But how do you remember all the functional Google search operators that can change the way you dig into SERP?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fret not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve compiled a list of Google search operators that you can download (link in conclusion<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it isn\u2019t just about memorizing the search operators; the real catch is to know how to use them. And more importantly, where to use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the advanced Google search operators also have their own place in the SEO tools<\/a> ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While most SEOs only know basic operators and their limited uses, we\u2019ve listed the most advanced as well as basic search operators along with actionable tips to help you win the SEO game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here we go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following are the working and most useful Google search operators for 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using quotes around the term you want to search will get you exact match search results instead of the broad match results you\u2019d get otherwise. It\u2019s the most popular Google search operator that even many non-SEOs are familiar with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Search for X and Y<\/em> and you\u2019ll get results related to both X and Y. Whereas if you search for X or Y<\/em>, the results will include either X or Y. Also, note that you can use the pipe (|) instead of \u201cor\u201d to get the same results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Google search, the minus sign acts as an exclusion command, making it one of the most used basic search operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can command Google search to exclude the words you don\u2019t want to appear in your search results with this exclusion symbol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if, for any reason, you wish to search for \u201cbacklinking techniques\u201d but don\u2019t want \u201cblog commenting\u201d in your search results, this is what you\u2019d search for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The asterisk symbol in a search box represents a blank space that can be filled by any word, number, or term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, this Google search operator tells Google to fill in the blank by itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Parenthesis is an extension of \u201cOr\u201d Google search operators to combine words with either of the search terms mentioned within the brackets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Confused? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s simplify this with an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, say you want to search for Football in California or Orlando<\/em>. So you\u2019d search for Football (California or Orlando) <\/em>to get the results related to either \u201cfootball California\u201d or \u201cfootball Orlando.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re searching for keywords that don\u2019t sit together naturally but you want to discover content related to them, you\u2019d use AROUND (#)<\/em> to narrow down your hunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The # is replaced with the number of words you\u2019d want between your keywords. For example, in the next image, we\u2019re using AROUND (2)<\/em> which means there can be two words between \u201cbacklinks\u201d and \u201cSEO Buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you are looking for web pages or content from a particular website or type of website, you can use the \u201csite:<\/em>\u201d Google search operator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201csite:<\/em>\u201d operator can also be used for several other purposes like finding internal duplicate content<\/a>, multiple related pages of a website, linking opportunities on a specific site, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is what you\u2019d search for if you want to download SEO-related checklists<\/a> from your favorite SEO tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve all been there when we\u2019re looking for new sites that have similar content to a site that we know. The \u201crelated:\u201d Google search operator does a fantastic job finding such domains and shows a list of similar sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Give it a try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both these search operators are helpful in narrowing down the search to only pages with specific text in the URL. \u201cinurl:<\/em>\u201d is used when you want only one, either of the words, or all of the words in the searched URLs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a look at the following search result where the URL doesn\u2019t necessarily include all the terms specified in the search intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whereas \u201callinurl:\u201d<\/em> is used when you want all the specified words in the URL to show up. Here is an example of how using \u201callinurl:<\/em>\u201d will get you to search results that include all the specified words in the URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This Google search operator is very similar to the previous one \u2014 \u201callinurl:\u201d<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While the intention there was to have the search term in the URL, here the purpose is to ensure the word(s) are included somewhere on the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most SEOs work for customers at different places and require specific results from a particular area to analyze the competition, keyword intent<\/a>, and even the industry standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Google does give you an option to get the results from specific countries, you\u2019d want hyper-personalization in terms of maybe SERP for a city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where this search operator comes in handy. Using it helps you get location-specific results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mythbuster – It\u2019s not an operator that gets you search results; still, it\u2019s useful in several aspects.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Using the \u201ccache:<\/em>\u201d search term, you can access the most recently cached version of any webpage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s assume that a site is down, but if you want to access its most recent version, you\u2019d put the following in the URL box – cache:website.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can even use this search term to check when a particular page of your website was cached. Here are the results you\u2019d get when you make this query.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for specific types of files in the Google SERP, this search term is the best option for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply search for filetype:yourfiletype keyword,<\/em> and the SERP will show the most relevant results to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some Google search operators that don\u2019t work with complete effectiveness now. Yet, they\u2019re great to have as you could still filter out some of your search results with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you put two dots between two years, the Google SERP will only include pages that fall within your range. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although this search term does help you get the desired results, the caveat here is its inconsistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To test if this search term still works, we tried finding James bond movies between 1960 and 1970, and the results were somewhat disappointing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be frank, you cannot expect this operator to provide you with the results of a time frame only. Still, it\u2019s effective in narrowing down your search to some extent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This Google search operator used to come in very handy while looking for pages that are linked using specific anchor text. When we tried them while writing this article, they didn\u2019t seem to work most of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, take a look at a simple search we tried for allinanchor: guest posting, <\/em>and the results didn\u2019t have any link (at least on the top) which had the same term as an anchor. That said, it did bring up a relevant result about \u201cguest blogging\u201d instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Google blog search was discontinued way back in 2011, search operators related to Google blog search either don\u2019t work anymore or aren\u2019t accurate. In addition to \u201cblogurl<\/em>\u201d, the following search operators aren\u2019t that active now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could, however, try them to see if they work for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This search operator was used for finding pages linking to a specific URL or domain. Although Google discontinued this operator in 2017, it does get some relevant information, if not accurate. You could still use it to filter out irrelevant search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This operator is used for finding information about specific pages, including similar pages and recently cached pages. The search operator \u201cid:<\/em>\u201d could also be used in place of this, and the results would be similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the \u201cinfo:<\/em>\u201d search operator is dead in the current scenario, it can still be used to find the canonical and indexed versions of a URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, we\u2019ve covered most of the functional Google search operators. It\u2019s thus time to understand how we can use them for our SEO efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s go through Google search operators\u2019 use cases one by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Internal linking<\/a> is crucial for every successful SEO strategy. However, finding new opportunities within a website consumes time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s hard to know which blogs\/web pages have a specific keyword you\u2019re after, especially when you have hundreds of blogs on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can speed up your hunt for new internal linking opportunities by using a combination of advanced Google search operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, let\u2019s assume that you have written a blog post related to \u201ccontent,\u201d and you want to interlink this post with a few other related posts on your domain. Here is how you can find the opportunities via Google search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the \u201csite:<\/em>\u201d search operator to define your domain, use \u201c-site:<\/em>\u201d to exclude the new blog you want internal links for, and use \u201cintext:<\/em>\u201d for the keyword(s) you\u2019re after. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For this illustration, we\u2019re using:<\/p>\n\n\n\n See, tons of new internal linking opportunities. Just open the URLs and find the perfect place to link back to your new blog. Easy peasy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n The Link Chest is a collection of high-quality, easy-to-win backlink opportunities. It\u2019s the smart way to kickstart your SEO mission and improve the rank of your website in Google.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t\t Reveal The Link Chest<\/a>\r\n \t \u201cThis is such a simple idea but very well executed. I\u2019ve been powering through this giant list of backlinks for a few hours and already have loads pointing to my site. Link Chest is an essential tool for early stage link building.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Keeping an eye over competitors is an essential part of any SEO strategy. You must know what they\u2019re posting and what\u2019s working for them to understand their strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, manually scrolling through your competitors\u2019 websites isn\u2019t the best approach for competitor analysis<\/a>. Instead, you can make use of Google search operators to speed up the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s assume your SEO analyst wants to analyze the specific content of one of your competitors. They could search for site:competitordomainname.com\/blog keyword or topic<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If they want to search for a particular phrase instead of a keyword and want to get the exact match search results, they can add quotes (\u201c\u201d), but for general subjects, without quotes is fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding new guest posting opportunities is always cumbersome and requires significant time and effort from SEOs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thankfully, you can use a combination of search operators to speed up your hunt for new domains for guest posting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Search using Google search command keyword<\/em> intitle:\u201dwrite for us\u201d inurl:\u201dwrite-for-us\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As an example, here is what the search operators look like in a hunt for EdTech guest posting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, we\u2019ve used three search operators to narrow down the search for the most relevant domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if you don\u2019t find many domains via this search, try changing the keyword phrase with \u201cbecome a contributor\u201d, \u201cguest post guidelines\u201d, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also try broadening your hunting area by using the following Google search command:<\/p>\n\n\n\n keyword (intitle:write for us OR intitle:become a contributor OR intitle:guest post guidelines OR inurl:guest-post)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for new backlinking opportunities<\/a> that might accept your link in the resources section, a combination of search operators can come in very handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is a mix of search operators you should try for broader Google search commands. This particular example is in relation to edtech firms so we\u2019re searching for edtech resources using the following command. <\/p>\n\n\n\n EdTech(intitle:resource OR intitle:resources OR inurl:resources)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If the results you get from these search operators are broad, you can try to narrow them down by using a variation of search operators like the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n intitle:EdTech resource OR intitle:EdTech resources OR inurl:resources<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As you can see, with a slight change in the search operators how easily we could find more relevant results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Infographics are a great way to build backlinks if you know how to leverage them. Additionally, their engaging nature makes them great for spreading brand awareness too with off-page SEO<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, one constraint many SEOs face is not finding many infographic submission sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even a simple Google search query like \u201cinfographics keyword<\/em>\u201d would be sufficient in the early stages of your SEO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, you need to find new Google search commands as you might already have created backlinks from those domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where Google search operators can be useful for you. Try using variations of your keywords in the following mix of advanced search operators:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “keyword” intitle:submit an infographic inurl:infographic<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Check the following screenshot of how you could find relevant domains that accept infographics on education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It isn\u2019t always possible to guest post on several popular websites like Entrepreneur, Forbes, etc. for backlinks<\/a> due to difficulty in getting a guest blogger status on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you could partner with existing contributors and authors on these domains to get backlinks and mentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But how do you find these contributors?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t worry. Advanced search operators can help you with this as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using them, you can easily narrow down your search and spot potential contributors for your guest posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can simply search using the following mix of Google\u2019s search operators to get the desired search results for contributors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These mixes of advanced search commands work most of the time. Here is an example of finding blogs related to your keyword in several domains. You can then open these links and decide whether you\u2019d like to reach out to the contributor for a collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best part about this method is you don\u2019t need any tool at all. By just searching using an advanced search command on Google search, you can find tons of insights into your competitor mentions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Isn\u2019t it cool?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a simple mix of search commands you can use to find your competitor\u2019s mentions online:<\/p>\n\n\n\n intext:\u201dcompetitor\u2019s brand name\u201d -site:competitorsite.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This mix should get you loads of domains where you can also try to get mentions or other types of backlinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can broaden your search for competitor mentions by including several competitors in the mix. You could accomplish this by using the OR operator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is how it looks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n (intext:competitor 1 OR intext:competitor 2 OR intext:competitor 3) -site:competitor1site.com – site:competitor2site.com -site:competitor3site.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s try this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This works flawlessly. Note how you can easily see every single website where the brand has been mentioned. You could even use this to find your own brand mentions online like we\u2019ve done above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a secure website is not an option these days. It\u2019s critical for improving your SEO. Hence, it\u2019s essential for SEOs to keep a check on non-HTTPS pages on their domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While you can find non-HTTPS URLs during technical SEO audits, here\u2019s how you can find them without investing in any costly SEO analysis tool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All you have to do is search for site:yourdomain.com -inurl:https<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing this will bring up a list of all the URLs that are non-HTTPS on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s try this with our own website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"13](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/13-must-use-google-search-operators-for-seo-1024x1024.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n13 Functional Google Search Operators in 2022<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Quotes (\u201csearch term\u201d)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Quotes-search-term-1024x292.jpg\")
2. And, Or<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/And-Or-1024x296.jpg\")
3. Exclude Words (-)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Exclude-Words-1024x430.jpg\")
4. Wildcard (*)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Wildcard-1024x297.jpg\")
5. Parenthesis ()<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Parenthesis-1-1024x399.jpg\")
6. AROUND (#)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AROUND-1024x316.jpg\")
7. site:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/site-1024x438.jpg\")
8. related:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/related-1024x718.jpg\")
9. inurl: and allinurl:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/inurl-and-allinurl-1024x659.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/specified-words-in-the-URL-1024x676.jpg\")
10. intext: and allintext:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/intext-and-allintext-1024x302.jpg\")
11. loc:placename<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/loc-placename-1024x723.jpg\")
12. Cache:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Cache-1024x530.jpg\")
13. filetype:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/filetype-1024x638.jpg\")
Google Search Operators That Somewhat Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Year..Year<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Year..Year_-1024x726.jpg\")
2. inanchor: and allinanchor:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/inanchor-and-allinanchor-1024x401.png\")
3. blogurl:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. link:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. info:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How SEOs Can Use Google Search Operators<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Find Internal Linking Opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Find-Internal-Linking-Opportunities-1024x697.jpg\")
![](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/seobuddy\/images\/post-blocks\/1.png\")
\r\n \t\t\t\t\t2. Analyze the Topics Your Competitor is Writing About<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Topics-Your-Competitor-is-Writing-About-1024x568.jpg\")
3. Find Guest Posting Opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Find-Guest-Posting-Opportunities-1024x706.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Google-search-command-1024x690.jpg\")
4. Find Opportunities for Backlinking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Find-Opportunities-for-Backlinking-1024x721.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/variation-of-search-operators-1024x547.jpg\")
5. Discover Infographic Posting Opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Discover-Infographic-Posting-Opportunities-1-1024x433.jpg\")
6. Find Journalists or Contributors for Your Blog<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Advanced-search-operators-1024x730.jpg\")
7. Find Competitor Mentions to Identify Opportunities for You<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/search-for-competitor-mentions-1024x704.jpg\")
8. Find Non-HTTPS Indexed Pages of Your Domain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/technical-SEO-audits-1024x389.jpg\")