Basic Google Searches

If you are viewing this webquest, I assume you have a web browser and an Internet connection. For the sake of this webquest, I will be using the Google Chrome web browser. You are welcome to follow along on a web browser of your choice.

To start, go to the web address space at the top of your web browser and type in "www.google.com" and press the "Enter" key on your keyboard. You will be directed to a page that looks familiar to the one below.

Figure 1.1

To search Google, simply type in what you are looking for in the Google search bar and click the "Google Search" button or the "Enter" key on your keyboard.

Provided are illustrations of what it looks like to type a search into Google and click the "Google Search" button.

Figure 1.2

Figure 1.3

Once the "Search Google" button is clicked, the Google results will appear on the next page.

For this tutorial, I simply searched "desserts" and I got the following search results.

Figure 1.4

Notice the large number of search results. There are pictures, news articles, recipes, and even a map of different bakeries depending on your location. Though the information is presented well, it can be tough to sort through what you are looking for. Google provides basic tips on how to get more precise search results.*

Tip 1: Be Specific

When searching Google, it is important to be specific with your searches. Simply searching "dessert" brought up multiple results, but let's say I only want results related to pumpkin pie recipes. So I should type in "pumpkin pie recipes" and get more specific results.

Figure 1.5

Tip 2: Spell as Close as Possible

Google is a smart machine; it can predict what you are searching for based on what other users searched. As you start to type, a dropdown window appears with possible search items. If you are not a strong speller, Google will use context clues and possible spellings of words to bring you your desired search results. Let's say you were figuring out how to spell "canoe," put what you know into Google and see some possible search topics. Let's say you spelled it "c-a-n-u-e" and look at the results.

Figure 1.6

Google takes what you spelled and provides some results. The results show the correct spelling is "c-a-n-o-e."

Tip 3: Quick Searches

Google is equipped with the ability to display information directly on the screen without needing to go to a website. Some quick searches are items like:

• Definitions
• Weather
• Sports Teams
• Calculations
• and More.

For example, I want a definition of the word "triskaidekaphobia." Simply type in the word "define" before the chosen word and your results will look as follows:

Figure 1.7

Once you have a grasp on basic Google searching, select the Boolean search logic button below.

*Google search tips are modified from Google's Search Support page viewed on February 22, 2017 retrieved from https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/134479?hl=en.