Not finding what you want by just typing a keyword into Google? Try one of these search tips to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

1) Find out about a photo with reverse image search

Get an image via email or Facebook and want to know where it came from or what it is? Try Google’s Reverse Image Search – just upload an image and Google will return information and webpages about that image. Here’s how to do it:

Go to Google Image Search and click on the camera icon in the search bar:

You can then search by pasting an image URL or uploading an image, after which you’ll see results like this:

2) Filter results by date

Looking for recent, up-to-date information on a certain topic? Filter search results by date so Google only returns webpages that have been updated recently. Here’s how to do it:

After you do a Google search, click “Show search tools” in the left sidebar, then click on one of these links:

3) Find businesses near you with map search

Not only will Google maps let you find businesses in the city you’re in, you can search for businesses near the specific building or address you are at. Here’s how to do it:

Go to Google Maps and search for “keyword near location” like this:

4) Get a definition

Need a definition for a word? Instead of going to a dictionary, just type define:word into Google, like this:

5) Use Google Shopping to find products for sale at local stores

Not only can Google help you find local businesses, Google can help you find specific products (including pricing and user reviews) at local stores. Here’s how to do it:

Go to Google Shopping and do a search for the product you want. Once the results are displayed, click to enter your zip code:

Once you enter your location, you can click on any product to view nearby stores that sell it:

6) Get info from other people in real time

This isn’t even a Google search tip, but I couldn’t resist including it in this article. If you want to know what’s going on just minutes or seconds ago, use Twitter search.

Just to give an example…a couple weeks ago I couldn’t get Gmail to load, and I wanted to know whether it was a problem with my PC or ISP, or if others were experiencing the same problem. I did a quick search on Twitter and found out that a lot of other people were tweeting about Google being down.

7) Use advanced search for more options

Need more options? Try Google’s advanced search options by clicking on the gear icon in search results:

Then you’ll get an advanced search page with tons of options like this:

Google offers a ton of features and advanced options. I just included a few of the tricks that I think are the easiest, most useful ones. What are your favorite Google search tips and tricks?

About the author: Adam Thompson (25 Posts)

Adam Thompson is the manager of Digitizd.com.