7 Smart Google Search Tips That Will Save You Hours By Shuaib S. Agaka | Tech Digest
Google Search is so intuitive that most users rarely tap into its full potential. Whether you’re researching a topic, hunting for a specific document, or tracking credible tech stories from trusted sources, mastering these seven practical tips will help you search smarter—and find exactly what you need, faster.
1. Find Specific File Types Like Reports or PDFs
When you’re looking for official documents—like research papers, reports, or whitepapers—you don’t want random blog posts cluttering your results. That’s where filetype: comes in.
How it works:
Add filetype:pdf (or DOC, PPT, etc.) to your search to show only files in that format.
Example: Want to read the Nigerian Tech Sector Outlook published by Tech Digest?
Search:
Nigerian tech sector outlook 2025 filetype:pdf
This will display only PDF documents, which are typically more official and reliable.
2. Exclude Unwanted Topics
If your search keeps turning up irrelevant results, you can filter out the noise using the minus sign -.
How it works:
Add -keyword to exclude terms you don’t want.
Example: Looking for Nigerian tech funding stories, but not those about fintech?
Search:
Nigeria tech funding -fintech
This narrows your results to general tech funding, excluding fintech-specific news.
3. Search Within a Specific Website
If you trust a particular site for accurate industry updates, you can limit your search to that site alone.
How it works:
Use site: followed by the domain.
Example: To find AI stories on Tech Digest:
AI site:techdigest.ng
This returns only AI-related content from Tech Digest, skipping unrelated results.
Read Also:
4. Filter by Number or Price Range
When you’re comparing prices, tracking stats, or narrowing by dates, use two dots .. to set a range.
How it works:
Enter values like this: term X..Y
Example: Looking for laptops priced between ₦200,000 and ₦400,000?
laptops ₦200000..₦400000
This limits results to your desired price range.
5. Expand Results Using Synonyms
If your search term has synonyms or related words, you can broaden your results using the tilde ~.
How it works:
Add ~ before a word to include its synonyms.
Example: Interested in stories about startups and related topics?
Nigerian ~startups site:techdigest.ng
This will return results not just for startups, but also for small businesses, ventures, and scale-ups.
6. Find Exact Phrases with Quotation Marks
Precision matters when you’re searching for a specific quote or statement.
How it works:
Wrap the phrase in quotation marks.
Example: Searching for a specific headline?
"Nigeria’s AI policy framework" site:techdigest.ng
This will only show results where the exact phrase appears.
7. Discover Similar Sites Using Related
Love the content of one website? Use related: to find others like it.
How it works:
Use related: followed by the site’s domain.
Example: Want more Nigerian tech news sites like Tech Digest?
related:techdigest.ng
Great for expanding your list of reliable sources.
Google is a powerful tool—if you know how to use it right. These smart search techniques will help you cut through the clutter and zero in on the information that matters most.
Bookmark this guide, share it, and put it to work. Every search can now be faster, smarter, and more precise.
Source: Tech DigestTech Digest
