I’ve been using Google’s before: and after: search operators in my searches, as explained here:
[
searchenginejournal.com...]
However, I’ve found when I use them, they remove search results that both should be in the search results and would otherwise BE in the search results if the before:/after: search operators were not used.
For example, here’s an example of a Google search with the before:/after: search operators:
"BrandnamePainMedication Clinical Trial" before:2017-10-30 after:2016-11-09
This search will return zero results. However, let’s say I search the following instead:
"BrandnamePainMedication Clinical Trial" 2017
This result does include an article from Prnewswire.com that was published on October 20, 2017—which should’ve been included in the search with the before:/after: search operators. But it’s not. In fact, even if you were to type the following, there would be zero results:
"BrandnamePainMedication Clinical Trial" before:2022
In other words, the before:/after: search operators themselves remove the PRnewswire.com result from the search results. Why is this? What’s particularly weird is if I just Google search the following:
"BrandnamePainMedication Clinical Trial"
The results show several results but none are of the PRnewswire.com article, which is only included if you add “2017” to the search bar.
Can anyone explain these discrepancies? Is Google off—or am I doing something wrong? I want accurate results when using the before:/after: search operators. ALL of the results. [edited by: not2easy at 3:33 am (utc) on Nov 28, 2022]
[edit reason] Formatting, anonymizing specifics [/edit]
