The other day, I was trying to remember the name of a local photographer. I knew what she looked like, details about her family, and even where her photography studio was, but I was at a complete loss as to her name. I tried Google, as one does, searching “Saratoga Springs Photographer,” but she didn’t come up.

I had no idea what to do until Kariann Wolf, the CEO of MadAddie, gave me a suggestion. She advised me to put in the most specific location I knew. I didn’t know the whole address, but I knew the street name, so I put that in with the word photographer, and sure enough, there was her name.

I’m not going to lie, I was pretty amazed. It was like I’d discovered a secret superpower. Ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it was still cool. It got me thinking about how Google and other search engines use location to help people find exactly what they’re searching for.

Google uses network IP addresses, but this may not pinpoint anything further than the country you’re in. They can use mobile location services on your phone as well.

Google also uses implicit location data. In other words, my previous search that included my town’s name helped Google’s algorithms determine that the street I searched for (with a relatively common name for a street) was in Saratoga Springs, New York. Living here, my searches are centered around here and around the town in Connecticut where I go to college. Google also uses directory listings, like the Yellow Pages, on Google Maps to put businesses on the map, as it were.

It was through all this that I was able to find the information I needed. So, when you’re stuck, keep in mind that Google is attached to google maps, and put in the most specific location you know! You might be surprised once you know a few tricks to maximize Google’s accuracy.