Start with one question
Before opening another tab, write down the question you need answered. ‘Find the website for this company’ is a workable starting point; ‘find everything about this name’ usually produces noise. List what you already know, where it came from and which details might be out of date.
Begin with two or three reliable terms. For a business, that might be its trading name and town. Try a former name separately rather than crowding every possibility into one search. Keep a short note of the combinations you have already tried.
Use a few simple refinements
Google supports operators that make a broad search more specific. These examples are search patterns: replace the sample words with the business or topic you are checking. Add one refinement at a time so you can see its effect.
- Put an exact phrase in quotation marks: "Example Trading Ltd".
- Limit results to a website: site:gov.uk "Example Trading Ltd". Leave no space after site:.
- Remove an irrelevant meaning with a minus sign: jaguar -car.
- Look for a document format when useful: "Example Trading Ltd" filetype:pdf.
Read beyond the result snippet
Open the original page and check its date, publisher and context. A result containing the right name may concern a different business or person. Compare identifiers already available to you, such as a company number, before treating it as a match.
Separate what the page says from what you think it means. ‘The website lists this office’ is a narrower, more defensible note than ‘the business definitely operates there’. Save the page address and the date you checked it. If a link no longer supports the snippet, record the uncertainty.
Know when to stop searching
Set a time limit and review your notes. Repeating the same search without new information rarely clarifies the question. If you have several possible matches, conflicting dates or a decision with serious consequences, ask for a second view before acting. Send PDC a brief outline of the question and what you have tried; we can offer basic pointers on a sensible next step.
Questions you may have
Does no result mean the information does not exist?
No. Treat it as a record of an unsuccessful search, not proof that a person, company or document does not exist.
Should I enter confidential documents into Google?
Keep private case details and confidential document text out of public search boxes. Start with information already intended for public use.
Sources & further reading
Check the original sources for their latest information and service terms.