Advanced search operators in Google really let users dig into their searches and come out with precisely what they need. Such specialized commands and characters can be used in an attempt to refine a search so that only the most precise results are returned without having one sift through pages of irrelevant results. Advanced search operators will be especially useful for SEO professionals looking to optimize content, analyze competition, and look for new link-building and outreach opportunities.
Below is an in-depth guide as regards different Google search operators and how you can leverage them for SEO purposes. Understand each operator and find several actionable ways of applying them. Now, let’s go through this list and explore these possibilities in depth to enhance your SEO workflow.
Google Search Operators: The Complete List
Each search operator serves a unique function, allowing for different ways to search, filter, and locate information. Here, I’ve divided the operators into three categories based on their current functionality:
- Working: These operators work as expected and always give the same results.
- Unreliable: Though not officially deprecated, these operators can sometimes produce inconsistent or unreliable results. Not working: These operators were deprecated by Google officially and do not work as expected anymore.
Working Operators
Following are the working operators which are very useful in SEO:
| Search Operator | Functionality | Example |
|---|---|---|
| “” | Find exact matches for a phrase or word | “steve jobs” |
| OR or | | Search for results containing either term | |
| AND | Search for both terms together | jobs AND gates |
| – | Exclude specific terms | jobs -apple |
| * | Wildcard for any word or phrase | steve * apple |
| () | Group multiple terms together | (ipad OR iphone) apple |
| define: | Find the definition of a term | define:entrepreneur |
| cache: | View the most recent cached version of a page | cache:apple.com |
| filetype: or ext: | Locate specific file types like PDFs | apple filetype:pdf |
| site: | Restrict results to a particular domain | site:apple.com |
| related: | Discover websites related to a domain | related:apple.com |
| intitle: or allintitle: | Find pages with specific keywords in the title | intitle:apple |
| inurl: or allinurl: | Locate pages containing specific terms in the URL | inurl:apple |
| intext: or allintext: | Find pages with terms in the page content | intext:apple iphone |
| weather: | Check weather information for a location | weather:san francisco |
| stocks: | Find stock information for a ticker | stocks:aapl |
| map: | Show Google Maps results | map:silicon valley |
| movie: | Search for movie-related information | movie:steve jobs |
| in | Convert between units | $329 in GBP |
| source: | Find results from a particular news source | apple source:the_verge |
| before: and after: | Narrow results by date | apple before:2007-06-29 |
Unreliable Operators
These operators work inconsistently, and results may vary. Some operators yield useful results, while others don’t always work as expected
| Operator | Functionality | Example |
|---|---|---|
| #..# | Search within a range of numbers | iphone case $50..$60 |
| inanchor: or allinanchor: | Find pages with specific terms in anchor text | inanchor:apple |
| AROUND(X) | Locate terms within X words of each other | apple AROUND(4) iphone |
| loc: and location: | Search results by location | loc:”san francisco” apple |
| daterange: | Filter results by a range of dates | daterange:11278-13278 |
Deprecated Operators
Google has officially deprecated these operators, so they no longer function as expected.
| Operator | Functionality | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ~ | Include synonyms in the search (dropped in 2013) | ~apple |
| + | Search for results mentioning an exact word or phrase (dropped in 2011) | jobs +apple |
| link: | Search for pages linking to a particular domain (dropped in 2017) | link:apple.com |
| info: | Search for information about a specific page (dropped in 2017) | info:apple.com |
| id: | Same as info: (dropped in 2017) | id:apple.com |
| phonebook: | Search for someone’s phone number (dropped in 2010) | phonebook:tim cook |
| # | Search for hashtags on Google+ (dropped in 2019) | #apple |
Practical Applications of Google Search Operators for SEO
Now that we’ve reviewed each operator, let’s explore several practical ways to use them for SEO and content marketing.
- Troubleshooting Indexing Problems
One of the simplest ways to test your site for any potential indexing issues is by using the site: operator. For example, running a site:yourwebsite.com shows which pages Google has indexed. To find any PDF files that might be unintentionally exposed to the world, try combining this with filetype:pdf—site:yourwebsite.com filetype:pdf. If some of those files, such as lead magnet PDFs, are appearing and they’re meant to be gated behind an email form, consider adding a noindex tag using x-robots.
- Competitor Analysis
Use the related: operator to find sites similar to your competitors. You can use this command to find both direct competitors and tangentially related sites that target the same audience. You can scan these sites for content gaps as well as keyword and link-building opportunities. In this example, if you enter related:moz.com, you find sites related to Moz that target SEO professionals.
You can also use the site: operator to focus on a specific domain like site: Moz.com or site: competitor site.com. This will help you quickly see what kind of content they are publishing under different sections of their site and where you could create similar or even better content.
- Finding Guest Post Opportunities
Most websites do offer a guest posting facility, and the search is very easy when one uses search operators. Try intitle:”write for us” inurl:write-for-us [niche/topic] to find websites in your niche accepting guest posts. For example, if your website is on digital marketing, then you should look for intitle:”write for us” inurl:write-for-us digital marketing. This command will return pages where sites invite guest contributors.
Alternatively, you could find guest post opportunities through specific authors who guest post frequently. For example, if there is a guy that is quite prolific in your niche, you can use inurl:author/[name] to find where they’ve been published.
4. Finding Resource Pages for Link Building
Resource pages are goldmines for link building since they are generally curating and linking to valuable content. Use intitle:resources inurl:resources [your topic] to find these pages. For example, intitle:resources inurl:resources coffee brewing may show up with resource pages about coffee. If you have your own high-quality resources to share, pitch them to these pages and get a backlink.
- Controlling Indexed Files
It’s important to ensure that only intended content is indexed on Google. Use the filetype: operator combined with site: to find unwanted indexed files, such as downloadable PDFs that should be gated. If sensitive files are appearing in search results, use the x-robots header to set these files to noindex so Google won’t index them.
6. Finding Email Addresses for Outreach
Many professionals share their email addresses on Twitter, so it’s a pretty good place to find contact details for outreach. Use site:twitter.com [name] email to find specific mentions of someone’s email address. For example, site:twitter.com “Tim Soulo” email could show you any public mention of Tim Soulo’s email address on Twitter.
- Internal Linking Opportunities
Internal linking helps your site for SEO and passing link equity, but more importantly, it helps users navigate your content. Use “site:yourwebsite.com “keyword”” to find internal linking opportunities where certain keywords are mentioned. For example, if you want to link to a page on your site about “SEO tips,” search in Google for site:yourwebsite.com “SEO tips” and check out the relevant pages where you can add contextual links to your target page.
- Track “Best of” List Mentions of Your Brand
To find out if your brand is in “best of” listicles, use this search: intitle:”best [product type]” -[your brand]. Example: If you work at an email marketing software company, you’d search intitle:”best email marketing tools” -YourBrandName. Results show possible listicles your brand isn’t in yet, so you’re able to reach out and try to get included.
- Competitor Review Mentions
To learn which sites review your competitors, use allintitle:review ([competitor 1] OR [competitor 2]). For example, allintitle:review (mailchimp OR aweber) brings up reviews of MailChimp and AWeber. Contact those sites to find out if they’ll review your product, too. 10. Answering Related Quora Questions
Quora is a good platform to create brand awareness and get potential users. Use “site:quora.com inurl:[topic]” to find questions in your industry. For example, “site:quora.com inurl:fitness” will return health and fitness questions. Answering popular questions can help drive traffic to your website, establishing authority.
- Monitoring Publication Frequency of Competitors’ Content
Ever wondered how often your competitors are publishing content? Combine the site: operator with before: and after: to filter posts within a date range. For example, site:competitorsite.com before:2024-12-31 after:2024-01-01 will show you all posts published on a competitor’s site in 2024. That will let you benchmark your publishing frequency and stay competitive. Last Words Knowing advanced search operators can be very insightful. The key to really harnessing these operators, though, lies in trying out different combinations and experimenting with ways to help your workflow. From indexing problems to finding new outreach opportunities and analyzing competitors, these are powerful allies in the quest of getting SEO work done. Take some time to play with these commands and see what information you can find. And don’t be afraid to combine operators to narrow the results further.