Searching on Google for different information can quickly eat up considerable time resources. Especially if you want to produce interesting content, you have to consult different sources for your content, evaluate them and finally create the actual content. To reduce the research effort a bit, Google search operators can be a suitable tool. In this article, we will explain what Google search operators are, what they are used for and what advantages they offer you. You will also find a Google search operators table with the 54 most important operators for your next search.
Google search operators – what’s behind them?
The term search operator means a parameter that can be used to specify the search for information on the Internet. Google search operators narrow down the search query for a keyword or several keywords in combination, so that the list of results becomes smaller. With the help of Google search operators, you can search websites specifically for terms, words, names, comments, or even entire passages of text.
Use and advantages of Google search operators
Using a search operator has several advantages. On the one hand, they relate to the actual search for information. For example, a search operator helps editors to narrow down the search results using exact terms and other parameters.
On the other hand, a search operator can also be used for search engine optimization (SEO) of a website. Employees who specialize in SEO usually use Google search operators for on-page SEO. The operators allow them to examine a website or individual webpage, as well as an entire domain, according to certain parameters. In our Google search operators table, we have compiled some of these operator functions for you, as well as a few advantages at a glance:
- Google search operators enable precise search queries and thus narrow down the results.
- Various operators can facilitate competitive monitoring. An alternative to Google search operators, on the other hand, is the use of social listening and social media monitoring solutions.
- The right operator can also be used to find potential cooperation partners – for example, for blog or guest posts in content marketing.
- Several operators are available for search engine optimization. They help not only in checking indexing, but also in identifying duplicate content, placeholder content and much more.
- Above all, searching with a suitable operator saves a lot of time for editors, content managers, SEO specialists and everyone involved in SEO and Google search.
Google search operators are useful little helpers that you can use for your research as well as for your on-page SEO. The only question is: which operator is suitable for which task?
What are the Google search operators?
There are numerous Google search operators – let’s say that up front. Often you even know some of the basic operators from your student days. Especially those who work in the field of journalism or marketing have certainly had to deal with one or the other operator. Perhaps also simply unconsciously.
However, a complete list is difficult to implement. Some Google search operators that worked well a few years ago are now obsolete. Others, on the other hand, have been added. In our Google search operators table, we therefore limit ourselves to the 54 most important operators and their effect in Google search.
Overview: Google search operators table
Base Google Search Operators Table
| Search operator | Explanation | Example |
| + or AND | The plus sign connects several terms together for a more targeted search. The plus sign corresponds to the standard search on Google. | content+marketing or content AND marketing |
| – | The minus sign excludes search terms or websites and gives only the search results of the first mentioned term. | ferrari-car |
| | or OR | The pipe symbol or the OR operator separate search terms. Google then searches for content that contains either one or the other search term. | content + marketing | advertising |
| “ ” | The quotation marks prompt Google to search for the exact term entered. This excludes search results that contain related terms. | “marketing automation” |
| * | The asterisk can be used to replace terms that are not known. | “content tips for *” |
| ( ) | The bracket can be used to group several terms. | (content marketing OR marketing automation) |
| $ or € | The dollar or euro sign can be used to search specifically for prices for products. | content marketing suite *€ |
| _ | The underscore enables auto-completion on Google and performs a wildcard function. This can be used to create a specific list in the search results. | content_automate |
| #..# | This operator can be used to narrow down a time period for a search. | content marketing webinars 2021…2022 |
| ~ | This search operator can be used to search for synonyms | ~marketing |
Advanced Google search operators table
| Search operator | Explanation | Example |
| inanchor: | The search operator ensures that only pages are displayed that link to another page with a specific anchor text. | inanchor:marketingandtech.com |
| allinanchor: | Same functionality as inanchor:, but all words must actually appear in the anchor text. | allinanchor:content manager jobs (shows only pages that have all three terms “content”, “manager” and “jobs” in the anchor text) |
| intext: | Only pages that contain a specific word in the text are displayed. | intext:content marketing |
| allintext: | Same functionality as intext:, but all words must actually be contained in the text. | allintext:content marketing agency |
| intitle: | Only pages with a specific word in the title will be displayed. | intitle:content manager |
| allintitle: | Same functionality as intitle:, but all words must actually be included in the title. | intitle:content marketing for small business |
| inurl: | Only pages that contain a specific term in the URL are displayed. | inurl:contentmanager |
| allinurl: | Same functionality as inurl:, but all words must really be included in the URL. | intitle:content management tips |
| after: | Displays pages with a publication or update date after a specified day or year. | webinars marketing automation after:2022-08-31 |
| around(x) | Here, only pages are displayed where two keywords occur at a certain distance from each other. x indicates the number of words between the two keywords. | marketing automation around(3) software provider |
| before: | Works like after:, except that here pages before a certain publication or update date are displayed. | webinars marketing automation before:2022-08-31 |
| cache: | The last cache of a web page is displayed here. | cache:marketingandtech.com |
| define: | This search operator displays the search term in the Google dictionary. | define:contentmanager |
| ext: | This search operator displays only pages with specific file extensions. | contentmanager ext:pdf |
| filetype: | This way, only pages containing a certain file type can be output. | contentmanager filetype:pdf |
| in | Search operator for converters within the search results. | 100 € in $ |
| imagesize: | This search operator can be used to determine the format of the displayed images in Google Image Search. This is done according to the scheme width x height. | marketing automation process imagesize:1920×1080 |
| location: | The search operator only shows articles in Google News that pertain to a specific location. | location:cologne |
| map: | This forces Google to display map data for a search term. | map:cologne |
| movie: | For searching information about movies this search operator is suitable. | movie:thor love and thunder |
| related: | This operator helps to find pages and websites similar to the one entered. | related:marketingandtech.com |
| site: | This is one of the most important Google search operators. It limits the results of a search to a specific domain. | site:marketingandtech.com |
| source: | By source: the search in Google News can be narrowed down to specific sources. | marketing trends source:marketingandtech |
| stocks: | This search operator displays stock information above the search results. | stocks:sap |
| weather: | This allows the weather for a specific location to be displayed above the search results. | weather:cologne |
| info: | With info:URL you can display info about the specified page | info:marketingandtech.com |
| phonebook: | This search operator can be used to display information from public telephone directories. | phonebook:John Doe cologne |
SEO specific Google search operators table
| Search operator | Explanation | Example |
| site:domain.com | Identify indexing problems | site:wikipedia.de |
| inurl:domain.com/affiliate-praefix/ | Review indexing affiliate links | inurl:marketingandtech.com/affiliate-praefix/ |
| site:domain.com (filetype:pdf | filetype:text | filetype:ppt | filetype:xls) | Identify unwanted documents in the index | site:marketingandtech (filetype:pdf | filetype:text | filetype:ppt | filetype:xls) |
| site:domaine.com “Lorem ipsum” | Identify placeholder content (for WordPress with “Hello World” for example) | site:marketingandtech.com” Lorem ipsum” |
| site:domain.com “Sample Page” | Identify placeholder pages | site:marketingandtech.com “example-page” |
| -site:domain.com “text” | Identify Dublicate Content | -site:marketingandtech.com “Using a search operator has several advantages. On the one hand, they relate to the actual search for information. For example, a search operator helps editors to narrow down the search results using exact terms and other parameters.” |
| link:domain.com -site:domain.com -pinterest -facebook -twitter -linkedin -xing | Check backlinks and exclude social media as well | link:marketingandtech.com -site:marketingandtech.com -pinterest -facebook -twitter -linkedin -xing |
| site:yoururl.com inurl:http site:yourdomain.com -inurl:https | Check SSL status of own website | site:marketingandtech.com -inurl:https |
| site:domain.com intext:keyword | Find internal linking opportunities | site:marketingandtech.com intext:searchoperators |
Other helpful Google search operators
| Search operators | Explanation | Example |
| theme intext:guest article theme inurl:guest article, theme inurl:guest article (for tags and category pages), theme inurl:gastauthor, … | Identify websites that accept guest articles | Search operators for online editors intext:guest article |
| brand name -site:yourdomain.com | Find your own mentions | marketingandtech -site:marketingandtech.com |
| (intext:”competitor1″ OR “competitior2”) -site:competitor1.com -site:competitor2.com | Find mentions of competitors | (intext: “ecommerce-news”) -site:ecommercenews.eu |
| theme inurl:blog | Find cooperation partners | marketing inurl:blog |
| theme intitle:infographic theme inurl:infographic | Find infographics | marketing intitle:infographic marketing inurl:infographic |
| theme intitle: “useful links” intitle:collection of links intitle:ressources | Find collections of links | marketing intitle: “useful links” intitle:collection of links intitle:ressources |
| site:*.domain.com -inurl:www site:*.domain.dcom -https://domain.com | Find subdomains to your own domain | site:*.marketingandtech.com -inurl:www site:*.marketingandtech.com -https://marketingandtech.com |
| name (site:facebook.com | site:twitter.com | site:linkedin.com | site:instagram.com | site:xing.com | Find social media profiles |
Conclusion
Google search operators are a good tool to research content on the web and narrow down the results a bit more. In addition, they support you in on-page optimization. The most common operators should therefore become standard tools for editors, content managers and SEO specialists – if not already done. In the end, Google search operators allow you to save a lot of time and resources.
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