How to Search for Phrases and Expressions in Search Engines

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: June 12, 2023

This describes some common techniques about how to search for multiple phrases, with possible logical expressions, in various search engines. Links to vendor specific search expressions could provide more precise search capabilities.

Steps

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If you are looking for an exact phrase such as "to be or not be. That is the question" put the phrase in quotation marks. This will tell the search engine you want to search for this phrase being used verbatim around the web.
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Think about words & phrases that can uniquely describe what you're searching. Bear in mind that some search engines automatically match multiple/conjugated forms of some words, while others require an exact match, even for singular or plural words. (Example: In 2005, AOL, A9, Google & Netscape by default also looked for some singular nouns or conjugated verbs "prevent"/ "preventing" and matched "e-mail" to "email"; whereas MSN Search & Yahoo required exact matches to words specified as spelled.)

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Enter connected phrases with hyphens or quotes as a single search-item, such as "baking German-chocolate-cake" or "secret-revelation robe": connecting separate words can pinpoint the search, whereas, putting many separate words would begin matching millions of webpages containing only a few of all the words (especially after more than 3 words/items are specified).
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Use logical connectors or parentheses for more complex searches such as: "blue-bird OR black-bird OR blackbird" to match any of several similar items, and find a blackbird as one or two words "black bird" etc.
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Be prepared to "search within resulting webpages" to further pinpoint information that might be buried hundreds or thousands of pages down the list of matching pages.
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Consult the advanced-search help about whichever search engine is being used. Many search engines treat hyphenated words as equivalent to a phrase in quotation marks: To-be-or-not-to-be.

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How do I find a specific word on a webpage?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

Click on the page and then press Ctrl and F. This will pull up the search bar and you can enter your search terms here to so if they show up.

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Tips

Think of what would be on a website.

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In other languages, the search for words, or the rank of resulting webpages, might be matched somewhat differently.

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Warnings

Particular search engines can change their word-search strategy at any time, without notice. Be prepared for changes in how phrases are matched.

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Some search engines contain very outdated webpages, many of which may no longer exist, because their host websites have been discontinued. If possible, use the remaining "ghost" webpage from the particular search engine cache to see the remaining information before it is erased from that search engine.

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How to Search for Phrases and Expressions in Search Engines

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