Google is far more powerful than most people realize. While many users rely on basic keyword searches, SEO professionals, marketers, researchers, and content creators use Google search operators to uncover hidden insights, analyze competitors, diagnose SEO issues, and find high-value opportunities faster.
Google search operators are special commands and symbols that refine your searches and help you control what Google shows you. When used correctly, they can save hours of manual work and give you data that’s almost impossible to find otherwise.
For example, instead of searching randomly for content on a website, you can use the site: operator to limit results to a specific domain:
site:example.com
This guide will walk you through:
- What Google search operators are
- A complete list of 44 advanced operators
- Which operators work, which are unreliable, and which are discontinued
- 11 powerful ways to use Google search operators for SEO, with real-world examples
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced SEO, this guide will help you master Google search like a pro.
✅ Working Google Search Operators
| Search Operator | What it Does | Example (Clickable Google Search) |
|---|---|---|
" " | Searches for an exact word or phrase | “steve jobs” |
OR | Shows results for X or Y | jobs OR gates |
| | Same as OR | jobs | gates |
AND | Shows results for X and Y | jobs AND gates |
- | Excludes a word from results | jobs -apple |
* | Wildcard for missing words | steve * apple |
( ) | Groups multiple search terms | (ipad OR iphone) apple |
define: | Shows definition of a term | define:entrepreneur |
cache: | Shows Google’s cached version of a page | cache:apple.com |
filetype: | Searches specific file types | apple filetype:pdf |
ext: | Same as filetype | apple ext:pdf |
site: | Searches within a specific website | site:apple.com |
related: | Finds similar websites | related:apple.com |
intitle: | Keyword in page title | intitle:apple |
allintitle: | Multiple keywords in title | allintitle:apple iphone |
inurl: | Keyword in URL | inurl:apple |
allinurl: | Multiple keywords in URL | allinurl:apple iphone |
intext: | Keyword in page content | intext:apple iphone |
allintext: | Multiple keywords in content | allintext:apple iphone |
weather: | Shows weather of a location | weather:san francisco |
stocks: | Displays stock data | stocks:aapl |
map: | Forces map results | map:silicon valley |
movie: | Shows movie information | movie:steve jobs |
in | Converts currency or units | $329 in GBP |
source: | Searches news from a specific source | apple source:the_verge |
before: | Results before a specific date | apple before:2007-06-29 |
after: | Results after a specific date | apple after:2007-06-29 |
Sidenote: The
_(underscore) also works as a wildcard in Google Autocomplete.
⚠️ Unreliable Google Search Operators
| Search Operator | What it Does | Example (Clickable Google Search) |
|---|---|---|
#..# | Searches within a number range | iphone case $50..$60 |
inanchor: | Finds pages with anchor text backlinks | inanchor:apple |
allinanchor: | Multiple words in anchor text | allinanchor:apple iphone |
AROUND(X) | Finds words near each other | apple AROUND(4) iphone |
loc: | Location-based search (limited) | loc:”san francisco” apple |
location: | News by location | location:”san francisco” apple |
daterange: | Date range (Julian dates) | daterange:11278-13278 |
❌ Google Search Operators That No Longer Work
| Search Operator | What it Did | Example |
|---|---|---|
~ | Included synonyms (dropped 2013) | ~apple |
+ | Forced exact match (dropped 2011) | jobs +apple |
inpostauthor: | Author search (Blog Search closed) | inpostauthor:”steve jobs” |
allinpostauthor: | Same as above | allinpostauthor:steve jobs |
inposttitle: | Blog post title search | inposttitle:apple iphone |
link: | Showed backlinks (dropped 2017) | link:apple.com |
info: | Site information | info:apple.com |
id: | Same as info | id:apple.com |
phonebook: | Phone lookup | phonebook:tim cook |
# | Google+ hashtag search | #apple |
What Are Google Search Operators?
Google search operators are special characters, words, or commands that you add to your search queries to make them more precise.
Instead of telling Google what you want, operators tell Google how to search.
Simple Example
If you search:
Steve Jobs
Google may show results about Apple, Pixar, books, movies, quotes, and biographies.
But if you search:
"Steve Jobs"
Google will return pages that contain that exact phrase, not variations.
This is just one operator. There are dozens more that allow you to:
- Find indexed pages
- Discover competitor strategies
- Locate guest post opportunities
- Identify technical SEO problems
- Analyze publishing frequency
- Discover content gaps
Google Search Operators: The Complete List
Google operators can be divided into three categories:
- Working operators – Reliable and officially supported
- Unreliable operators – Still function but results may vary
- Discontinued operators – No longer supported by Google
Let’s explore each category.
1. Working Google Search Operators
These operators work exactly as expected and are widely used in SEO.
Exact Match Operator: " "
Searches for an exact word or phrase.
Example:
"digital marketing strategy"
Best for:
- Finding exact mentions
- Plagiarism checks
- Quote research
OR Operator: OR and |
Returns results related to either of the terms.
Example:
SEO OR PPC
or
SEO | PPC
Best for:
- Comparing topics
- Discovering alternative keywords
AND Operator: AND
Searches for pages containing both terms.
Example:
SEO AND content marketing
Exclusion Operator: -
Removes results containing a specific word.
Example:
apple -fruit
Perfect for eliminating irrelevant results.
Wildcard Operator: *
Acts as a placeholder for unknown words.
Example:
best * tools for SEO
Great for:
- Long-tail keyword discovery
- Phrase variations
Grouping Operator: ( )
Groups multiple terms together.
Example:
(iPhone OR iPad) Apple
Define Operator: define:
Returns dictionary-style definitions.
Example:
define:backlink
Cache Operator: cache:
Shows Google’s most recent cached version of a page.
Example:
cache:example.com
Useful for:
- Checking if a page is indexed
- Seeing old content versions
File Type Operator: filetype: / ext:
Searches for specific file formats.
Example:
SEO audit filetype:pdf
Site Operator: site:
Restricts results to a specific domain or subfolder.
Example:
site:ahrefs.com/blog
One of the most powerful SEO operators.
Related Operator: related:
Finds websites similar to a given domain.
Example:
related:moz.com
Excellent for:
- Competitor discovery
- Partnership research
Title Operators: intitle: and allintitle:
Find pages with keywords in the title tag.
Examples:
intitle:SEO
allintitle:SEO tips
URL Operators: inurl: and allinurl:
Find pages with keywords in URLs.
Example:
inurl:seo-tools
Content Operators: intext: and allintext:
Search for keywords within page content.
Example:
allintext:technical SEO checklist
Weather Operator: weather:
Shows weather for a location.
Example:
weather:Delhi
Stocks Operator: stocks:
Returns stock market data.
Example:
stocks:GOOGL
Map Operator: map:
Forces Google Maps results.
Example:
map:Silicon Valley
Movie Operator: movie:
Displays movie-related info.
Example:
movie:Steve Jobs
Unit Conversion Operator: in
Converts currencies or units.
Example:
100 USD in INR
News Source Operator: source:
Searches within a specific news publisher.
Example:
Apple source:The_Ver
ge
Date Operators: before: and after:
Filters results by date.
Example:
SEO trends after:2023-01-01
2. Unreliable Google Search Operators
These operators sometimes work, but results are inconsistent.
Number Range Operator: #..#
Example:
laptop ₹50000..₹70000
Anchor Text Operators: inanchor: and allinanchor:
Searches for backlinks with specific anchor text.
Example:
inanchor:SEO tools
Proximity Operator: AROUND(X)
Finds words close to each other.
Example:
SEO AROUND(3) audit
Location Operators: loc: and location:
Mostly useful for Google News.
Date Range Operator: daterange:
Uses Julian dates and is rarely accurate.
3. Discontinued Google Search Operators
These operators no longer work:
~(synonyms)+(exact match)link:info:/id:phonebook:- Google+ hashtag searches
Avoid using these in modern SEO.
11 Powerful Ways to Use Google Search Operators for SEO
Now let’s move from theory to real-world applications.
1. Identify Indexing Problems on Your Website
Use:
site:yourwebsite.com
Then combine with:
filetype:pdf
This helps you find files that should not be indexed, such as gated PDFs or internal documents.
Example SEO Fix:
If a lead-generation PDF is indexed, add a noindex directive via HTTP headers.
2. Find and Analyze Competitors
Use:
related:yourwebsite.com
Then analyze competitors with:
site:competitor.com/blog
You can quickly see:
- Content volume
- Topic focus
- Publishing structure
3. Discover Guest Post Opportunities
Instead of searching “write for us,” try:
SEO inurl:author/john-doe
This finds sites where a specific author contributes regularly—often open to guest posts.
4. Find Resource Page Link Opportunities
Use:
SEO intitle:resources inurl:resources
Resource pages are excellent backlink targets because they’re designed to link out.
5. Locate Files You Don’t Want Indexed
Use:
site:yourwebsite.com filetype:pdf
Ideal for:
- Content upgrades
- Internal documentation
- Old marketing assets
6. Find Email Addresses for Outreach
Search social platforms like Twitter:
site:twitter.com "email" "yourname"
This often reveals public email mentions.
7. Find Internal Linking Opportunities
Use:
site:yourwebsite.com "SEO tips"
You’ll find pages mentioning keywords where you can add contextual internal links.
8. Find “Best” Listicles That Don’t Mention Your Brand
Use:
"best SEO tools" -yourbrand
These pages are prime outreach targets.
9. Find Websites Reviewing Your Competitors
Use:
allintitle:review (competitor1 OR competitor2)
Sites reviewing competitors are often open to reviewing you.
10. Find Relevant Quora Questions
Use:
site:quora.com inurl:SEO OR content-marketing
Answering high-traffic questions can generate consistent referral traffic.
11. Analyze Competitor Publishing Frequency
Use:
site:competitor.com after:2024-01-01 before:2024-12-31
This helps you benchmark:
- Content velocity
- Editorial consistency
Final Thoughts: Why Google Search Operators Matter
Google search operators are one of the most underrated SEO tools available—and they’re completely free.
While some operators are more powerful than others, combining a few (like site:, intitle:, and inurl:) can unlock insights that even paid tools sometimes miss.
The real magic happens when you:
- Combine multiple operators
- Test variations
- Experiment creatively
If you regularly work with SEO, content marketing, link building, or competitor research, mastering Google search operators is non-negotiable.
Start experimenting today—you’ll be surprised how much Google has been hiding in plain sight.