Quote:Google Search Still Works, But It Needs Help

Google Search no longer delivers clean results by default. AI summaries, sponsored listings, and interface clutter now dominate many searches. Despite this, Google still offers powerful tools that can surface high-quality information when used correctly.

These practical search techniques focus on reducing noise, narrowing the scope, and forcing Google to return more traditional results.

1. Remove AI From Search Results

Google increasingly places AI-generated summaries and answers at the top of results. If you want standard links instead, there are a few ways to avoid them.

Adding -ai to a search query often removes AI-heavy results. Browser extensions designed to hide Gemini-powered features can also strip AI summaries from the page. These options work best in desktop browsers rather than the Google Search app.

2. Return To Traditional Web Results

Google still supports a Web-only view that removes cards, videos, shopping results, and AI panels.

After performing a search, selecting Web from the filter menu returns a list of standard links. In Chrome, typing web directly into the address bar before a query achieves the same result. This view closely resembles Google’s older “10 blue links” layout.

3. Limit Searches By Site Or Domain

Google’s site: operator is one of the most effective ways to improve result quality.

• Use site:example.com to search within a specific website
  
• Use site:.gov, site:.edu, or site:.ac.uk to prioritize official or academic sources
  
• Use country domains such as site:.fr or site:.de to narrow regional results
  

This approach is often more reliable than a site’s built-in search feature.

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