Lesson 6	Search Engine and Directory "How-tos"
Objective	Find out what searches and queries a search site supports.

Searches and Queries a modern Search Engine supports

To find out which searches and queries a modern search engine supports, you can use the following methods:

Official Search Syntax or Operator Documentation

Most major search engines publish documentation or help pages outlining their supported search features.
- Google: Google Search Operators
- Bing: Bing Advanced Search Operators
- DuckDuckGo: DuckDuckGo Search Syntax
- Yandex: Yandex Search Syntax (in Russian)
Use the Search Engine’s Built-In Help Tools
Some search engines offer tooltips, autocomplete suggestions, or a help center link directly from the search bar or results page:
- Start typing a query to see autocomplete suggestions
- Look for a "?" or gear icon (⚙️) for settings or help
- In some engines, typing help: or about: can reveal internal documentation
Test Known Operators
Try commonly supported queries to see if the search engine handles them:
```
 
"exact phrase"
site:example.com
filetype:pdf
intitle:climate
inurl:login
```
If the search engine returns expected results, it likely supports the operator.
Explore Developer APIs
Some engines expose search APIs, which often include detailed documentation on query parameters, filters, and syntaxes. Example:
Third-Party Resources
Websites like:
- Moz, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Search Engine Land often publish updated guides
- Reddit subs like
  1. r/SEO or
  2. r/technology

Inspect URL Parameters

Perform a few sample queries, then inspect the URL structure:

 
https://www.google.com/search?q=AI+trends+2025&as_sitesearch=nytimes.com

This shows support for `q=` and `as_sitesearch=` parameters, hinting at more complex query capabilities.

Comprehensive list of Google Search Operators (2024 update)

Here's a comprehensive list of Google Search Operators (2024 update), fully supported and tested for modern use:
🔍 Basic Google Search Operators

Operator	Description	Example
`"..."`	Exact match of a phrase or word	`"data modeling tutorial"`
`OR` / `\|`	Find pages that match either term	`postgresql OR mysql`
`-`	Exclude a term	`oracle -java`
`*`	Wildcard for unknown word(s)	`"best * for data science"`
`()`	Group operators or control order	`(oracle OR mysql) database`

🌐 Site-Specific and Domain Search Operators

Operator	Description	Example
`site:`	Restrict to a specific domain or site	`site:relationaldbdesign.com normalization`
`related:`	Find related websites	`related:nytimes.com`
`inurl:`	Terms must appear in URL	`inurl:admin`
`allinurl:`	All terms must appear in URL	`allinurl:oracle database`
`intitle:`	Terms must appear in the title	`intitle:"data warehouse"`
`allintitle:`	All terms must be in the title	`allintitle:data modeling basics`
`intext:`	Word must be in the body text	`intext:"foreign key"`
`allintext:`	All terms must be in the text	`allintext:sql query tutorial`

📄 Filetype and Format Operators

Operator	Description	Example
`filetype:`	Restrict to a specific file format	`database tutorial filetype:pdf`
`ext:`	Same as `filetype:` (alternate syntax)	`data structures ext:ppt`

🗓️ Time, Cache, and Info Operators

Operator	Description	Example
`before:`	Show results before a date (`YYYY-MM-DD`)	`AI trends before:2023-01-01`
`after:`	Show results after a date	`AI regulation after:2022-01-01`
`cache:`	View Google’s cached version of a page	`cache:cnn.com`
`info:`	Show info about a page (cached, similar pages, etc.)	`info:oracle.com`

👨‍💼 Search by Author or Source (News & Scholar only)

Operator	Description	Example
`source:`	Restrict to a specific news source	`inflation source:cnn` (only works in Google News)
`author:`	Use with Google Scholar only	`author:"T. Hauck"`

🧪 Lesser-Known or Deprecated (but often still working)

Operator	Description	Example
`define:`	Get dictionary-style definitions	`define:ontology`
`stocks:`	Stock quotes & charts	`stocks:MSFT`
`weather:`	Weather results	`weather:Miami`
`map:`	Map-based results	`map:Starbucks Chicago`
`movie:`	Show movie info	`movie:Oppenheimer`

⚠️ Deprecated or No Longer Reliable
These used to work but have reduced or inconsistent behavior:

Operator	Notes
`link:`	Deprecated. Use `site:` with backlinks via Google Search Console or third-party tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush)
`daterange:`	Deprecated. Use `before:` and `after:` instead
`+`	No longer forces inclusion — use quotes `"..."`

🛠️ Combine Operators for Power Searches
Example:

"database design" site:relationaldbdesign.com filetype:pdf after:2020

Find PDF documents from relationaldbdesign.com on database design, published after 2020.

Search Site Support

Make sure to read the help pages of any information retrieval service you use. These pages are designed to show you how to use their specific service most effectively. No two search engines are exactly alike in the combination of advanced features that each supports.
Here are links to the help pages for some of the information retrieval services you have learned about in the preceding modules. Take a minute or two to view a few of these help pages. Clicking on any of these links will open the Web site in a separate browser window, so you can switch back-and-forth between this lesson and the Web site

To reach the Help section for a directory or search engine not listed here, go to the Main page of the search service and look for a link or button reading Help or Search Help or Search Tips.

Search Directories

Do Directories carry weight? Can they hurt your rankings? Should you even bother? The answer here is yes, yes, and yes.
This section will mainly focus on general directories, but the end of this section does include a few tips on how to find niche directories (or even other general directories) and how to determine if they are worth getting a listing on.

Yahoo
The Yahoo Directory was started in 1994 under the name "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web" but in 1996 became Yahoo. At the time Yahoo was primarily a directory with search functionality and (interestingly) neither SEO nor Internet Marketing were even categories at the time.
Through the late 1990s Yahoo pushed to become a web portal and in 2000 even signed a deal with Google that would see Google power Yahoo's search functionality. Their focus at the time was to acquire users through acquisitions such as GeoCities (RIP), bringing more people into their portal and keeping them there. Unfortunately Yahoo! did not have the same user loyalty that Apple does and the walled-garden approached failed as users Googled their way out of the Yahoo network of sites (ironically right on Yahoo's own properties). All this said however, they still provide a solid directory (back to their roots). The cost is a non-refundable $299 review fee.
BOTW: Best of the Web
For content marketers in 2025 looking to enhance authority and diversify their backlink profile, **Best of the Web (BOTW)** remains a valuable asset. Established in **1994**, BOTW has evolved into one of the longest-running and most trusted **human-edited directories** on the internet. While many directories have faded into irrelevance, BOTW continues to maintain **editorial integrity**, accepting only high-quality submissions. This makes it a credible source for **brand visibility and SEO signals**. Marketers can choose between a **\$150 annual listing** or invest in a **\$300 permanent listing**, offering a cost-effective way to secure a lasting backlink from a vetted, domain-authoritative source. For brands focused on **long-term search equity**, a BOTW listing can complement both organic and off-page SEO strategies.
DMOZ is now closed
The Directory Mozilla Open Source project. DMOZ was founded in June 1998 as Gnuhoo. It was purchased by Netscape in October of the same year at which time it became The Open Directory Project. By April 2000 it had surpassed the Yahoo Directory in number of URLs in its index and currently sits at about 5.2 million.
For those in the industry long enough to remember, DMOZ suffered a catastrophic failure in October of 2006 at which time they had to display a backup version of their directory. This was not remedied until December and new sites could not be suggested until January. This is he time when it seemingly became increasingly difficult to get a listing in DMOZ as any editors seemed to have found new things to do with their time. It is still possible to get a listing in DMOZ. For the 10 minutes it takes, it is well worth the time and it is free to submit.
(Tip: try to submit to a category that has an editor.)
Business.com
Business.com was started in 1999 as a search engine for business and corporations. They came close to bankruptcy during the dot-com bubble bursting but after major layoffs and restructuring they became profitable once more in 2003. Business.com is focused on business-to-business resources (so take that into consideration when thinking about submitting. The cost is $299 per year and all submissions are reviewed manually.

As with Yahoo and BOTW, the fee is non-refundable if your site is not accepted. You are paying for the review, not the link.