I learned from your last post about Boolean search terms. Now, how do I use them in Google?

There are three Boolean search terms: AND, NOT, and OR. Using AND narrows, NOT excludes, and OR expands. In Google, there are many preferences for searching.

For AND use a + sign. A space is needed after the first term, but not the second. It looks like this: dogs +cats.

For NOT use a – sign and follow the same spacing rules as AND. It looks like this: dogs -cats.

For OR, Google prefers a capital OR like this: dogs OR cats.

Here are two more nifty search techniques to remember when using Google: always quote a phrase when you want to search a phrase as a key word. Otherwise, Google will search for the words found anywhere in a page. So for example, if you put stray dogs, you’ll get any site with the word “stray” and “dogs.” If you use “stray dogs,” you will only get those sites with “stray dogs” together on the page.

Finally, when you conduct a search and want to narrow your search further, it’s wise to continue searching by scrolling to the bottom of the screen and selecting “Search within results.” In this way, you’ll only be searching within those initial results.