Google Search Operators: 40 Basic and SEO Advanced Commands

Are you looking for powerful SEO insights to inform your marketing efforts? Google Search Operators are the answer.

They are a great way to quickly assess the health of your website, monitor competitor progress, and optimize content strategies without spending hours researching online.

This guide will explain all the Google Search commands available (basic and advanced) and how they can help take your SEO efforts to the next level.

Use this guide as a handy resource!

What Are Google Search Operators?

Google search operators are special characters and commands that can be used to refine and customize your searches. They enable you to narrow down results, find specific information, or track SEO performance.

Whether it’s to assess the health of your website, monitor competitor progress, do keyword research, or optimize content strategies, Google Search Operators are there to help.

They are a great way to quickly and efficiently access data that would otherwise be difficult or time-consuming to uncover.

How to Use Google Search Operators?

Using them is pretty straightforward.

Type a search operator directly into the Google search bar.

For example, if you would like to know what are Core Web Vitals, you could use the following command:

define: Core Web Vitals

This basic search operator will give you the definition of Core Web Vitals.

Search Operator Guidelines

Based on Google recommendations, here are a couple of things you should know:

• If you exclude punctuation from your search operator, Google will typically ignore it.
• Make sure there are no spaces between your command symbol or word and the search term.

For example, this correct version of a search operator will produce the desired results:

✅ site:moz.com

As you can see, it will extract all the pages from Moz’s website.

While this one will give different information (with a space between “site:” and “moz.com”).

❌ site: moz.com

In other words, NOT exactly what you were looking for with that specific search operator.

 The takeaway is to not include any spaces in between the commands.

Basic Google Search Commands

These are the basic Google search commands that you can use to refine and customize your searches.

1. Search for the meaning of something
2. Search for an exact match term
3. Search for X OR Y
4. Search for X AND Y
5. Exclude a keyword or phrase
6. Match any term or phrase
7. Group multiple keywords or search commands
8. Search for prices
9. Search for results on social media
10. Search for hashtags
11. Search for unit conversion
12. Search within a range of numbers
13. Discover the weather of a location
14. Find stock information
15. Visualize the map of a location
16. Search for information about a movie

1. Search for the meaning of something

• Operator: 
  define:
• Example: define:copywriter
• Explanation: This command will provide you with the definition of a copywriter.

 Google’s built-in dictionary can provide you with a card-like result in the search engine results pages that displays the meaning of any given word.

2. Search for an exact match term

• Operator: 
  “search term”
• Example: “SEO without link building”
• Explanation: This command will give you results that have the exact match phrase “SEO without link building”. It will not include any similar phrases or keywords.

 Pinpoint your ideal search result by forcing an exact match query. This is a useful approach when searching for words that have multiple meanings, or to prevent synonyms from appearing in single-word searches.

3. Search for X OR Y

• Operator: 
  OR
• Example: link building or content creation
• Explanation: This command will show you results for either link building OR content creation, but not necessarily both.

The “or” operator is useful when you are searching for multiple variations of the same keyword.

 Note: The pipe (|) operator is a useful alternative to “or” in the same context.

4. Search for X AND Y

• Operator: 
  AND
• Example: loading speed AND core web vitals
• Explanation: This command will restrict results to pages that include both loading speed and core web vitals.

This operator is useful when you’re searching for two specific keywords.

 Note: The “+” operator works similarly to “and” (Google includes “and” as a default to searches, but it’s interesting when used with other commands).

5. Exclude a keyword or phrase

• Operator:
  –
  
• Example: increase SEO rankings -CTR
• Explanation: This command will remove all results that contain the keyword CTR.

 It’s useful when you want to narrow down your search without having to include multiple terms.

6. Match any term or phrase

• Operator:
  *
• Example: Google * links
• Explanation: This command will provide you with results that match any word after Google, such as “Google uses links”.

 This is a great option when you want to match multiple words, but don’t know the exact phrase.

7. Group multiple keywords or search commands

• Operator:
  ( )
  
• Example: (links OR content) SEO
• Explanation: This command will return search results that include either “links” OR “content” and SEO.

 This is useful when you want to group multiple keywords or search commands together and control how the search is made.

8. Search for prices

• Operator:
  $
  
• Example: TV $499
• Explanation: This command will give you all the results related to a TV that costs $499.

 The dollar sign is useful when you want to find a specific price. Also works with Euro (€).

9. Search for results on social media

• Operator:
  @
  
• Example: Elon Musk @twitter
• Explanation: This command will provide you with all the tweets related to Elon Musk.

 The “at” sign (@) is useful when you want to find results on social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook.

10. Search for hashtags

• Operator:
  #
  
• Example: #throwbackthursday
• Explanation: This command will give you all the results related to the hashtag “#throwbackthursday”.

 The hashtag (#) is useful when you want to find results related to a specific topic on social media platforms.

11. Search for unit conversion

• Operator:
  in
  
• Example: 80 F in C
• Explanation: This command will show the result of the conversion from Fahrenheit (°F) to Celsius (°C).

 The “in” operator is useful when you want to do quick unit conversions.

12. Search within a range of numbers

• Operator:
  ..
  
• Example: iPhone $50..$100
• Explanation: This command will give you all the results related to iPhones that cost between $50 and $100.

 The two dots (..) operator is useful when you want to search within a range of numbers.

13. Discover the weather of a location

• Operator:
  weather:
  
• Example: weather:maui
• Explanation: This command will show you the current weather in Maui, including temperature, wind speed, and humidity.

 This Google search operator is useful who want to quickly check the current conditions of a location.

14. Find stock information

• Operator:
  stock:
  
• Example: stocks:tsla
• Explanation: This command will show you the current stock information of Tesla, including price, market cap, and P/E ratio.

 This Google search operator is useful for investors who want to quickly access stock information without having to visit a website. The results display all the important metrics that are needed when analyzing a company’s performance.

15. Visualize the map of a location

• Operator:
  map:
  
• Example: map:new york
• Explanation: This command will show you a visual representation of the New York City area.

 This is useful for travelers who want to quickly get an idea of the geography of their destination. The results include a map with labeled points of interest and directions.

16. Search for information about a movie

• Operator:
  movie:
  
• Example: movie:titanic
• Explanation: This command will show you information related to the movie “Titanic”, such as its release date, cast and crew credits, ratings, reviews, and trailer.

 This is useful for movie buffs who want to quickly access information about their favorite films without having to visit a website.

Advanced Google Search Operators

Here are some advanced commands that you should know about (including some tips to use them for SEO):

• Find the cached version of a page
• Find search results in a specific file type
• Limit results within a website
• Find sites related to a domain
• Search a keyword only within the page’s title
• Search for ALL the keywords within the page’s title
• Find pages with keywords in the URL
• Find pages with ALL the keywords in the URL
• Find pages that contain specific keywords
• Find pages that contain ALL the specific keywords
• Find pages including two keywords (or more) within X words of each other
• Find results in Google News

17. Find the cached version of a page

• Operator:
  cache:
  
• Example: cache:ahrefs.com
• Explanation: This command will provide you with the cached version of a page.

 The cache operator is helpful if you’re trying to view a page that no longer exists or has been removed from the live website. It’s also useful for SEO purposes, as it can show you how Google represents the page in question.

Important: Google announced in September 2024 that Google cache has been fully disabled.

18. Find search results in a specific file type

• Operator:
  filetype:
  
• Example: moz.com filetype:pdf
• Explanation: This command will show you only PDF documents from the Moz website.

 This is helpful if you want to find a particular type of file that may not be available on the live website. For istance, if you’re looking for resources that are primarily found in specific formats, like presentations, spreadsheets, and images.

Note: Other than PDF, Google also accepts different file types such as DOC/DOCX, PPT/PPTX, XLS/XLSX, ODT, and more.

 19. Limit results within a website

• Operator:
  site:
  
• Example: site:moz.com
• Explanation: This command will show you all the results from the Moz website.

 The site operator is useful when you’re looking for specific information on a particular website and don’t want to be distracted by irrelevant links. It’s also great for SEO audits, as it can help you find pages that aren’t being indexed or linked properly.

 20. Find sites related to a domain

• Operator:
  related:
  
• Example: related:moz.com
• Explanation: This command will show you sites that are related to the Moz website.

The related operator is helpful when you want to find websites with similar topics or content. For instance, to identify potential link-building opportunities or sources for content research.

21. Search a keyword only within the page’s title

• Operator:
  intitle:
  
• Example: intitle:WordPress SEO checklist
• Explanation: This command will show you only those pages that have the keyword “WordPress SEO Checklist” in the title.

 The intitle operator is useful when you want to find specific information within a page’s title. For instance, if you are looking for strictly how-to articles or resources related to their topic of interest.

 22. Search for ALL the keywords within the page’s title

• Operator:
  allintitle:
  
• Example: allintitle:content refreshing
• Explanation: This command will show you only those pages that have both keywords “content” and “refreshing” in the title.

 Unlike the “intitle” operator, allintitle will only give you results that contain ALL of the specified words in the page’s title.

 23. Find pages with keywords in the URL

• Operator:
  inurl:
  
• Example: inurl:moz
• Explanation: This command will show you all the results with the keyword “moz” in their URL.

 The inurl operator is useful when you want to find pages with specific words in the URL. For instance, to identify web pages that are related to a particular topic or brand.

24. Find pages with ALL the keywords in the URL

• Operator:
  allinurl:
  
• Example: allinurl:SEO meta tags
• Explanation: This command will show you only those pages that have all the keywords “SEO meta tags” in the URL.

 The allinurl operator is useful for SEOs who want to find pages with particular terms in their URLs. For instance, when dealing with SEO audits and technical tasks.

25. Find pages that contain specific keywords

• Operator:
  intext:
  
• Example: intext:keyword cannibalization
• Explanation: This command will show you the results of pages in Google that contain the keyword “keyword cannibalization”.

 The intext operator is great for SEOs who want to find content that contains specific topics or keywords. For instance, to quickly identify pages with content related to a particular topic or with SEO issues.

26. Find pages that contain ALL the specific keywords

• Operator:
  allintext:
  
• Example: allintext:SERP features
• Explanation: This command will show you the results of pages in Google that contain ALL the words “SERP features”.

 The allintext operator is similar to intext, but it requires that all the specified keywords appear on the same page. Think of looking for content with specific topics or keywords, as it eliminates pages that only contain some of the desired words.

27. Find pages including two keywords (or more) within X words of each other

• Operator:
  AROUND(X)
  
• Example: robot.txt AROUND(4) SEO
• Explanation: This command will show you the results of pages in Google that contain both “robot.txt” and “SEO” within four words of each other.

 The AROUND(X) operator is useful for SEOs who want to find content with specific topics or keywords in proximity to each other. For instance, to identify pages that contain certain words or phrases near each other, which can be helpful when looking for related content.

28. Find results in Google News

• Operator:
  source:
  
• Example: SEO source:sej
• Explanation: This command will show you SEO-related news from the website SearchEngineJournal.

 This is great for SEOs who want to quickly access news from a particular website about a specific topic.

Unreliable/Deprecated Google Search Commands

Google has deprecated several operators that people used a lot in the search engine.

Unfortunately, these commands are no longer supported or will return inaccurate and unreliable results:

• Find pages linking to a domain
• Find pages linked to a keyword
• 10 more search commands you should no longer use

29. Find pages linking to a domain

• Operator:
  link:
  
• Example: link:ahrefs.com
• Explanation: This command would have shown you all the pages that link to ahrefs.com.

However, since 2017 Google no longer supports this search operator.

30. Find pages linked to a keyword

• Operator:
  inanchor:
  
• Example: inanchor:”orphan pages”
• Explanation: This command would have shown you all the pages that link to the keyword “orphan pages”.

 This one is not officially deprecated, but it is producing unreliable results.

10 More Search Commands You Should No Longer Use

So, to complete the list, here are ten more Google search operators that you should no longer use:

• 30) info:
• 31) allinanchor:
• 32) daterange:
• 33) ~ (used for synonyms)
• 34) blogurl:
• 35) loc:placename
• 36) location:
• 37) inpostauthor:
• 38) allinpostauthor:
• 39) inposttitle:
• 40) phonebook:

Search Operator’s Tips for SEOs

Find some hacks in this section.

Use Together Different Commands

You can combine different search operators to narrow down the results even further.

For example, you could use:

“strategies” intitle:”Link building tips” inurl:2023

 This would show you results for pages that include the words “link building tips” in the title, and contain the word “strategies” in the content, and were published in 2023.

Find Plagiarized Content

Some operators can be useful for SEOs who need to find plagiarized content.

For example, if you are looking for pages that have copied your content word-for-word, you could use a unique piece of content taken from your site:

intext:”my awesome piece of content” -site:yoursite.com

 This would show you results for pages that contain the exact phrase but exclude your site from the search results. This can be a great way to quickly find plagiarized content that has been indexed in Google.

Before You Go

Thanks for reading so far!

And if you need help with measuring the efforts of your content marketing campaign or Google rankings, be sure to read:

• 15 Most Important SEO Metrics to Monitor Performances
• How to Check Google Ranking: 6 Free SEO Tools [+1 Manual Way]

Also, don’t miss the opportunity to level up your productivity with these SEO Chrome extensions (all free):

Now, please let me know if you have any questions.

And feel free to share your experience with this topic in the comments below!

 

Related Reading:

• Bucket Brigade in Copywriting: How-to, Examples, Words List
• Google E-E-A-T: How to Boost Your Authority for Better SEO
• Learn SEO: All The FREE Resources You Need
• Organic CTR: How to Boost Your Click-Through Rate [11 Tips]
• Duplicate Content: What Is and How to Avoid It [Quick Guide]