Google may be the most popular choice when it comes to search engines driving traffic to your website, but there are many alternative search engines you can – and should – try.
Google has transcended from being just another search engine. It has become ubiquitous, often used as a transitive verb. If you have any doubts, just Google it!
With its ever-evolving algorithms, a dominant online advertising platform, and personalized search experiences, Google has amassed a global market share on search of 87%.
No one serves up better search results than Google. Or, at least that’s the general perception, but is it always true?
Here are 8 search alternatives to Google, and why you should use them.
1. Bing
As of January 2020, Microsoft sites handled 25% of all search queries in the United States! It is truly becoming a strong search engine with the reasons for using Bing rather than Google piling up.
One could argue that Bing actually outperforms Google in certain respects.
For starters, Bing has a rewards program that allows one to accumulate points while searching. These points are redeemable at the Microsoft and Windows stores, which is a nice perk.
To many, the Bing image search GUI is superior to its rival’s and much more intuitive.
Bing comes with that same clean user experience to video, making it the go-to source for video search without a YouTube bias.
2. DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo doesn’t collect or store any of your personal information.
That means you can run your searches in peace without having to worry about the boogeyman (aka the NSA) watching you through your computer screen. 
DuckDuckGo is the perfect choice for those who wish to keep their browsing habits and personal information private.
3. Yandex
Looking for a search perspective outside of the United States? Yandex is used by more than 45% of Russian Internet users. 
It is also used in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Yandex is an overall easy-to-use search engine. As an added bonus, it offers a suite of some pretty cool tools.
4. Baidu
If you still want to go search outside of the U.S., but Russia is not exactly your territory, then Baidu might! 
Baidu is the search engine that the world doesn’t only revolve around Google. In China, Baidu leads the game. 90% of online search queries done in China are done through Baidu.
5. Wiki.com
Wiki.com pulls its results from thousands of wikis on the net. 
It is the perfect search engine for those who appreciate community-led information as found on sites like Wikipedia.
6. Twitter
You read right, Twitter is an excellent search engine with a finger on the pulse. 
Twitter is simply just hard to beat as a real-time search engine. It’s the perfect place to go for minute by minute updates in the case of an emergency.
Google’s algorithm will catch up eventually, but nothing beats a Tweet in the heat of the moment.
7. Internet Archive
The Wayback Machine is great for researching old websites, but it’s so much more. 
As the name implies, this search engine queries a massive collection of documented material, including millions of free videos, books, music, and software.
Essentially, the Internet Archive is a vast online library where you can access just about anything you could imagine.
8. SlideShare
SlideShare allows you to search for documented slideshow presentations. 
You can also search for ebooks and PDFs, making it an excellent tool if you have a business presentation to prepare for.
SlideShare also allows you to save slides and even download the entire slideshow for use on your local computer.
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