Secret Google search hacks and tools for copywriters

November 4, 2009 by Dean Rieck
Filed under: Productivity 

Google hacksI was chatting recently with Don Hauptman, one of the legends of copywriting, and he asked me if I had any “secrets” for finding information quickly online.

Well, of course I do. My schedule simply doesn’t permit me to flail around while doing research, so I use some little known Google hacks and tools to speed things along.

The Hacks

There are tons of search hacks, but here are the ones I’ve found most useful.

Generic Search
Type: investment newsletter
Google searches for: the words investment and newsletter

Either / Or Search
Type: investment OR newsletter
Google searches for: either the word investment or the word newsletter

Exact Search
Type: “investment newsletter”
Google searches for: the exact phrase investment newsletter

Exclusion Search
Type: investment -newsletter
Google searches for: the word investment but not the word newsletter

Synonymous Search
Type: ~investment
Google searches for: the word investment and synonyms

Definition Search
Type: define: investment
Google searches for: definitions of the word investment

Page Title Search
Type: allintitle: investment newsletter
Google searches for: keywords in page titles

URL Keyword Search
Type: inurl: investment newsletter
Google searches for: keywords in page URLs

The Tools

In addition to the search hacks, here are some bonus Google search tools that can be helpful when you need to find information fast.

Go to Google and click on “more,” then click on “even more” to reveal a full page of search tools:

Blog Search — search for blogs on specific topics
Books — search the full text of books
Directory — search by topic or category
Earth – explore the world
Finance — business info, news, and charts
Images – search for images
Maps – view maps and directions, including terrain and satellite images
News – search thousands of news stories
Patent Search — search the full text of US Patents
Scholar — search for scholarly papers
Videos — search for videos

Also, check out some other research and writing resources that can help save time.

Can you believe we used to have to run to the library for things like this? Thank goodness for the Internet!

Share|

Related posts:

  1. 32 essential tools I use to run my copywriting business
  2. Why smart copywriters write about people
  3. What is the matrix? The secret tool for focused copywriting

>>> Subscribe to blog by RSS or E-mail

Smart Comments

3 Comments on Secret Google search hacks and tools for copywriters

  1. Donovan Owens on Nov 4th, 2009 2:08 am

    2. Enlightening. I know you’re busy and time is of the essence so how did you find these things out?

    Thanks for another great post.
    .-= Donovan Owens’s last blog … Pics and Videos =-.

  2. Dean Rieck on Nov 4th, 2009 10:55 am

    3. Donovan,
    I just like to know how things work. If you go to google and start looking around, it’s all there.

  3. Learn to copy write on Dec 22nd, 2009 1:22 am

    4. The length of the headline and the copy will depend on whatever works for whatever you are selling. In other words, the only way to know what works is to test different approaches.

Tell me what you're thinking...
and if you want a pic to show with your comment, get a gravatar!