:: The Power of The Search Colon ::

We all want to search better, faster, harder, stronger - so much so that we wish we could refine the results that search engines provide us. We’ve touched upon a few tricks you can perform in the Google search bar in the past, but today we delve deep into the use of everyone’s favourite and unfortunately spelled form of punctuation: the colon, (as you’ve just seen featured 54 characters ago).

This glorious double-dotted key that rests under your right pinkie typing finger, when used together with the right command, can help refine your search down to options that may further satisfy your search intent. Let’s explore by putting ourselves in the shoes of somebody who needs quicker and more direct results in order to run their business or empire…

The following are some command codes that you can utilise in the search bar to narrow down your search intent. Just remember that our powerful colon can only drive the results you want when typed without a space before and after. Here’s what each means and how they relate to aspects of SEO - in case you wish to be on the receiving end of somebody wielding these tricks:

Intitle: - Are you wanting to narrow down searches based on those websites that feature keywords in their titles? Start with this command and list the words to the right. If any of those words are used in title headings, the SERP will display them according to their organic SEO qualities and filter out those that do not have any of those terms.

Allintitle: - The first example may not narrow things down enough, given that titles with ‘sharks’, ‘with’, and ‘laserbeams’ could appear. Do you want to locate pages with titles that incorporate all the words in your query? Add an ‘all’ to the beginning of the command.

Intext: - Perhaps titles are too limiting and you want to explore the body text of different websites instead. Type this in followed by all the words you would like to match.

Allintext: - Want to locate text with all of the words you listed in the search bar? Add an ‘all’ at the beginning once again.

Inurl: - It might make sense to target your query on what is written on the URL of the website instead. Here’s how you would find what you’re looking for.

Allinurl: - Befitting the above patterns, if you wish to locate URLs that contain all the words in your query, whip that ‘all’ in front.

Inanchor: - This is to find pages that incorporate your search query in the anchor text. This is a great way to see a page as a reference and also what it links to.

Allinanchor: - Want to get quite specific, (or perhaps too specific in this example), and find anchor text with all of the terms you put in the search bar? That’s right - put that ‘all’ at the beginning.

Site: - Here’s a neat way to see which pages of a website have been indexed by Google. Maybe the website is yours and you wish to see which pages pop up in the SERP and which ones weren’t supposed to.

Related: - Want Google’s recommendations on which websites have a striking similarity to another website of your choice? Maybe you’ll discover something fresh, yet relevant, with this command.

The colon has served us well, but there are a few other commands we can use to help narrow our search. Using a few terms, or all terms in a query, is one approach - but if you want to find content that contains your search in the exact phrasing and syntax you’ve written, bookend it with “quote marks”.

Need results that specify two direct terms you’re keen to investigate? A capitalised OR will serve such a purpose.

If there are particular terms that you wish to filter out, possibly due to them being irrelevant but prevalent in your search results thus far, put a minus in front of that pesky word to yield better results.

Most of this makes sense when you start combining them all together to really find that elusive search intent satisfaction that you’re looking for. Try a few out for yourself to see what Google serves up with your filters in place!