Advanced Googling for Accountants Part II: Google Hacking

CPE Credit: 2 hours

This presentation provides a concise overview of how accountants and business people can “hack” Google and unlock hidden online intelligence. You’ll learn advanced search techniques and commands that take you deep into Google’s darkest corners and reveal buried Google information that most users completely miss and are unable to retrieve. This is part two of a three-part series on how accountants can take their online discovery skills to the next level and search smarter, faster and more efficiently on Google.

Topics Covered

• The control F technique
• Google playground
• Google tagging
• Google filtering
• Semantic improve
• The algorithm of you

Learning Objectives:

• Compose search strings to gather the most relevant and accurate online information
• Add contextual words to boost time, geographical and industry relevancy
• Target your searches to specific phrases, domains and files types
• Focus your Google searches to single, specific websites
• Uncover hidden website connections and elements that most people overlook
• Blend different filters and techniques together to create search string “cocktails” that generate an extra boost of relevancy not possible using individual commands
• Use different descriptions, synonyms, spellings and word order in your search strings to generate fresh and relevant results
• Remove invasive “noise” and “static” in your search results and amplify the accuracy “signal”
• Use the powerful “control F technique” – a simple command unknown to 90% of users but cuts search time by 12%
• Use keyword brainstorming tools to break out of keyword ruts and expand your awareness of different options, channels and verbiage to explore any topic
• Improve your fact checking by deploying semantic “baggage” filters and URL “signaling” techniques to cut through bias and misinformation
• Determine source credibility by using the quick ABC Method to test the accuracy and authenticity of any website
• Use wildcard strategies that instruct Google to fill in the blanks and find missing information
• Tinker with the “start in the weeds” strategy and other alternative methods of interpreting the Google search results page
• Utilize “black hat” searching techniques to snoop for “data leakage” and dig up confidential and personal information on Google
• Deploy “peripheral searching” techniques to search offline in the “real world” and complement your online Google searches
• Keep up to date on the latest Google search news and monitor how their online discovery tools evolve