5 ways you didn’t know Google search could be used  

When arguing with a friend, resolving this could be quicker when one person says; let’s Google it! However, there are many ways to use Google search and if you did not know them, you are about to learn five new ways of using the search engine.

According to Google, its Search service processes more than 40,000 search queries every second. Google’s search engine is the most used across all platforms, with more than 5.4 billion searches each day and 1.9 trillion searches per year.

Here are five ways you probably did not know you could use Google Search.

1. Find jobs faster using Google search

With Nigeria’s unemployment rate at 23 percent, millions of both unemployed and even underemployed Nigerians will sure be delighted to have an easier way to help with their job search.

Searching for a job can take time, and keeping up with new jobs that are posted throughout the day can be challenging. Whether you are a graduate seeking a job or an employee looking for the next opportunity, Google offers a quick and easy way to find suitable vacant positions. Job seekers can search for, and apply to, open positions directly from the Google search bar. Just type the job query into Google Search and it will give you a list of jobs that match that query. Details of the job posting, such as job title, location, whether the job is full-time, part-time or an internship will be included.

If you use Google Maps integration, you can also search for jobs in any place that you can find on the map, and if you are signed in, you can even see how long it will take to commute from home. Google has also made keeping up with new vacancies easy – simply push the “get alerts” button to get email notifications when new jobs matching your search appear.

2. Search health conditions

Search for a health condition and the relevant health knowledge panel results appear, providing a snapshot of the condition, its symptoms and possible treatment. Health knowledge panels are available on both mobile and desktop, covering over 800 health conditions.

Google collaborated with a team of medical experts from institutions such as the University of Ibadan and the Mayo Clinic to ensure that all the gathered facts represent real-life clinical knowledge from health institutions and experts around the world. The company however indicates a caveat; the health card feature is intended for informational purposes only, users are advised to consult a medical professional regarding actual health concerns.

3. Search lyrics to your favourite songs 

Nigerians love entertainment, and music plays a big role in this. The top Google searches in Nigeria last year, had millions of queries from Nigerians seeking to know either about artistes, songs, or their lyrics.

Google displays music lyrics at the top of its search results pages when you search for “song name” plus “lyrics”.

4. Google the weather

Checking the weather may not be a ‘Nigerian thing’ but it could also be very helpful when planning one’s day, week or some weekend getaway. Asking Google what the weather will be wherever you are heading to lets you know if you will be needing an umbrella or a pair of sunglasses and guide you in your choice of clothing.

If you’re travelling and want to know what to pack, simply ask Google, “What is the weather at Enugu like”, or type in “weather at Enugu”, and right there on your search results page, you’ll get the current forecast, extending to the next week.

5. Search by voice

Did you know you could also search Google by speaking? Simply click on the microphone icon, say what you want to search for, and watch Google reveal the results. You can find the microphone icon on the right-hand side of the Google Search bar. Go ahead, click and speak.