A Few Words on Google
We have already discussed how Google was created in our blog article series about websites that have left their mark on history but we wish to highlight that it was one of the first search engines to index websites according to their relevance. These days, Google is the most used search engine worldwide and by far. According to the latest statistics, 3.5 billion searches are made on Google every day. But how this web giant can make so much money when it is free to use its tool? The answer is quite simple: Google relies on advertisements. Besides having an auction system for the first places on its pages of results, businesses can target you with the data provided by Google. This is one of the reasons why some people are looking for alternatives.
Yahoo!: The Fallen King
Yes, Yahoo! is still alive. It is even the third most used search engine in the world. Did you know that Yahoo! is older than Google? It was also the most visited website on the internet in 2004. Unfortunately, it had bad press over the last years because of important data breaches. If you are looking for ads and suggested articles from the home page, Yahoo! might be a good choice for you.
Bing: The Microsoft Option
Bing is currently the second most used search engine. Besides Bing also uses data and advertisements to make money like its competitors, it is often used because it is already installed with Windows products and people do not know how to change it. At first sight, Bing seems to be a hybrid option of Yahoo! and Google. Their home page is made of a photo of the day visual, and a few popular articles are also available directly from their home page.
Qwant: An Interesting New Player
Do you know Qwant? Qwant is a French search engine created in 2013 that says to respect your privacy. In fact, they say they use no cookie nor tracking device, and only make money with cost per click. Two versions are also available, the regular Qwant and the junior mode. Their website is separated into different sections. First, there is the search section. There are then sections with the day’s trends, personalities and articles. Qwant will likely get more and more notoriety with all the frequent scandals regarding the use of personal data.
DuckDuckGo: For More Privacy
Let’s now talk about DuckDuckGo. This search engine with a quite original name shouts proudly that they do not track their users and that no personal data is collected when you use it to make searches. This business has now only 0.54% of the market share worldwide; however, its popularity is increasing with more than 45 million searches made every day. Trackers are blocked and your search history is private. DuckDuckGo has a plain style that looks similar to Google. Feel free to scroll down their home page to discover all their privacy promises.
Ecosia: Be Greener
The environment is one of today’s trendy topics. Maybe you are even trying to be greener daily. Did you know that there is a search engine that will plant trees when you use it? It is what Ecosia offers you. This search engine was created in Germany and says that their servers run on renewable energy. Their benefits help plant trees in South America, Africa, and Asia. You need to know that their search results come from Bing but at least, Ecosia will not sell your personal data to others. It is an option to consider if you want to help the reforestation of our planet!
Lilo: Help Others
In the same vein, Lilo is a search engine that offers to finance various social or environmentally friendly projects with their income. Created in France, it is possible to create “waterdrops” that will help all sorts of projects when you use it for searches. You can even choose which ones you prefer to support. The way it works is ingenious. When you search for something, Lilo asks other search engines like Yahoo! or Bing and then it gives you the result. In this way, the used search engines cannot track you. Lilo says to respect your privacy and do not collect data too.
In conclusion, there are other search engine options but we hope you learn today that there are some interesting alternatives to Google. You can now choose a search engine that is in alignment with your values. The more these other options will likely be used, the more they will get better and have market parts. Moreover, there are also more regional alternatives to Google like Yandex in Russia or Baidu in China, for example. Thus, there are other search engines options, you only have to try them!