{"id":29730,"date":"2012-09-11T22:24:36","date_gmt":"2012-09-11T16:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=29730"},"modified":"2026-10-13T13:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:11:16","slug":"learn-google-powered-searching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Power Searching: Course Lessons and Search Tips (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In 2012 Google ran a free online course called Power Searching with Google, taught by Google research scientist Dr. Dan Russell. Thousands signed up for six short classes, two assessments and a certificate. The live course is long over, but the skills it taught still save time every day. Here are the key <strong>Google power searching<\/strong> techniques, updated for how Google Search works in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64524\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-power-searching-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Google power searching tips\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-power-searching-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-power-searching-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-power-searching-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-power-searching-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-power-searching.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Google power searching means using operators and tools to find exact answers fast: put phrases in &#8220;quotes&#8221;, exclude words with a minus sign, search one site with site:, find file types with filetype:, combine options with OR, and use Tools to filter by date. Then check results against authoritative sources. Some old operators like cache: and the + sign no longer work.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aeeb120d2527\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aeeb120d2527\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/#What_the_2012_course_covered\" >What the 2012 course covered<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/#Google_power_searching_operators_that_still_work\" >Google power searching operators that still work<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/#Operators_that_no_longer_work\" >Operators that no longer work<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/#Google_power_searching_tips_beyond_operators\" >Google power searching tips beyond operators<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/#Check_what_you_find\" >Check what you find<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/#Is_the_Power_Searching_with_Google_course_still_available\" >Is the Power Searching with Google course still available?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/#What_is_the_most_useful_Google_search_operator\" >What is the most useful Google search operator?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/learn-google-powered-searching\/#Does_Google_still_support_the_cache_operator\" >Does Google still support the cache: operator?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_2012_course_covered\"><\/span>What the 2012 course covered<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The course ran from 24 September to 10 October 2012, with six 50-minute classes released over two weeks, community discussions and two assessments for a printable certificate. It taught how to choose good search terms, use operators, search images and maps, and judge whether a source is credible. Dan Russell has also shared many search challenges on his SearchReSearch blog.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Google_power_searching_operators_that_still_work\"><\/span>Google power searching operators that still work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>&#8220;exact phrase&#8221;<\/strong>: <code>\"best coding fonts\"<\/code> finds that phrase only.<\/li>\n<li><strong>-exclude<\/strong>: <code>jaguar -car<\/code> removes pages about cars.<\/li>\n<li><strong>site:<\/strong> <code>site:quickonlinetips.com chromebook<\/code> searches one website; <code>site:.gov<\/code> searches government sites.<\/li>\n<li><strong>filetype:<\/strong> <code>budget template filetype:xlsx<\/code> finds spreadsheets; also pdf, pptx, docx.<\/li>\n<li><strong>OR<\/strong>: <code>laptop (review OR comparison)<\/code> matches either word.<\/li>\n<li><strong>intitle:<\/strong> <code>intitle:refurbished iphone<\/code> finds pages with the word in the title.<\/li>\n<li><strong>before: \/ after:<\/strong> <code>chrome logo after:2021<\/code> limits results by date.<\/li>\n<li><strong>* wildcard<\/strong> inside quotes fills in missing words: <code>\"the * of the internet\"<\/code>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Operators_that_no_longer_work\"><\/span>Operators that no longer work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Google retired the <code>+<\/code> operator (use quotes instead), the <code>~<\/code> synonym operator and the <code>cache:<\/code> operator for viewing cached pages.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Google_power_searching_tips_beyond_operators\"><\/span>Google power searching tips beyond operators<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tools &gt; Any time<\/strong> to filter results by the past day, week, year or a custom range.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Google Lens<\/strong> to search with a photo or screenshot.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Advanced Search<\/strong> page (google.com\/advanced_search) to build complex queries with forms.<\/li>\n<li><strong>About this result<\/strong> (three dots next to a result) to learn about a source before clicking.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ctrl+F \/ Find in page<\/strong> to jump to your term on a long page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_what_you_find\"><\/span>Check what you find<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The course&#8217;s most lasting lesson: verify. Compare several sources, prefer original data and official pages, check dates, and be careful with AI-generated summaries that may miss context.<\/p>\n<p>Want to see how search is built? Read about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2023\/01\/free-google-seo-tools\/\">free Google SEO tools<\/a> site owners use.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_the_Power_Searching_with_Google_course_still_available\"><\/span>Is the Power Searching with Google course still available?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The live 2012 course with certificates has ended. The techniques it taught are covered above and in Google Search Help.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_most_useful_Google_search_operator\"><\/span>What is the most useful Google search operator?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Quotes for exact phrases and site: for searching within one website are the most useful day to day.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_Google_still_support_the_cache_operator\"><\/span>Does Google still support the cache: operator?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No, Google retired cache: links and the cache: operator.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2012 Google ran a free online course called Power Searching with Google, taught by Google research scientist Dr. Dan&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apps"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29730"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65457,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29730\/revisions\/65457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}