For many years, search engine marketing (search engine optimization) has been a essential element of any fashionable advertising technique. However search engine optimization doesn’t simply imply Google: On the contrary, there are a selection of different search engines like google price exploring.
I discovered this primary hand once I was working for an organization with operations in China, the place Google wasn’t accessible. Whereas my staff had been virtually solely targeted on optimizing for Google, it rapidly grew to become clear that we needed to put money into search engine optimization for platforms like Bing, Baidu, and different widely-used instruments. Furthermore, as generative AI has quickly progressed, a wave of recent AI-powered search engines like google has emerged, additional complicating the search engine panorama.
Right this moment, 88% of customers use search engines like google to search out solutions to their questions on-line — however Google isn’t the one engine they’re utilizing. On this article, I’ll stroll by way of seven of my favourite Google options for search, sharing the whole lot it’s essential know to remain updated on the instruments your clients are utilizing day by day.
Greatest Search Engine Options to Google
DuckDuckGo
Probably the most well-known Google options, DuckDuckGo is known for its dedication to knowledge privateness. Its privateness coverage begins: “We don’t observe you. That’s our Privateness Coverage in a nutshell.” And it lives as much as this fame, providing a cookie-free looking out expertise.
Testing It Out
Visually, DuckDuckGo affords a easy, minimalist design, and its consumer expertise is evident and simple to navigate. The search outcomes appear related and constant, and the structure is just like that of Google, with a search bar on the prime and choices to view pictures, movies, and different content material sorts. As a consumer, looking out with DuckDuckGo feels fairly just like Googling — however behind the scenes, it’s way more personal.
Greatest for: Nameless looking out
Bing
Powered by Microsoft, Bing is without doubt one of the most widely-used search engines like google after Google. It’s functionally similar to Google, and has traditionally been thought of Google’s principal competitor. Nevertheless, Microsoft’s acquisition of Open AI (the corporate behind ChatGPT) has enabled Bing to soar forward in AI capabilities. Particularly, its AI search device, Deep Search, has achieved spectacular outcomes, changing into a serious differentiator for the platform.
Testing It Out
Bing’s interface is considerably extra cluttered than that of another search engines like google, with a further content material part in addition to an inventory of associated searches filling the right-hand facet of the web page. Whereas its consumer expertise was just like that of different engines, I personally discovered its outcomes rather less related, and I discovered its busier navigation bar a bit distracting. That mentioned, I actually loved utilizing the Deep Search device, and I’m excited to see the way it continues to develop!
Greatest for: AI integration
Ecosia
Based mostly in Germany, Ecosia is exclusive amongst search engines like google in its specific concentrate on environmental sustainability. The corporate studies being carbon adverse, and based on its homepage, it has planted greater than 200 million bushes and donated greater than 83 million Euros to organizations devoted to local weather motion.
The platform has much less of a concentrate on privateness and nameless looking out than a few of its rivals, as evidenced by the outstanding cookies disclaimer on the web site. Its performance can be barely extra restricted that another search engines like google, and it has not but developed any AI-powered integrations.
Testing It Out
The very first thing I observed when testing out Ecosia’s search engine was its colourful, inexperienced branding and adorably little tree icon within the higher proper nook. It’s instantly clear that Ecosia is passionate in regards to the setting, from its visible branding alone! Its search outcomes appeared affordable, although I didn’t really feel that they have been fairly as much as par with these of another engines, and I additionally discovered that the big cookies banner detracted considerably from useability.
Greatest for: Saving the planet
Mojeek
Mojeek isn’t as well-known as a few of the different different search engines like google that I’ve included on this checklist, but it surely affords lots of the identical functionalities. As well as, Mojeek stands out with its “Emotional Net” function: This device allows you to filter your search primarily based on the emotional content material of the outcomes.
As Mojeek defined in a weblog submit saying the launch of this function, “This performance is extremely helpful for customers that want to try to assist filter sure feelings out of their day — unhappy information, for instance.” The weblog submit continues, “For the primary time, persons are capable of finding what they’re searching for with out being uncovered to feelings that they don’t need.”
Testing It Out
In comparison with different typical search engines like google, I discovered Mojeek’s outcomes to be a bit unusual. For instance, one of many search phrases I examined out was “small enterprise advertising.” Whereas different search engines like google returned HubSpot’s complete weblog submit, 50 Small Enterprise Advertising and marketing Concepts for 2024, of their first few outcomes, Mojeek’s first few outcomes as a substitute included HubSpot’s downloadable information on digital advertising for small enterprise — arguably a much less useful and fewer related end result. Then again, I completely beloved Mojeek’s emotional filtering functionality. With a lot adverse content material on-line, I actually respect the flexibility to have the ability to seek for content material that’s each related and a bit extra constructive in tone.
Greatest for: Emotional filtering
Seekr Information
Whereas most of the major search engines on this checklist can be utilized for nearly any sort of search, this one’s a bit completely different: Seekr Information is particularly targeted on information articles. Meaning it’s extra restricted than a few of the different choices I’ve shared — but it surely additionally has some actually attention-grabbing options that I feel are price highlighting.
Particularly, Seekr gives each a Seekr Rating and a Political Lean tag for every end result on its search outcomes web page. The Seekr Rating is an estimate of how dependable the information article is, whereas the Political Lean signifies what (if any) political leaning the article appears to have. Each are powered by AI, they usually allow customers to achieve larger visibility into the content material they devour.
Testing It Out
Seekr does ask you to “Settle for All Cookies” once you use the positioning, which means it’s rather less privacy-focused than different search engines like google. Nevertheless, I used to be actually impressed by its interface for indicating reliability and political ideology. Seekr manages to convey loads of details about every search end result, together with not simply the Seekr and Political Lean scores, but additionally tags for the kind of reporting, the variety of quotes within the article, and different pertinent context, all with a transparent consumer expertise and a design that doesn’t really feel too cluttered.
Greatest for: Information search
Baidu
Should you’ve by no means been to China, you may not have heard of Baidu. However Baidu is the dominant search engine within the Chinese language market, with greater than 600 million month-to-month energetic customers.
After all, as a Chinese language product whose customers are largely primarily based inside China, the consumer interface is, unsurprisingly, all in Chinese language — so it will not be an important match for searchers who don’t communicate the language. That being mentioned, it’s undoubtedly an essential platform to bear in mind for any entrepreneurs seeking to goal the Chinese language market.
Testing It Out
Baidu’s consumer interface is essentially just like that of Google and different search engines like google: There’s a search bar on the prime, and choices to seek for photographs, movies, maps, and many others. One further component is its “scorching searches” checklist on the proper hand facet of the web page, the place you may see at present trending matters. So far as its search outcomes, Baidu’s English outcomes are pretty restricted, however in my expertise as a local English speaker who studied Chinese language for a number of years, if you’ll be able to search in Chinese language and browse Chinese language search outcomes, Baidu is fairly efficient.
Greatest for: Chinese language search
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is primarily generally known as a calculator web site. It could interpret mathematical or pure language enter for math issues, after which stroll you thru an answer. However this device isn’t only for serving to you along with your homework. It could additionally operate as a wide-ranging search engine in its personal proper.
For instance, you may ask it questions like “tips on how to calculate ROI,” “what time is it in London,” and even, “who created Spiderman,” and it’ll present up-to-date, useful enter, typically with in depth further context and an inventory of associated queries. Furthermore, not like different search engines like google, Wolfram Alpha doesn’t usually offer you an inventory of hyperlinks to look by way of your self. As a substitute, it merely affords a solution to your query instantly on the web page.
Testing It Out
So far as performance, Wolfram Alpha is clearly much more restricted than a standard search engine. That mentioned, I actually respect the way it clearly walks you thru an answer. If I wish to know tips on how to calculate ROI for a particular funding, an extended checklist of article hyperlinks isn’t almost as useful as Wolfram Alpha’s clear, tactical steps and automatic calculator interface. After all, this engine gained’t work for lots of search wants — however for sure queries, it’s a incredible, extremely environment friendly device.
Greatest for: Calculations and info
Going Past Google
Clearly, there’s a complete lot extra to the world of search than Google alone. Whereas Google continues to be by far the most important search engine with respect to international market share, the instruments I’ve shared above have loads to supply as effectively.
Particularly, Ecosia’s dedication to environmental sustainability and Seekr’s concentrate on addressing unreliability and political bias in information make them two of my favourite different search engines like google.
As well as, whereas I don’t have as many alternatives to make use of it, I’ve discovered that Wolfram Alpha could be a actual lifesaver for sure, extra mathematically-focused questions.
On the finish of the day, when you’re excited about optimizing your content material for search, it’s very important to transcend Google and think about the wide selection of search engines like google that your clients might depend on. From Bing to DuckDuckGo, Baidu to Mojeek, there are numerous locations at present’s web customers can go for solutions and knowledge.
So, to remain related, at present’s entrepreneurs should guarantee that their content material is optimized not only for Google, however for all of the platforms that their leads and prospects might use for search.
Editor’s be aware: This submit was initially revealed in September 2014 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
