category or subdomain. An example would be:

By excluding the support.apple subdomain, the number of indexed pages for the Apple site has significantly decreased. This demonstrates the power of using search operators to refine and focus your search results.

Search for non-secure pages on your domain

To find non-secure pages on your domain, you can use Google search operators to identify pages still using HTTP instead of HTTPS. Although HTTPS should be the standard nowadays, some pages may not have been updated, or you might be uncertain about the success of transitioning from your old HTTP domain to HTTPS.

site:domainname.com -inurl:https

The search command utilizes the ‘site:’ operator as mentioned earlier, and then incorporates the ‘-‘ exclusionary operator along with the ‘inurl:’ operator to eliminate all results containing ‘https’ in their URL. This will help you identify non-secure pages that still use ‘http’ on your domain.

An example would be:

The Apple site has 6,010 pages without HTTPS that are being indexed. Although it is a relatively small number, it is still worth investigating and addressing to ensure the security of all pages on the website.

You can check the most recent cache of your domain or URL by clicking here

To examine the most recent cache of your domain or URL, utilize the cache: search operator. This enables you to verify whether Google has indexed your site and to confirm if any updates you’ve made to your site have been cached. To use this operator, simply type “cache:” followed by the domain or URL in the Google search bar, like so:

cache:domainname.com

When you use the cache: operator, Google will return a distinct view that showcases the most recent cache of the specified domain or URL. Additionally, this view will indicate the date when the cache was created, providing valuable information about the recency of the cached content.

Content Marketing Research with Google Search Operators

Google search is frequently the go-to resource for content marketers conducting research. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for content, evaluating competitors, or assessing your own domain, various search operators can significantly enhance your content marketing research.

We’ll begin with some basic search operators and discuss their applications when performing research for content pieces or campaigns. Although Google is a popular starting point for content research, simple keyword searches can often yield an overwhelming number of results that may not be relevant. To help you conduct more focused research, here are a few search operators you should consider for basic content exploration:

Concentrate your search by requiring exact match results, utilize the quote operator: “ ”.

Keyword 1 "phrase 1"

The quote operator ( “ ” ) is one of the most fundamental search operators and can be employed to make Google display results where the phrase matches exactly. In other words, the terms within the quotation marks must appear in the same order and form as they are in the query.

By using this operator, you can narrow down your search results and find more relevant information related to your specific query.

Building links and PR with Boolean Operators and Google Search Commands

Keyword 1 OR Keyword 2

Using the “OR” operator in a Google search allows you to display results that include either one search term or the other, as opposed to a regular search, which focuses on results containing both terms. The “OR” operator is most effective when the two keywords don’t frequently appear together. For example, if you’re searching for information about apples and oranges, you could use the following query:

apples OR oranges

Organize terms using parentheses

(keyword 1 OR keyword 2) keyword 3

By utilizing the Google boolean search operator OR, along with parentheses, you can create more flexible and targeted search queries. This approach will display articles related to (keyword 1 AND keyword 3) OR (keyword 2 AND keyword 3).

A standard search query containing all three keywords can be restrictive, as Google will heavily prioritize results featuring all three terms. Incorporating the OR operator and parentheses can broaden your search and yield more diverse, relevant results.

For example, if you’re searching for information about apples and nutrition or oranges and nutrition, you could use the following query:

(apples OR oranges) AND nutrition

This search will return results containing either “apples and nutrition” or “oranges and nutrition”, offering a more extensive range of information related to each individual term’s connection with nutrition.

Use the Negative Sign to Exclude One Specific Keyword or a Number of Them

keyword 1 -keyword 2

Alternatively, you can exclude a number of keywords:

keyword 1 -keyword 2 -keyword 3 -keyword 4

To exclude specific terms from your search results, use the ‘-‘ operator in conjunction with the unwanted term.

For example, if you’re searching for a term that has associations with a brand or sports team, and you want to exclude results related to those, you can do so by adding a ‘-‘ in front of the words you’d like to omit.

Suppose you want to search for “apple” but exclude results related to the technology company.

You can use the following search query:

apple -company

This will return results about apples, the fruit, without including results related to Apple Inc. You can also apply the ‘-‘ operator to exclude exact match phrases by combining it with the quotation marks you learned earlier. For instance, if you want to exclude the phrase “apple pie” from your search, you can use:

apple -"apple pie"

This search will display results related to apples without including content about apple pies.

It is a good idea to use wildcard functions when there is uncertainty about broader terms

"keyword 1 * keyword 2"

When you want to search for two keywords that often appear together, but may have different connecting words or symbols between them, you can use the ‘*’ (asterisk) wildcard operator. This operator allows you to find all variations while maintaining the order and phrase structure you desire. The ‘*’ operator acts as a placeholder for any word or symbol that might appear between your keywords. For example, if you want to search for “apple” followed by “pie” but allow for variations in between, you can use the following search query: apple * pie This search will return results containing phrases such as “apple and pie”, “apple or pie”, “apple & pie”, and even “apple caramel pie”, providing you with a broader range of relevant content while maintaining your desired keyword order.

The most frequently used terms in sentences are located near each other

keyword 1 AROUND(X) keyword 2

If you’re searching for keywords that don’t naturally appear together, but you still want to find content related to both terms, the AROUND(X) Google search operator can be helpful.

By replacing X with a number, you can specify the maximum word distance between the two keywords in the search results.

For example, if you want to find results where keyword 1 and keyword 2 appear within 4 words of each other in the content, you can use the following search query:

keyword1 AROUND(4) keyword2

This search will return results where the two keywords are mentioned within a maximum of 4 words apart, allowing you to find content that is related to both terms even if they don’t appear in close proximity or in a specific order.

This operator is particularly useful for discovering more targeted and relevant content that may not be captured by a regular keyword search.

For example, if you want to search for content from universities or government websites, you can use Site Search

keyword 1 site:.gov

To search for mentions of a keyword within a specific top-level domain (TLD), such as .gov, .ac, .edu, or region-specific TLDs, you can use the “site:” operator combined with the desired domain extension. This technique can help you gain insights into how specific types of websites discuss particular subjects, which can be valuable for content creation, campaigns, and identifying potential linking opportunities.

For example, if you want to find mentions of “solar energy” within .gov websites, you can use the following search query:

solar energy site: .gov

This search will return results exclusively from .gov websites that discuss solar energy. Similarly, if you want to search for “climate change” within .edu websites, you can use:

climate change site: .edu

By using the “site:” operator with the appropriate domain extension, you can tailor your search results to focus on specific types of websites and gain valuable insights into the content and discussions within those domains.

The body text should be searched exclusively for pure content research

Intext: keyword 1

If you want to find results where all of the keywords are mentioned, but not necessarily as an exact match, you can simply enter the keywords without any special operators. Google’s default search behavior is to look for web pages that contain all of the entered keywords, even if they don’t appear together as an exact phrase.

For example, if you want to find pages that mention “solar energy,” “sustainable,” and “technology” without requiring an exact match, you can use the following search query:

solar energy sustainable technology

This search will return results containing all three keywords, but they may appear in any order and not necessarily as a continuous phrase. This approach allows you to discover content that is relevant to your topic without being limited to a specific keyword arrangement.

The allintext: search operator is designed to return results that contain specified keywords only within the body text of web pages, excluding page titles. This can be helpful for finding mentions within the actual content of pages rather than just in their titles.

To use the allintext: operator, simply type it before your keywords, like so: allintext: solar energy sustainable technology

This search will return results where all the specified keywords are mentioned in the body text of web pages, regardless of their order or phrasing. By using the allintext: operator without quotation marks for exact match phrases, you can efficiently locate web pages that discuss your topic without being limited to specific keyword arrangements.

This approach can be particularly valuable for discovering more targeted and relevant content that may not be captured by a regular keyword search.

Using the allintext: search operator with your specified keywords will return results where all of the keywords are mentioned within the body text of web pages. This helps you find content that discusses all of your desired topics without being limited to specific keyword arrangements or phrases.

With Google Search Operators, you can find duplicate and plagiarism content

If you want to check for duplicate content within your domain, you can use the site: and intext: search operators in combination with quotation marks for an exact match. This will help you identify instances where a specific sentence or block of text appears on multiple pages of your domain.

For example, let’s say you want to check if a certain sentence is duplicated across your website, www.example.com.

You can use the following search query:

site:www.example.com intext: "This is the specific sentence you want to check for duplication"

By enclosing the sentence in quotation marks, you are instructing Google to search for exact matches of the text within your domain. The site: operator restricts the search to your domain, while the intext: operator ensures that the sentence appears within the body of the page. If duplicate instances of the specified text are found on your domain, you’ll see the relevant URLs listed in the search results.

This can be a helpful tool for identifying and addressing duplicate content issues on your website.

To check if your content has been duplicated on other domains, you can use the intext: search operator along with the -site: operator to exclude your own domain from the search results. This will help you identify instances where your content appears on external websites.

For example, if you want to check if a certain sentence from your website, www.example.com, has been duplicated on other websites, use the following search query:

intext: "This is the specific sentence you want to check for duplication" -site:www.example.com

Enclosing the sentence in quotation marks tells Google to search for exact matches of the text, while the -site: operator with a preceding hyphen excludes your domain from the search results.

If instances of the specified text are found on other domains, you’ll see the relevant URLs listed in the search results. This can help you identify and address potential content duplication issues or unauthorized use of your content on other websites.

The best way to find files uploaded to a domain

Whether you’re on a quest to rediscover files you’ve uploaded to your domain long ago, or you’re conducting research to determine the number of arbitrary PDF files a client has uploaded over the years, the ability to locate files without prior knowledge of their quantity or names can be incredibly valuable.

Perhaps you’ve finally decided to transform outdated PDF content into proper on-site material, or you’re seeking a presentation from 2014 that seems to have vanished from your computer. Begin with a straightforward site search for a specific file type, such as a PDF:

site:domainname.com filetype:pdf

This will yield results displaying all PDFs hosted on the domain. You can apply this approach to various other file types, including Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, text files, and spreadsheets. While this method is effective for images as well, it is unable to search for files such as PHP, ASP, or HTML. An example would be:

This reveals that there are 23,600,000 PDF documents on the Apple.com website. If you aim to locate a variety of file types within a single domain, you can merge several different queries into one search.

site:domainname.com (filetype:pdf OR filetype:xls OR filetype:jpg)

The mentioned query retrieves all files within the domain that are PDFs, Excel spreadsheets, or JPEGs. The parentheses are employed to group the Boolean functions, ensuring they are all executed within the same search. The Google Boolean OR function specifies that the search should encompass all of the listed file types.

Taking the following example:

This reveals that there are 27,500 distinct files that are either PDFs or Excel spreadsheets. Additionally, you can utilize the ext: search operator to locate the desired file type as demonstrated below:

site:domainname.com ext:pdf

Finding Internal Linking Opportunities Using Google Search Operators

Internal links are a crucial component of a successful SEO strategy and are highly valuable for users seeking additional information. So, how can you discover these opportunities using Google searches? It’s as simple as searching for the topic of a page you want to link to within content you’ve already created.

For instance, let’s say you’ve composed an exceptional new post, or you want to link back to a new category from several existing blog posts. To find relevant internal linking opportunities, search your site for mentions of the keyword or anchor text you want to use, but exclude the page you intend to link back to.

site:domainname.com -site:urlofpost intext:"keyword you're after"

To clarify, you will be conducting a search within your own domain, excluding the URL of the post you want to link to, and looking within the text of the rest of the site for the keyword you intend to use as anchor text for your new post or category. This approach helps you identify relevant internal linking opportunities by pinpointing existing content containing the desired keyword or anchor text.

Taking the following example:

This site search examines the entire Premier League domain, with the exception of Tammy Abraham’s player profile. It then searches for his name, providing a quick way to identify all mentions of him on the site and determine if there are any that don’t link back to his player profile. This method helps ensure all relevant mentions are appropriately linked to the intended page.

A Guide to Checking Your Competitor’s Content Schedule

Conducting a search using your competitor’s blog URL, assuming their content is stored under a blog subfolder or subdomain, can reveal the total number of posts on their site. This information is valuable as it provides insight into the scope of their content efforts and helps you gauge the competition.

Taking the following example:

site:domainname.com/blog

This search query will display all posts residing under the blog subfolder. It’s important to note that this method is only effective if the domain’s blog posts are structured under /blog/… so be mindful of that. Depending on the purpose of the subdomains, it might be useful to exclude them from the search.

This approach provides a straightforward overview of the number of blog posts and the count of indexed pages within the blog. Taking the following example:

This reveals that the Apple website has 1,840 indexed pages within its news section.

To assess the frequency of their posting, you’ll want to examine this URL using date ranges. Although there used to be a daterange: search operator, Google has since retired it. While it might still function occasionally, it’s not dependable.

Instead, take advantage of the search tools provided by Google. These tools enable you to choose from a variety of date ranges, such as ‘past month,’ ‘past year,’ or even a custom range.

Taking the following example:

This reveals that the Apple website has published 26 news articles within the past month.

Checking the Topics that a Competitor Writes About

Subsequently, you’ll want to examine the frequency at which your competitors are publishing content on important topics. Understanding their posting patterns for specific subjects can provide insights into their rankings for particular terms or their reputation as an authority in a certain field.

Moreover, this analysis can reveal gaps or strengths in your own content strategy. A search query to achieve this might resemble:

site:domainname.com/blog keyword or topic

For a precise phrase, you’ll want to use quotation marks ” “, but for broader subjects, you can typically proceed without them. To examine how often they’ve discussed a subject within a specific date range, simply combine the previous suggestion with this one, utilizing the Google tool available in the search results page.

This indicates that the Apple website has mentioned the iPhone 405 times. If desired, you can adjust the date range for more specific insights.

Here’s how to find how many pages your domain has related to a keyword

This method is akin to examining how frequently your competitors write about a specific topic. However, rather than focusing solely on the blog section of their site, you can investigate the entire domain. To accomplish this, use the following search operator:

Site:domainname.com keyword

Or, if you want to only search for a specific phrase:

site: domainname.com "keywords"

This approach can help you determine how many pages on your site may be competing for the same keywords, and also assess how well your domain is perceived as an authority on a specific topic. By comparing these results with those of a competitor’s domain, you can quickly identify content gaps and opportunities to strengthen your own online presence.

Here is how you can check page titles using the ‘intitle’ Google Search Operator

First, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the ‘intitle:’ search operator.

Intitle: keyword 1

This search operator scans page titles for the keyword you’ve specified. You can also use other functions, like OR or the exact match quotation marks we’ve discussed earlier in this document.

This search displays every result with ‘iphone’ in the title, which can be quite broad. To refine your search for content research, you might want to focus on lists related to a keyword, such as listicles. This approach offers a quick and efficient way to determine if your article idea has already been extensively covered.

An example would be:

Intitle: "The best x" keyword 1

By replacing the ‘x’ with a specific number, you’ll receive results where the keyword is associated with lists of that particular length. Other search terms to consider include ‘top,’ ‘the biggest,’ ‘the worst,’ and similar phrases frequently found in listicle titles, allowing you to explore a variety of content ideas.

Building links and PR with Boolean Operators and Google Search Commands

After successfully completing your technical audit and implementing a well-researched content strategy, it’s time to focus on acquiring valuable links and brand mentions. This process can range from conducting comprehensive research for large-scale campaigns to identifying suitable publications, online communities, or journalists to target. It may even involve finding guest posting opportunities. To begin, let’s explore the basics of searching for guest post opportunities.

Google Search Operators for Finding Guest Posting Opportunities

The most basic approach is to search for relevant keywords in titles and URLs. Be sure to include the niche you want to write in to obtain more targeted results, otherwise, you may end up with completely unrelated suggestions.

Keyword 1 intitle:"write for us" inurl:"write-for-us"

This method will find results related to your keyword where they have a page that is specifically seeking writers.

It examines both the page title and the URL for relevant matches.

For Example:

This search yields only 1 distinct site that mentions football and includes ‘write for us.’ It’s a good idea to try different phrases as well, since each site may use different terminology. Some suggestions are:

• “Become a contributor”
• “Guest post guidelines”
• Inurl:”guest-post”

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg; there are numerous other phrases you could search for, so feel free to be creative. You can combine any number of these search queries using brackets and boolean operators, such as OR or |, which serve the same purpose.

For example:

Keyword 1 (intitle:"write for us" OR intitle:"become a contributor" OR inurl:"guest-post")

It’s pretty obvious, right?

Using Google Search Operators, you can find opportunities to use content as a resource

This search technique is especially useful for two primary reasons. First, it is an excellent method for discovering resource lists where there might be an opportunity to include a link to your content. Secondly, it helps you identify whether someone has already created a resource similar to what you’re working on.

This information can either assist you in gathering data for your campaign or, if no such resource exists, inspire you to create your own. Developing a unique resource is an effective way to attract links when others reference it in their content. To find existing resource pages relevant to your campaign or post, use the following search techniques:

Keyword 1(intitle:"resource" | intitle:"resources" | inurl:"resources")

This search can indeed yield a broad range of results, so you might want to refine your search using various search operators. Consider using the intitle: operator for the primary keyword topic and the allintitle: search operator to further narrow down the results. By employing these operators, you can focus on finding resource pages with specific keywords in their titles, allowing for more targeted and relevant results.

For Example:

Using Google Search Commands, you can discover where to pitch your infographic

Infographics can still be an effective way to gain coverage and attract links when used to present data in a visually appealing and clear manner. However, it’s important to ensure that you’re pitching them to receptive audiences.

By using search operators, you can identify websites that actively feature or are interested in infographics. While some of these sites might be spammy, a little bit of research can help you weed out the undesirable ones and focus on those that offer genuine value.

Remember, the key is to target the right audience and make sure your infographic complements the story you’re trying to tell, effectively displaying data in a visually engaging way.

Keyword 1 intitle:infographic inurl:infographic

This will return a more recent list of infographics, making it easier to find websites that are currently featuring them. You can use the “Tools” function on Google’s search page to refine the search further by selecting a custom date range.

For Example:

To find all the sites that have featured a specific infographic, you can use the following search query: “infographic title” intitle:infographic Replace “infographic title” with the title of the infographic you are interested in.

This search query will return all the pages that mention the title of the infographic and also have the word “infographic” in the title. You can then contact these sites and pitch your own infographic or see if they are interested in featuring it.

Here are some tips on how to find relevant link prospects and target sites by using the ‘Related:’ search operator

To find domains similar to your own, you can use the related: search operator followed by your domain name. This will return a list of sites that are considered similar to yours by Google.

For example:

related:apple.com

will show a list of sites that are similar to Apple’s website. To find pages on a particular site that are similar to a specific page, you can use the related: search operator followed by the URL of the page.

For example:

related:https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/world/americas/colombia-protests-ivan-duque.html

will show a list of pages on other sites that are similar to this article from the New York Times. Alternatively, to locate a similar page or subfolder:

related:domainname.com/subfolder

You will find other sites or domains that are similar to the one you searched for. Content ideas could be generated or new sites could be discovered that you’ve never considered targeting.

Consider the following example:

There are 23 pages related to Apple’s website found by this search.

If you want to validate their relevance, you can search their site using the Google search operator to see how often they mention the topics you’re interested in.

If you want to do this, search on the site for results, then do the same search with the topic added. You can then compare how many pages there are on the site. Maybe they aren’t as relevant if there are only a handful and the site is huge.

site:domainname.com

Then

site:domainname.com keyword A keyword’s frequency can then be determined.

Get in touch with journalists by using these search operators

When your content is ready to be promoted, you need to find the right people to reach out to. Choosing the right person to reach out to is difficult when you have no idea where to start, so you should already have an idea of the sites you want to visit. You can start by looking at the most popular writers on a particular site:

site:domainname.com keyword 1

Upon identifying all instances pertaining to a specific topic, you can ascertain the authors of the respective articles. Subsequently, it is crucial to verify the frequency with which they have contributed to this subject matter, ensuring their relevance and suitability for outreach.

site:domainname.com keyword 1 "name of author"

This function should yield all articles composed by the author on the given topic. Additionally, executing a similar query without specifying the website, or even excluding that particular site, can provide insight into whether the author has contributed to discussions on the subject across other platforms. As an example:

This reveals all articles penned by a single individual on PositionMySite, in this particular case not very many. Subsequently, locating their email address may prove challenging depending on the person; however, an alternative approach would be to identify their social media presence. Utilizing Google search operators can effectively facilitate this process.

Author name site name (site:twitter.com OR site:facebook.com OR site:linkedin.com)

This approach should yield their social media profiles. It may be beneficial to explore additional platforms as well to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Leveraging Google Search Operators to Identify Competitor Mentions and Create New Opportunities

Utilizing this method offers multiple advantages. Not only can you discover instances where your competitors are mentioned, and where you are not, but also identify the reasons behind these mentions, allowing you to consider replicating their strategies.

This approach serves as an excellent source of inspiration and can reveal potential quick wins without the need for specialized tools—simply relying on Google search.

Intext:"competitor name" -site:competitorsite.com

This query will yield any instance where your competitor’s name appears outside of their own domain.

To enhance the search effectiveness, you can include parentheses and additional competitors in the query, as demonstrated below:
(intext:"competitor 1" OR intext:"competitor 2") -site:competitorone.com -site:competitortwo.com

You can also incorporate keywords into these search queries to determine if competitors have been mentioned in the context of specific subjects or themes. This allows for a more targeted exploration of their presence within your industry or niche.

For example:

This query will display all instances where wheels.ca is mentioned within the content of other websites, while excluding references from the social media platform Twitter. This helps to narrow down and focus on non-social media mentions of the domain.

Experiment with the ‘link:’ operator to Discover Your Competitors’ Link Sources

Although the ‘link:’ search operator was technically deprecated in 2017, it may still yield results sporadically. If you’re having difficulties identifying your competitors’ link sources, it could be worth trying this operator.

However, it is advisable not to rely too heavily on this method, given its deprecated status.

Link:domainame.com -site:domainname.com

Google Maps

Google Maps does not have specific search operators like Google Search, Google Mail, or Google Drive. Instead, you can use different keywords and search terms to find what you’re looking for. Here are some search tips for Google Maps:

1. Business or place name:
   • Search for a specific business, landmark, or place by entering its name.
2. Category:
   • Search for a type of business or establishment (e.g., restaurants, hotels, museums, etc.).
3. Street address:
   • Enter a specific street address to find a location.
4. City or postal code:
   • Search for a city, town, or postal code to explore a broader area.
5. Coordinates:
   • Enter latitude and longitude coordinates in decimal degrees (e.g., 37.421999, -122.084057) to find a specific location.
6. Nearby search:
   • Type “near me” or “near [location]” after your search term to find results close to your specified location (e.g., “restaurants near me” or “coffee shops near San Francisco”).
7. Directions:
   • Type “directions from [origin] to [destination]” to get driving, walking, biking, or transit directions between two locations.

While these are not search operators in the traditional sense, they provide you with effective ways to find information on Google Maps. You can also combine these search terms to refine your search results.

Here is a complete list of Google’s search operators

Here’s a quick summary of the Google search operators presented in this conversation. You can use this table as a handy reference:

Synopsis

In conclusion, the utilization of Google’s search operators offers an impressive arsenal of tools. By employing a straightforward syntax and boolean operators, one can unveil in-depth insights that facilitate technical audits, content marketing research, and link-building prospects.

It is highly recommended that one explores different permutations of operators to customize their search experience. Additionally, Google dorks or Google hacks, as some refer to them, serve as a valuable supplementary resource when one lacks the budget for premium tools or is not obtaining the desired results from their current suite.

With the potential of these features in your grasp, why not experiment with some of the Google search commands and uncover new revelations regarding your own domain or those of your competitors?