Google

Presented by Celia Bandelier

What is Google? “Googol” is the mathematical term for a 1

followed by 100 zeros. The company’s mission is to organize the

immense amount of information on the Web.

They sell the advertising displayed on their site and on other sites across the web.

Google’s founder are Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

It is now widely recognized as the world’s largest search engine—an easy-to-use free service that usually returns relevant results in a fraction of a second.

How does Google work?

Like other search engines, Google uses a Web crawler program (aka spiders or robots) to search its vast databases, looking for keyword(s) you typed in and bringing back a list of results that match those keyword(s).

You scroll through the results, read the little blurb that accompanies each one, and click on the blue, underlined link to go directly to the specific page.

Let’s go to Google

Type www.google.com in the Address window and press enter.

Ways to Search-Keyword

Keyword search-uses multiple keywords.

example: kona vacation rentals Google ignores common words and

certain single digits and letters. It also adjusts keywords to broaden a search.

Example search for “dietary needs” will also return “diet needs”.

Query Suggestions As you begin typing keywords, a list of

suggestions will appear. If one of them is what you’re looking for, click on it. (You can turn this off using Options/Search Settings/Google Instant)

Spell Checker If you spell a word incorrectly,

Google will prompt you with correct spelling. Click on the correctly spelled link at the top of the page.

Quotation Marks Use quotation mark around keywords to

get more specific results. This will search for the exact words.

To Narrow results To narrow results use a – (minus)

before the keyword. Example: virus –computer : finds

information on viruses but not computer viruses.

Roman numerals To find information that includes

Roman numerals or to include common words (where, the, how, etc.) –use a + (plus) before the numeral.

Synonym Search Use a ~ (tilde) to search for similar

keywords Example: ~auto loans : Finds auto,

car , automobile, truck, etc.

Questioning strategy Try doing a search in a question

format Example: how to cook a turkey or

how to sew a button

Fill in the blanks

Use an * (asterisk) for missing words Example: four * and * years ago

What’s on a Google result’s page? The number of pages found with

mentions of your keyword(s)—look under the Search window.

Result’s list A result’s list; each result contain a

blue link to a specific page, the page’s web address, and a blurb about the information you will find on the page.

Options for Searching On the left are options for searching

specifically for Images, Videos, News, result time frame, etc.

You will also see specifics, such as when you search for recipes, you’ll see options to choose ingredients, cooking time, etc.

Paid Advertising On the top (in a colored area) and on

the right you’ll find applicable advertising.

Live Results If something newsworthy is taking

place, you may see live results scrolling on the page.

Click on a link to view it.

Images If images appear, click on the one of

your choice to go to that webpage or see a larger view, if available.

Related search links At the bottom, find related search

links and the numbered links or arrow to get to the next page of results.

Next page At the bottom of the page you will see

numbers. The page you are on is in a different color and not underlined.

You can click on any number to be taken to that page.

Clicking “Next” takes you to the next page.

Other Helpful tools—Area Code

To find the geographical area covered by an area code, type in the 3-digit code

Address Search for an address and find it on

a street map. Once the map appears, you can get directions To here or From here

Book search Type the author name and click on

Books on the left to see books that are in Google Books (mostly classics).

Calculator

You can let Google do the math for you:

To add, use a + (plus) 10+22 To subtract, use a – (minus) 24-12 To multiply, use an * (asterisk) 14*2 To divide, use a / (forward slash)

48/12 To figure out the percentage of use

% (percent) 25% of 10

Range of numbers

To search for a range of numbers– use the … (ellipsis)

Example: dvd player $100…$250 : will find dvd players in the 100-250 dollar range

or Willie Mays 1950…1960 : will find pages about Willie Mays during that time frame.

Currency conversion Type in the amount and currency code

and the currency code you want it converted into

Example: 3. 5 USD in GBP To find 3-letter currency codes go to

http://www.xe.com/iso4217.htm

Dictionary definitions

Try define: and your keyword Example: define: flabbergast

Phone numbersGetting annoying phone calls? See an

unknown number on caller ID? Type it in

Local search To find a store, restaurant, or

business, type in the name or type of business and the Zip code or city and state

Medications Search for information about most

generic and brand name prescription drugs to get a summary and more information

Movie showtimes Type the word movies or the specific

movie with your Zip code

Public Data View population trends and

unemployment rates in the U.S. and countries by typing population or unemployment rate with the state or country

Real estate Type homes and the Zip code. Then

click on Maps.

Sport scores Find sports scores and schedules for

teams, type the team name or league name in the search window. This works for leagues like NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB

Time

To find the current time anywhere in the world, type time and the name of the city.

Unit conversion

Type in measurement information Example: cups in gallon or 10.5 cm

in inches

Weather To see weather conditions and a 4-

day forecast for a US location, type weather followed by the location.

Some other helpful tricks Earthquakes— to find information on a

current earthquake, type the city and state or country followed by earthquake

Flu Vaccine Search— search for flu to find ways to stay healthy from US Health and Human Services and a flu shot locator. Type in the city and state and a map with locations will appear.

Package tracking— type in the UPS, FedEx or USPS tracking numbers

Stock Quotes— to get live stock quotes, type in a ticker symbol

Vehicle ID (VIN) number— type in the car’s VIN number to learn more about the vehicle based on CARFAX information

Google’s links In addition to searching Google’s

database, you can perform specific searches using the links on the left of the page or across the top of the page, depending on which version you are using.

Google Links You+ --click here to access Google+,

Google’s social networking tool. Search—is the default search. Images—to search for images, including

clip art. Maps—to search for a geographic location

and get directions YouTube—to search specifically for videos News –to search for up-to-date news

stories Gmail—to login into a personal or work

Gmail account. Documents –a quick link to Google Docs

and Spreadsheets. More—more search features.

Images Click on Images to search for a variety of

images. Be aware that every image on Google is

the property of the person who created it. You can use the links on the left to narrow

the image search by size, etc.

Maps You can search by typing in a city,

state, country, street number or Zip code

Example: 126 n. main street roanoke in

Once the map appears, you can get driving, bus, walking, and even biking directions and the estimated time it will take to complete a trip.

Street View Click on the view that appears (with

the little yellow man or drag the man to the map) to see the street view, if it’s available.

Click an drag on the street view to move up and down the street or do a 360 spin to see both sides of the street.

Other views Rest the mouse pointer on the image in the

upper left area to see more options. Not all options may be available. Satellite -shows an aerial view Earth –(if you’ve downloaded it ) you can see

photographic images and search the globe Traffic –see live traffic information for major

roads Photos –see photos of the area that have been

posted by viewers Webcams –look for available webcams in the

area Videos –look for available videos of the area Map – is the default view

Get directions Click on Get directions to type in a

beginning and ending address for step by step directions.

To navigate Click on:

The up arrow button to move north

The down arrow button to move south

The right arrow button to move east

The left arrow button to move west

Navigation cont’d The center button returns to previous view

The + button zooms in The – button zooms out Double-click with the left mouse button to zoom in

Double-click with the right mouse button to zoom out

The mouse spin dial also acts as a zoom control

Find a business In the search window, type in the

name or type of business, city and state or ZIP code, and press Enter.

My places You can go to a place on the map,

sign in to your account and save the location or share it with others.

iGoogle Customize Google’s home page by

adding news, games, weather and more!

Mobile Find links to help you use Google

with your cell phone.

Media --Books Books– if the full-text version isn’t

available, you can find a local library that has it or can get it for you!

Other Media

YouTube – download and/ or view videos

Picnik –to edit photos Picasa –to find photos on your

computer, edit and share them Google Music –access your music

collection instantly from anywhere News –keep up-to-date

GEO

Google Offers –get amazing deals at places where you shop, eat or play

Latitude –see where your friends are right now

Google Earth –explore the world Panoramio –explore and share your

photos with the world SketchUp –design the house of your

dreams

Home and Office Google Docs –do word processing,

create spreadsheets, presentations, etc. Talk –instant messaging Voice –enhance your phone with

custom features, including free calling in the US

Checkout –purchase items online Gmail –free email service Sites –create websites Wallet –make your phone your wallet

Social

Google+ --links to social networking and information

Blogger --search/create blogs or online journals

Reader --get news through a RSS feeder

Groups –create mailing lists and discussion groups

The end Any Question? Please fill out the questionnaire For more information, contact the

Library at 260-672-2989 or [email protected] or come in and talk to a librarian.