Alternative Search Engines Other Than Google You Should Know

Over the last few decades, search engines have become an indispensable part of our life. However, there is one search engine that stands out among all. Can you guess who? Google. The complete hegemony of Google on digital data has made it impossible for other search engines to compete.

But sometimes, ranking on Google can be tough, but don't lose heart- because there are other search engines besides Google that might be a good alternative.

For more than two decades, Google has been the preferred search engine for most of the world's population. So far, no other search engine has been able to overthrow Google; however, that does not mean there are no better search engine options other than Google. In fact, there are many search engines other than Google that you might find advantageous.

But wait, before you jump onto the list of sites other than Google, let us understand the role and functioning of search engines for businesses. Check out the next section for more information.

What is a search engine?

As you might already understand, a search engine is a software program that allows people to find information online using keywords and phrases. It basically identifies items from its database that match the specified criteria put in by the user.

Here is a simple explanation of how search engines work:

• Crawling: The search engine constantly looks for new and updated pages to add to its existing pages. The crawlers help them discover new pages and examine their content.
• Indexing: Once a page has been discovered, its textual content will be processed and analyzed. After that, it will be tagged with metadata to help the search engine understand its content.
• Searching and ranking: Lastly, when a user enters a query, search engines like Google will go through the index and match pages. It will then return with results that seem to be the most irrelevant to the user's search query.

Now you know what a search engine is and how it works. But do you know why you should look for search engines other than Google? If you don't, you will in the next section.

Why look for search engine options other than Google?

Search engines make the Internet work, and that is an undeniable fact. For a long time, Google has dominated the search engine market share, averaging 86% to 96% of the total market share worldwide. However, you are restricting your options by relying only on one search engine.

One search engine's blindspot might prevent you from finding obscure but useful information from search engines like Google.

Broader Reach

If one search engine cannot provide you with the information you need, then it's worth checking sites other than Google for more data.

Specialized searches

Wouldn't using a specialized search engine for specialized search results make more sense? While specialized search engines may not have the same level of technology, they may be able to provide you with more useful results.

Results Filtering

Search engines tend to filter out information based on your previous activities, preferences, etc. This is not the case for only Google; many search engines other than Google also use personalized filtering to give you good results. Sometimes, this ends up backfiring on them because users are not getting what they want. This is why you should consider using different search browsers other than Google.

Aside from these, there could be many reasons why people use different search engines than Google. Sometimes, it is just a matter of location, like in Baidu in China or Yandex in Russia. Other times, it is simply a matter of personal preference. The next section will give you a list of search engines other than Google, so keep reading.

List of search engines other than Google

If you are looking for an alternative to conducting an online search or marketing your company, then here is a list of top search browsers other than Google:

Bing

Bing is a search engine created by Microsoft and is considered a direct competitor to Google. Launched in 2009, Bing is a "decision" search engine with a global traffic of 1.3 billion unique users. Being a decision search engine means Bing can display much more information with search results.

Pros:

• Firstly, it provides better video searches than Google.
• Secondly, it offers reward points to search engine users, and they can redeem the points to win exciting prizes.

Cons:

• Despite being one of the most popular search engines besides Google, Bing unfortunately falls short in speed.
• Moreover, Bing's lack of popularity compared to Google makes it less favorable for marketing.

Yahoo

Yahoo is one of the names that comes to your mind when thinking about different search engines than google. Yahoo places third in terms of overall marketing share, with Google and Bing being first and second, respectively.

In fact, Yahoo has around 204 million regular users. While it may not be comparable to Google's Impressive 4.9 billion, the amount is still not small.

Pros:

• Yahoo has one of the most detailed shopping results among all other search engines.
• Yahoo has more interactive gestures on its news page, like news, sports, finance, weather, etc.

Cons:

• One of the biggest setbacks of Yahoo is its lack of dates. This makes it very difficult for users to determine whether information is still valid.
• Another issue is Yahoo's confusing ad management. Therefore, you might want to avoid Yahoo if you are looking for search browsers other than Google for advertising purposes.

Baidu

Google and its services are not available for users in China. Therefore, Baidu is the only go-to search engine for people in mainland China. The search engine is in Mandarin and has a user interface and experience similar to Google. Moreover, the platform was said to have around 663 monthly users in 2023.

Pros:

• Baidu has advanced artificial intelligence that outclasses many popular search engines. In addition, its search quality is also very good, especially when compared to search engines other than Google.
• The advertising diversity of Baidu is simply amazing. The brand zones and in-feed ads make it very easy for businesses to increase traffic from search results.

Cons:

• Firstly, it's not available outside of China. So, if you are outside of China and looking for search browsers other than Google, Baidu is not it.
• Secondly, its outdated censorship policies have led to concerns about privacy and suppression of different perspectives.
• Lastly, it is very difficult for users without an account to download large files on Baidu.

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo might not be the first name that occurs to you when looking for search engines other than Google. However, the search engine is definitely worth a look, especially if you are looking for a nonprofit search engine with high data privacy opportunities. In 2023, DuckDuckGo was estimated to have roughly 80 million people.

Pros:

• It does not track or store users' data and gives pure search results.
• There are no ads, so you won't get annoying ads when searching. Moreover, it provides you with a scroll experience for more convenience.
• DuckDuckGo is one of the different search engines than google that provides you instant answers like featured snippets.

Cons:

• What is DuckDuckGo's biggest advantage is also its biggest disadvantage - lack of personalization.
• Unlike Google, DuckDuckGo only has a search engine and does not offer other services like Play Store, Google Books, etc.

Yandex

Yandex, like Baidu, dominates its domestic market. The platform holds more than 55% of Russia's search engine market share. When you look for search engines other than Google, Yandex makes the top 5 with a market share of 0.68% worldwide.

Pros:

• Yandex is very flexible and can be adapted to different countries.
• Yandex can provide you with various services like finances, music, maps, etc.

Cons:

• Like many other search engines, Yandex has been collecting and exploiting users' data.

Startpage

StartPage is the world's first and most private search engine owned by a Dutch company. If you are looking for a search engine other than Google and privacy is your biggest concern, then Startpage might be an option for you.

Pros:

• StartPages do not track IP addresses; in addition, they also do not use cookies to monitor user behavior.
• Another interesting fact is that StartPage brings results from Google, so you won't miss anything important.

Cons:

• SmartPages' privacy policy makes it very difficult for users to get personalized results. So, if you want personalized search results, then you are better off not looking for more search engines like Google.

Conclusion

While the benefits and services of Google are incomparable, that should not stop you from exploring other options. Sometimes, relying on one platform could be counterproductive to your progress. Especially if you are a business looking for marketing opportunities, Google may be good, but it should not stop you from exploring search engines other than Google.

If you want to make the most of opportunities on Google and other search engines, then you need help from expert SEO professionals and digital marketers; then get in touch with us at GigDe. We can help you rank on top of any search engine of your choice.

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