Learn How to Conduct People Search on Google
Google does not offer a direct people search option. If you type in people search in the Google directory, you will find various links cropping up but no people search option.
Instead, you can take advantage of Google’s system to get as much personal data about a person as possible (rather than conduct a paid background check.)
First, you can key in the first name (or initial) then the last name of the person, along with the suspected city or zip code, probable state, phone number (or area code) in Google’s search box using any of the following formats:
First name or initial, last name, zip code
First name or initial, last name, area code
First name or initial, last name, state
Phone number, with the area code
Last name, zip code
Last name, city, state
A first and last name is ideal if you want to get the right results. It really doesn’t matter if you know the middle initial since it doesn’t give you the results you want.
An Internet user probably uses a different name online, and may maintain various email addresses (each one for a different purpose.) If you are able to gather a lot of such information, you will probably be able to discover more online data.
Google operators are useful for optimizing a people search on Google. The inurl:forum and the inurl:profile operators are the most applicable for harvesting data. To use, encode the name of the person you are looking for in quotation marks, as well as the operator, within the search box.
The inurl:forum and the inurl:profile operators will allow you to visit every site that the person you are looking for has visited and posted. This could allow you to secure more data from their posts and profile.
Still, a paid background search offers more detailed information than an operator-based people search on Google can offer. For example, if you want to check on criminal history, you will have to do offsite research.
Another thing you have to consider is that you will have to be careful about the sources of your data, especially if you will be making crucial decisions using it. If the source of your information are blogs and forums, then you may have to verify the accuracy of the data first.
So, you might be able to uncover certain personal data about anyone through a Google people search. But there is a limit to the quality of the data, especially since it is free.
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