Google Docs is Google’s web-based document processor. It allows you to create documents just like you would with Microsoft Word, but then access those documents anywhere you have internet access. Google Docs is even compatible with all mobile devices. It’s a great free alternative to Microsoft Word.
Cool Google Docs Features
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Collaboration
Easily work on documents with friends and coworkers. Since Google Docs is web-based, you can invite anyone to collaborate on a project you’re doing together.
They can make edits, leave notes, and tag other friends and coworkers in comments.
You can even allow someone to view a copy of your document without allowing them to be a collaborator. This is great if you just want someone to review a document without having the ability to make any changes.
And, you can turn any document into a webpage if you wanted. All you have to do is choose the Publish to the web option in the file menu then you can share or embed the document however you wish.
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Explore
The Explore tool allows you to carry out different research tasks right from the convenience of your Google Docs page. This research tool is like a sidebar with a Google search dialogue working within that section.
You can perform a general search or restrict your results to quotes, scholarly articles, and images.
Then, you can insert your findings into your document with a single click. Also, nearly all the results have a cite button, which will produce a convenient footnote citation.
As a shortcut, you can just right-click and choose Explore. This will bring up the Explore bar automatically and you can carry out a web search.
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Voice Typing
Don’t like typing or talk faster then you can type 😄? With Google Doc’s voice typing feature, you can speak into your mic, Google will translate what you say, and type it into your document.
This features can save you so much time! While not perfect, it does an excellent job.
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Transcription
A nifty little feature many don’t realize Google Docs can accomplish is to transcribe audio.
If you have audio from a recorded interview, podcast, or recorded notes, you can use the voice typing feature to transcribe that audio.
Just turn the voice typing feature on and play your audio. The app will then transcribe it for you.
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Create a Quick Outline
By using the Show Document Outline option, you can automatically organize your work.
This feature allows you to click on any section in your outline and quickly go to that part of the document. This is really helpful if you are creating a large document such as an ebook or training material.
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Share Your Opt-in Offer or Download
If you’ve created a giveaway for your business such as an eBook or checklist, you can use the Google Docs share feature to distribute it to your audience.
To do this:
- design and save your freebie
- click on “Share” in the top right-hand corner of your screen
- make sure “Anyone with the link can view” is selected
- click “Get shareable link” (this will copy the link to the clipboard for you)
- paste the link into your posts, emails, etc
Easy!
Google Docs is just as useful as Microsoft Word and can help anyone who needs access to these capabilities but doesn’t want to pay for something like Microsoft Word. You can even save your Google Docs as a Microsoft Word file if you choose so that your colleagues who have that software can still open your documents.
Google Docs is also a popular choice for freelance writing
