How To: Search for Google+ Posts & Profiles with Google

The lack of a search function within Google+ is driving me crazy. It takes me way too much time to find the posts I want to save and refer back to, and it's counter-productive for Google to launch their social networking product without an integrated search. 

Although Google has been incorporating Google+ posts into their search results, they're not easy to filter. Luckily, you can search for Google+ posts and profiles without going mad. Here are a few methods you can use.

Use Google

This may seem obvious, but it's a little trickier than you think. If you are logged into your Google account, and perform a basic search, you'll see some social data attached to your search. In this example, I searched for "wonderhowto", and you can see the icons of people who have +1'd the site.

If you want to search Google+, type in the following:

site:plus.google.com keyword(s)

If you want to use more than one keyword, add quotation marks so that Google will search for the words together. As an example, let's use the "nym wars" as our keyword, since it's a popular topic. 

If you've noticed, we received a lot of results that are linked to "JWZ", a popular blogger. What if you don't want to see results from him? The solution is simple. Add the minus sign, and the words you don't want showing up in your search. For example, type in the following:

site:plus.google.com "nym wars" -jwz

As you can see, our results are different.

If you want Google to limit your search only to Google+ posts, without having it search user names or profiles, add the following to your search query: inurl:posts/* 

Use Extensions & Plug-ins

Here is a list of new and previously covered extensions and plug-ins that will make your life easier.

• Helper for Google+ is a Chrome extension we've covered before. It adds many functions to Google+. You can bookmark posts, and search within Google+ for posts and profiles.
• Google Plus Search is a Firefox add-on that allows you to search Google+ without having to log in.
• Search Extension for Google Plus is the Chrome version of Google Plus Search and allows you to filter results by posts, profiles, posts from Google Buzz, and posts from Google Reader.
• Search App for Google Plus is the Android version of the search tool, and will also show you the latest trends within Google+.
• Gooce+ is a Chrome extension that lets you add other social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to Google+. Recently, a new feature allows you to search for people and posts within Google+. (It's a little unclear on the page, but they are also asking for a one-time fee of one Euro.)
• G+ Search Engine is a Chrome extension that allows you to search for public Google+ content, as well as Google Buzz and Reader posts.

Use Websites

There are a few websites that have sprung up that make searching Google+ easier than pie.

• Google+ Search Engine
• G+Search

Tips

• All of the search tools only apply to public posts and profiles. If you see a private post you'd like to bookmark, click on the time-stamp to get the permalink.
• You may get different search results depending on whether you're logged into your Google account or not. Google tailors searches based on your previous web history. If you want unbiased results, log out, or use the "private browsing" function in your Chrome or Firefox browser.