Sometimes Google seems to know what you’re seeking before you do. When your search results come up short, though, try Google’s advanced search. The tools there allow you to:

  • Exclude results that contain words you specify
  • Search for exact phrases or names
  • Limit results to a country
  • Search pages on a specific website
  • Provide only pages updated in the last day, week, month, or year
  • Restrict results to one domain type (like .gov or .edu)
  • Include a range of numbers with a search.

The advanced search page also notes the shortcuts you can type directly into the regular Google search bar in the future to achieve these refinements.

To access Google’s advanced search, look at the bottom of Google’s home page for Settings. Better yet, type “advanced search” into the Google search bar. The first result will be exactly what you’re looking for.