Using Google Search to Find Genealogy Documents

Overview

Knowing how to conduct a genealogy search is an important tool when trying to discover more about your family history. Using Google Search for this purpose is a good way for people of all levels to learn more about their ancestors.

To perform a Google genealogy search, you should start out by identifying information that you already know about your family members. This could be their name, their place of origin, their birth, death, or marriage dates, as well as their occupation and other personal details. You can also search for your family using photographs and other images.

Once you have gathered as much information as possible, you can begin to search for more details about your family members online. There are several genealogy websites that can be used for this purpose, but Google is a good place to start because it can help you find a variety of resources.

Using Google Genealogy Search Tools

Google Search Basic Search Operators

Google Search offers a number of basic search operators that can be used to refine your genealogy searches. These include:

• Quotation marks: Using quotation marks around a phrase will search for that exact phrase.
• Hyphens: Using a hyphen before a word will exclude results that contain that word.
• Asterisks: Using an asterisk (*) in place of a word or part of a word will search for results that contain any word or part of a word that matches your search.

Google Advanced Search Operators

For more advanced genealogy searches, you can use Google's Advanced Search operators. These operators allow you to specify the type of file you want to search for, the language of the results, and the date range of the results.

• Filetype: This operator allows you to specify the type of file you want to search for. For example, you could search for ".pdf" files or ".doc" files.
• Language: This operator allows you to specify the language of the results. For example, you could search for results in "English" or "Spanish".
• Daterange: This operator allows you to specify the date range of the results. For example, you could search for results from "1900" to "1950".

Searching Family Records on Google

Searching for Birth, Marriage, and Death Records

Google can be used to search for birth, marriage, and death records. To do this, you can use the following search operators:

• Birth records: "birth record" + name + date of birth
• Marriage records: "marriage record" + name + date of marriage
• Death records: "death record" + name + date of death

Searching for Census Records

Google can also be used to search for census records. To do this, you can use the following search operators:

• Census records: "census record" + name + year of census

Searching for Other Family Records

In addition to birth, marriage, death, and census records, Google can also be used to search for other family records, such as:

• Immigration records
• Military records
• Land records
• Probate records

Tips for Using Google Search for Genealogy Research

Here are a few tips for using Google Search for genealogy research:

• Use specific search terms: When searching for genealogy records, it is important to use specific search terms. This will help you narrow down your results and find the information you are looking for.
• Use quotation marks: Using quotation marks around a phrase will search for that exact phrase. This can be helpful for searching for specific names or places.
• Use hyphens: Using a hyphen before a word will exclude results that contain that word. This can be helpful for excluding common words that are not relevant to your search.
• Use asterisks: Using an asterisk (*) in place of a word or part of a word will search for results that contain any word or part of a word that matches your search. This can be helpful for searching for variations of a name or place.
• Use the Advanced Search operators: The Advanced Search operators can be used to further refine your genealogy searches. These operators allow you to specify the type of file you want to search for, the language of the results, and the date range of the results.
• Search for digitized records: Many genealogy records have been digitized and are available online. When searching for genealogy records, try searching for digitized records. This will help you find more results.

Conclusion

Google Search is a powerful tool that can be used to find genealogy documents. By following the tips in this article, you can improve your genealogy searches and find more information about your family history.

Wolven Dood