10 Helpful Google Search Tips Everyone Should Know.
You’re not alone. Google search has gotten significantly worse in recent years. Previously, you only had to be wary of low-quality content stuffed with SEO-friendly keywords. Today, you have to be wary of AI-generated junk , misinformation, and an overall worse user experience. However, finding good Google search results isn’t that difficult. I’ve discovered a number of tricks that have helped me reduce the number of low-quality results Google returns for my queries. Here are 10 such tips everyone should know before their next search:
Remove AI from results
I’m still irritated by Google’s decision to place AI right at the top of search results, and I try to remove it every time I use a new browser or device. This is much more difficult if you use the Google Search app, so if you want to get rid of AI results, use web browsers. There are a few simple ways to remove AI from Google results . The quickest is to add -ai to your search queries, and Google will remove the AI results. Alternatively, you can try the Hide Gemini browser extension.
Go back to Google search results and see 10 blue links
Google’s heyday was when searching for something would return a simple page with 10 blue links. If you want to return to that simplicity, you can use Google’s web search filter . After searching for something on Google, click the “More” button under the search bar at the top and select “Web.” This will remove all the unnecessary junk from Google search and return 10 web pages at a time. If you use Chrome, you can simply type “web” into the address bar to start a web search.
I also wrote about a browser extension called Lucky that does the same thing in Safari for iPhone. Lucky is available for a one-time fee of $3, and in my opinion, it’s well worth the price.
Search by a specific domain
If you know the domain you want to visit, you can limit your search to just that domain. For example, you might limit your search results to the .gov domain if you want to view only official US government websites, or to the .fr domain if you want to search only for websites registered in France. Simply add site:.gov (or any other domain of your choice) to your search queries, and you’ll get better results. This is also useful if you want to limit your search to .ac.uk or .edu sites, which are more education-focused.
Limit results to one site
If you’ve found a reliable source you like, such as Lifehacker, you can use Google to limit your search results to just that site. You can add site:lifehacker.com to your Google searches, and you’ll only see results from that site. Simply replace the site name with another of your choosing. This method is often better than using the site’s internal search tools.
Search for files of specific formats.
When searching for specific information, it’s best to search by a specific file format. For example, if you’re searching for scientific articles, you’re more likely to find a PDF file than a web search result. In such cases, you can use the filetype:pdf filter to search for PDF files, and you can also replace the file type to find results in a different format.
Google has easily accessible filters.
If you’re getting significantly worse results when using Google Search, you can try narrowing your results using Google’s built-in filters. Just below the search bar, you’ll see several tabs, such as “All,” “News,” “More,” “Tools,” and so on. Click through each one to exclude specific types of results. In particular, the “Tools” tab allows you to refine results by date and even remove results for related search queries, focusing only on exact matches.
Use Google’s advanced search.
Sometimes Google’s basic search tools aren’t enough to find what you need. This is especially true when your search queries include words that are popular for other reasons. For example, you might search for “president” but not for your country’s president. In this case, advanced search can help you filter out unwanted results. You can go toGoogle’s advanced search page and use all the filters to find what you need. Each filter has a helpful description, making it easy to understand what you’re doing.
Try reverse image search.
Google also allows you to upload files and images to search results. Open Google Search and click the “+” button in the search bar to upload a file or image. You can add a search query to the image, and Google will help you answer it, or you can even search for images similar to the one you’ve uploaded. This can be useful for spotting fake profiles online, as scammers often steal other users’ profile photos to create a fake identity.
Use content blockers to hide unwanted results.
If you don’t want to waste time using various manual methods to remove everything unnecessary from Google search results, consider using a content blocker. My long-time favorite has been uBlock Origin , available on desktop and mobile devices . It will remove all sponsored results, unwanted product ads, and most types of junk from your Google search results.
Add your favorite websites to your preferred sources list.
If you really like and trust certain websites, add them to Google’s list of preferred sources. This ensures that results from these sites are highlighted in search results and in the Top Stories section. Google launched this feature in 2025 , and it’s the most effective way to find information on higher-quality websites. Optionally, you can follow this link to add Lifehacker to your list of preferred sources.