We all know Google. However, as Google search becomes more unreliable and driven by secretive algorithms rather than human-friendly methods, you might want to try other search engines. There are alternatives to Google, each with its pros and cons. Many options are available, whether you seek images, videos, or books: a Creative Commons search, an unbiased search engine, an anonymous search engine, or an open-source search engine.
We often assume any search engine, like Bing or Yahoo, is a direct competitor to Google, but specialty search engines like YouTube and GIPHY offer specific results or file formats. Privacy is a primary reason for preferring alternate search engines, as Google collects user data for internal and third-party purposes.
If you’ve only used Google, try other search engines to see if you find one you like more. It’s not just Google out there! Let’s explore some of the best alternatives, providing answers as good as Google’s search results without the downsides.
Here are some alternatives to Google’s search engine, each known for its unique features and benefits.
DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo prioritizes privacy, avoiding tracking and logging queries. Search history remains unidentified, with no saved tracking cookies or IP addresses. DuckDuckGo compiles results from over 400 sources, including Bing, yet ensures no personal data is shared. DuckAssist, its new InstantAnswer feature, uses language models from OpenAI and Anthropic but keeps data private.
Despite its U.S. base, DuckDuckGo maintains a clean interface with minimal ads and infinite scrolling, enhancing user experience. No user tracking occurs, and their browser plugin secures online activities. The “Bangs” feature acts as a metasearch tool, directing users to other sites with specific prefixes like “!ebay used furniture.”
While DuckDuckGo focuses on privacy, other search engines offer distinct features. Exploring Bing reveals unique advantages and alternatives.
Bing
Bing ranks as the second most popular search engine after Google, largely because it’s the default search engine for Microsoft Edge. While driven by ChatGPT, which has environmental and ethical concerns, Bing’s search results are comparable to Google’s. It offers a user-friendly interface with tools like image and video searches and forum browsing. Many users appreciate its visual appeal with daily backdrop photos and large video thumbnails with hover sound. Bing also features a rewards program, allowing users to earn points for shopping or searching, redeemable for apps and movies in the Microsoft Store.
Moving from Bing, another option worth exploring is Yahoo!.
Yahoo!
Yahoo has been around longer than Google. Although some consider it old-fashioned, Yahoo was once a top search engine. Today, it controls less than 3.5% of the market. Despite this decline, Yahoo remains the third-largest search engine in the U.S. Its search results are similar to Bing’s (since Bing powers Yahoo search) but lack Bing’s visual appeal. However, users find Yahoo useful for news, sports, and finance services. It is also the default search engine for Firefox.
One of Yahoo’s strengths is its multi-service platform. Yahoo’s web portal offers email, news, shopping, gaming, and more, all in one place. Its integration with Flickr, Yahoo Answers, and Yahoo Finance ensures excellent image results and a wealth of information on various topics.
This brings us to exploring other search engines, like Brave Search, which offer unique alternatives.
Brave Search
Brave Search is a product of Brave Software, the same company behind the Brave browser, designed for privacy-focused users. It was created by Brendan Eich, the developer of JavaScript and co-founder of Firefox, and Brian Bondy, a former senior platform engineer at Firefox. Brave Search initially relied on Google and Bing for its search results but now boasts its own independent index. Users can manually adjust settings for enhanced privacy.
In 2020, Brave faced criticism for automatically inserting affiliate links to Bitcoin URLs, which led to some users opting for other search engines. Brave’s new AI feature, “Summariser,” provides brief responses by collating multiple sources. However, its accuracy can be questionable, similar to AI results from Bing and Google Bard.
Next, we’ll explore SEO for alternative search engines, starting with Ecosia.
Ecosia
Did you realize that Google searches have an environmental impact? Server resources generate CO2 emissions. Ecosia addressed this by launching an eco-friendly search engine. They use 100% renewable energy servers and invest earnings from user searches in tree planting and charities. Every 45 searches, a new tree is planted. Ecosia also avoids third-party trackers and does not sell your data. Ecosia benefits good causes with every search if you care about the environment. Their search results are reliable, using a mix of Bing and their algorithms.
For those who prioritize privacy alongside sustainability, other search engine options are worth exploring.
StartPage.com
Startpage.com is touted as the world’s most private search engine. This claim garnered extensive media attention and third-party verification by the European Privacy Seal. This assertion appears accurate, as this search engine is notably more secure than most others. Startpage.com’s ‘no-logs’ policy means it doesn’t track users, ensuring no IP addresses or tracking cookies are saved. Startpage.com stands out as an excellent choice for those seeking privacy and relevant results.
For those looking beyond mainstream options, alternative search engines like MetaGer offer.
MetaGer
MetaGer, an open-source metasearch engine in Germany, runs on renewable energy. It pulls results from Scopia, Bing, OneNewspage, and OneNewspage (Video), ensuring up-to-date information. Users can choose which search engines to include or exclude and can blacklist certain websites. MetaGer stands out for its transparency in handling user data, covering everything from searches to maps. However, it records your full IP address for 96 hours and retains your name and email if you use their contact form. MetaGer uses an anonymizing proxy service to enhance privacy, providing users with control over their data. If you’re looking for unbiased search results with encryption, MetaGer is a solid choice.
Speaking of alternative search engines, let’s explore how YouTube fits into this landscape.
YouTube
Often seen as social media, YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally, focusing solely on video content. Unlike Google, YouTube specializes in videos and does not offer blog posts or articles. It is the go-to platform for video information, covering almost any topic imaginable. However, since Google owns YouTube, it may not be the best choice if you have concerns about Google’s services.
For those looking for alternatives, there’s another option worth exploring: Search Encrypt. This privacy-focused search engine.
Search Encrypt
Search Encrypt resembles Google, focusing on persuading users to search. However, its primary goal is to protect your privacy. It identifies queries that could be linked to personal information, intercepts them, and routes them through its privacy-enhanced search engine. This becomes your default search engine. Unlike others, it keeps your search history for only 30 minutes, making it a top choice for privacy-conscious users.
If you’re exploring different options for secure searching, there’s an interesting alternative that takes a different approach.
Mojeek
Mojeek is a crawler-based search engine indexing over 6 billion pages, ideal for unbiased information. Since it doesn’t pull results from other search engines, it may show fewer results than some alternatives. Mojeek was the first search engine to prohibit tracking, ensuring your data isn’t sold or shared. Under GDPR, you can request the removal of your information if you use their contact form. Located in the UK, a Five Eyes intelligence collaboration member, Mojeek might not fit if you seek a non-surveillance host country. Still, for many seeking alternative search engines, Mojeek’s advantages outweigh this minor issue. For those exploring other options, consider Qwant.
Qwant
Qwant, created in France, focuses on privacy by not recording your queries or using your personal information for ads. Qwant’s results combine Bing’s data and its web crawler. It serves over 30 countries but excludes Singapore. Its user-friendly design sorts results into online, news, and social categories, with a music section using AI for lyrics and song discovery. Filtering results on Qwant helps you find the latest blog post or song easily.
Qwant’s quick-search tool allows access to external results by entering “&” before a website name, like “&w” for Wikipedia. Qwant ensures privacy, not tracking your activities or using cookies, though it does save IP addresses for fraud detection. In 2016, Qwant began sharing data with Microsoft Bing Ads without users’ consent, revealed in mid-2021. Despite its GDPR compliance, France is part of the Nine Eyes intelligence alliance.
As we explore privacy-focused alternatives, another search engine offers unique features. Let’s look at SEO for alternative search engines like Ekoru.
Ekoru
Ekoru, a charity-led search engine, is gaining traction as people become more aware of the damage to our seas and oceans. Ekoru states each search supports the Big Blue Ocean Cleanup and Operation Posidonia, with servers powered by hydroelectricity. This ethical search engine is designed with the environment in mind, and every search contributes to cleaning our seas. Additionally, Ekoru prioritizes privacy by encrypting all data and not storing queries. Ekoru presents itself as a privacy-focused and eco-friendly alternative to Google, showcasing the power of combining technology with environmental responsibility.
Exploring other search engine strategies, including visual content platforms like Unsplash, can reveal more opportunities.
Unsplash
Unsplash is a top choice for image searches beyond Google. Images connect us with businesses, whether for a blog post, social media graphic, or marketing material. Stock photos are often expensive. Unsplash helps find free photos for projects, removing copyright concerns. Instead of using Google Images and worrying about image rights, Unsplash offers free usage of all its photos. This is a great source of free, high-quality images.
For those exploring other ways to enhance their search experience, there’s another innovative option worth considering.
SwissCows
SwissCows is a Swiss search engine with an index for German-language searches. At the same time, Bing provides results for other languages. This approach maintains user privacy by stripping personal information from searches. The engine does not use tracking cookies or geo-targeting. Its main feature is family-friendliness, automatically filtering violent and pornographic results. This makes SwissCows a reliable choice for safe searches. Additionally, it offers a music search system powered by SoundCloud, competing effectively with Google. Privacy-wise, Switzerland is outside intelligence alliances, though it has a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the United States.
SEO for search engines like SearX presents another interesting option for those exploring other alternatives.
SearX
SearX is a metasearch engine that delivers unbiased results from multiple sources, offering a decentralized view of the internet. It provides features and options not found in other popular search engines, ensuring excellent usability with fast, precise results. SearX collects no private data; all its code is open source, allowing anyone to inspect and contribute on GitHub. Users can modify and run it on their servers.
Looking at alternative search engines, Kagi stands out.
Kagi
Big search engines like Google track data to sell to advertisers and make money. Since search is free, revenue comes from advertising. Search engines need data to deliver better ads and help marketers reach customers. But this isn’t always the case. Kagi offers an alternative business model for search engines. Kagi uses a subscription strategy instead of ads.
Kagi has a clear privacy policy and a private browsing system. Will people care enough about privacy and Google’s dominance to pay for a search engine? Kagi thinks so. With over 2,500 paying subscribers, Kagi offers a promising alternative.
This leads us to explore another unique search engine with a different approach—Gibiru.
Gibiru
Gibiru offers a unique search experience with its “Unfiltered private search.” Gibiru does not record search requests and deletes records seconds after a search is complete. Installing the AnonymoX Firefox add-on allows you to route searches through a proxy IP address, keeping your history private and providing unbiased results. It is a more private and secure option than Google.
Considering these alternatives opens the door to even more private search options, one of which provides a user-friendly interface and impressive functionality.
Whoogle
Want to use Google without being tracked? Try Whoogle. It’s like SearX but runs on your machine, delivering Google’s search results without ads, JavaScript, AMP links, cookies, or IP tracking.
Setting up Whoogle requires technical skills, including using GitHub and technical documentation. It’s not for everyone, but if you know programming and care about privacy, Whoogle or SearX are excellent Google alternatives.
Privacy-focused search engines are evolving, and it’s not just about web searches. Next, let’s explore SEO for alternative platforms like GIPHY.
GIPHY
Suppose you’ve used social media or chats in the last few years. In that case, you’re probably familiar with the value of an animated GIF. Find the right one for a presentation, your latest blog post, or to share on social media. Google Images offers some GIFs, but GIPHY’s library is unmatched. GIPHY holds over 10 billion pieces of content, many appearing on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms. GIFs are everywhere, but for the perfect GIF, GIPHY stands out. It’s not an alternative to Google, but it fits ills in a valuable niche. This brings us to exploring search engines that serve different needs.
SEO for Alternative Search Engines
Optimizing your website for search engines besides Google doesn’t have to be difficult. Learn how each search engine works and what sets it apart from Google. These engines are not direct replacements for Google, so you must understand their algorithms. Proper optimization for different search engines will yield better results and attract more relevant visitors.
Summing Up Alternative Search Engines
Exploring alternative search engines reveals various options, each offering unique features that Google may not provide. From privacy-focused engines like DuckDuckGo and Startpage.com to eco-friendly options like Ecosia, these alternatives cater to different needs and preferences. Specialty search engines like YouTube and GIPHY address specific content types. In contrast, others like Bing and Yahoo provide familiar but distinct experiences.
Optimizing your website for these various search engines involves understanding their algorithms and user bases, ensuring your content reaches a broader and more targeted audience. As we’ve seen, each search engine has its strengths, and diversifying your SEO strategy can lead to better results and more relevant visitors.
