Google’s query syntax explained

GOOGLE is the modern day equivalent of ‘Open Sesame’, the magical command which opened the robber’s den in the Arabian Night’s tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Likewise Google is the magic key that unfailingly opens a bottomless pit of information for everyone on every subject. Even for the genealogist.

Just enter ‘google’ into search box and a mere 10,930,000,000 results will appear.

Google offers the choice of searching the whole site from Australia. An advanced search, for an image, group search, names, maps, videos and more, such as a translating service.

Over the years there have been other search engines. I quickly brought up the 15 of the most popular search engines. Each has its own appeal. Google ‘Top 15 Most popular Search Engines’ and chose for yourself. Note the millions of people who log onto search engines every day, week, month.

Today we are obviously speaking about Google and there are tips and tricks to using Google. I advise printing off instructions from the Internet for your own benefit. However, ‘google’ is the in-word.

Two years ago my grandson aged 8 asked; “Nan, how was I made?” I hesitated as words spun around my brain at a million miles per hour. How much did he know? What would I tell him? And while I am hesitating, obviously at a loss about what to say, he leaned over. Put his arm on my arm and said.

“Nan, don’t worry, I’ll just ask the Google God”. He was going on 8 years of age!

So for me, anyway, Google is the search engine with which I am most familiar.

An example used in author Dan Lynch’s book Google on filtering is this. The book unlocks the mystery of Query Syntax. In the Google Web Search Query below, queries are submitted with only slight differences in the order of keywords and/or the use of basic syntax. Even the slightest changes in your query can yield a tremendous difference in the number of results returned.

Using Statue of Liberty you will see as an example in the book, 14 Google Web Search queries for the Statue of Liberty. At number one position the result for just Statue of Liberty is 9,530.000 results. While “the statue of liberty” reveals 2,100,000 entries; statue liberty reveals 5,790,000, changing with each change of basic command. statue AND liberty results in 957.000 entries and at 14th place “Statue***liberty” {with perimeters plus wildcards, resulting in 610.000 results}. Use of the * wildcard symbol has a special meaning in Google when it is used within quotations.

Filtering techniques are like an archaeology dig. Sifting through to find the items of interest to you.

A google account is free and benefits include a gmail account, alerts, my library and others.

Keywords are the main ingredient and can be single or multiple and not case sensitive.

MEMBER of DDFHS Geoff Attwell has contributed to today’s column. Geoff is a genealogical whiz. He can literally make Google talk.

Google has a free, web-based version of programs such as Microsoft Office or Open Office.

Includes a free calendar to track various dates.

Google Voice allows you to make free phone calls from your PC to any phone in the US. Also free PC to PC calls around the world. Use this to check on archives hours, before a research trip.

After opening the Google program, enter your own name. It is beyond me how someone human who is not instrument with artificial intelligence can work all of this out.

According to Geoff Attwell Google Images is probably the greatest collection of photographs available to search in the one place on the internet.

Open Google, select images from the toolbar across the top of the page which will place the picture of a camera at the right hand end of the search box. Now enter a description of the subject that you are looking for in a photograph. Google will display the picture that matches your search enquiry.

Geoff uses Google for photographs of family members with their cars, truck, tractors and machines. Taken on holiday. Appliances like the washing machine that his mother had. The kitchen stove, the mantel radio, other common household items that were in the home of grandparents or even the home where they themselves grew up.

“Photographs of items such as these greatly enhance your story,” Geoff said. “What about vehicles owned by the family? All there. Even, models of similar vintage and colour.

There is nothing that you cannot do or find on google. It is just a matter of knowing the best method to enter the enquiry. Google ‘tips and tricks of using google’ for some more hints.

Geoff searches Google images in the same way that he searches Google for general information. Entering a common single word will usually bring up a large number of results but too many to view in the time available. Entering two or more words without any qualifications will bring up even more results. It is necessary to refine the search so as to produce a manageable number of pages to read. For instance:

Geoff enters his own name. Geoff Attwell (without any perimeters) resulting in 1.8 million results (2013) entering “Geoff Attwell” within quotation marks will result in about 160 results. Entering “Geoff Attwell” Condobolin will bring up one page. Bingo! You are there. He has his man. Try this for yourself in this most simple format.

When Geoff started researching his family history and wanted pictures of items similar to those used by his parent 50 years ago, he spent hours in libraries trawling through newspapers of the time looking for advertisements containing the images he was seeking. Now on the internet he can find coloured photos of these items in a few minutes.

Another advantage is that it allows you to build simple websites for an easy-to-use web presentation. To post your genealogy or other information about your family history.

I am only using Google Images as an example. The same principle applies to everything that you can think of. “Google Images is probably the greatest collection of photographs available to search in the one place on the internet.

“Go to Google. Select images from the toolbar across the top of the page. This will place the picture of a camera at the right and end of the search box. Now enter a description of the subject that you are looking for in a photograph. Generally Google will display pictures that have been titled in a way that matches your search enquiry”, Geoff said..

“The variety of images on Google seem boundless and what you can find is only limited by your imagination, your time and your searching technique. Google appears to gather the images from every source available on the internet. Newspapers, magazines, internet forums, photo hosting and storage websites such as Flickr. Obviously Google cannot access someone’s private collection of photos at home, but as soon as anyone puts a photograph on an internet forum or any other website on the internet, in most cases it becomes ‘public’ and there is no limit to where it may appear again.

Dubbo & District Family History Society, ground floor, Community Arts Building, Western Plains Cultural Centre. Opening hours: Saturday 10am to 4pm, Tuesday 1pm to 4pm, Thursday 2pm6pm, Friday 10am-1pm. Phone 68818635 in library hours. 0408845796 (ah). DDFHS membership subscription is $40+ a once only joining fee for a single membership, (other membership categories also apply) is due January 1. Membership provides unlimited access to all records, plus the most important ingredient: assistance. New members are always welcome. Also on offer is $10 casual fee per session which provides access to the huge collection of genealogical records and databases in the society. More or less a try, before you buy. Closed for Christmas from December 10 to January 10.