Google Search: Narrow the Search

If I get asked a question that I don't know the answer to, then I say "Google it!"
If I want a student to do some research then I say, "Google it!"

Sometimes, when I Google, hundreds of thousands of sites appear but not a site with the right information.
How do you narrow in on what you want?

Example
I search for my name as the following.
lianne kruger
I get About 107,000 results (0.41 seconds) 
Wow!! I must be famous or popular.
But the truth is that I am not.  Aaaahhh. Most of those hits are not about me.

The fourth hit is a Lianne McDonnell-Kruger. She is listed on IMDb as a casting director, etc. I don't want her or anyone else who has a similar name.

Note: Did you notice that I did not capitalize my names. Google does not differentiate between upper and lower case letter. Type in everything in lower case - it is faster.

Narrow your search using Quotes

If I am searching for a person's name then I will put that name in quotes, such as
"Lianne Kruger"
Now I have About 2,400 results (0.30 seconds) 
Now there is only one hit on the first page who isn't me. But I am conceited. I only want me on the front page. I am going to narrow the search a little bit more.

Narrow your search using location
This time I will add my location.
"lianne kruger" alberta
About 1,450 results (0.46 seconds) 
Now the first page is all me! The fourth one down on the second page is not me.  :(

I could then be more specific as to a subject or a city rather than a province.

The same principles can be used with any subject you are researching.

When you get no hits then you have narrowed it too far. Backup one search and type in something else.