And I know that Google is getting worse at showing us useful search results I wasn’t the only one who noticed this. For example, recently I was looking for a Lifehacker post that included the word Kelvin, which is not a very common term. Instead of pulling out a few articles that mentioned it (incl Connections column searched), Google decided I would like to see results containing “K”, the scientific abbreviation for the unit of temperature. And so I was presented with a results page full of articles about how to save money in your 401(k) account.
These off-target search results are becoming more and more common and we can only lie Hi blame for cluttering the results with AI-generated junk and human-generated SEO bait. I don’t have a solution to what people (and bots) write, nor can I reach into Google’s ranking algorithm to shuffle the pages. But me Power will tell you how to get Google to actually search for what you typed.
How to make Google search for the word you want and not synonyms
Here’s why this happens: Google is trying to be helpful by finding words that are similar to what you’re looking for (and, more cynically, it may be trying to be helpful to advertisers by directing your interests to things that advertisers want to sell you). In most cases this is useful; for example, a search for the plural “running shoes” will also return pages containing the name “running shoe” in the singular.
Recently, these adjustments seem to have become much broader, giving us off-target searches like the one I mentioned above, where I search for a temperature unit and get advice on retirement funds. There used to be a basic solution: you put your words in quotation marks. This has been less reliable recently (although it still seems to work sometimes).
Come in literally option. This is nothing novel, but it has become even more critical recently as Google increasingly adapts to our queries.
Source: Google/Beth Skwarecki
How to enable literal mode in Google searches
On the search results page, look for an information menu Tools. It may be located on the right side of the screen.
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On desktop, look on the right side of the page for buttons that suggest related searches or different search categories (images, purchases, etc.).
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On mobile devices, you’ll see “images, purchases…” categories below the search box. Place your finger on these words and swipe left; at the end of the row, on the right, you will see Search tools.
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When you tap Tools or Search Tools, a drop-down menu will appear labeled All results. Click or tap on this and you will see the option Literally.
Source: Google/Beth Skwarecki
This Literally feeder function Tools is the key to finding words you Actually entered. We can’t promise anything about the quality of the sites you’ll come across, but at least you’ll get a more targeted selection.
