18 Alternative Search Engines to Google (You Should Also Optimize Your Website) (2023)

There is no doubt that Google is the most dominant search engine for Internet users in most parts of the world. Recent studies show thatGoogle has an 88% market sharefor desktop and mobile searches in the US, and there's no sign of that changing.

At this level of market share, there are about 70,000 searches per second, 5 billion searches per day, and 2 trillion searches per year on Google.

Those are crazy numbers and impressive statistics, right?

But, it doesn't come without a cost. Internet users are becoming more aware of how Google tracks and uses their data to share with advertisers, which means some are choosing to use alternative, more private search engines.
We're very quick to think of a search engine as a direct Google equivalent like Bing or Yahoo, but the reality is that there are also specialized search engines and platforms like YouTube and GIPHY that return a specific type of results.

It's also not surprising that Google is where most SEOs focus their efforts, but you could be missing out on other opportunities to drive traffic by ignoring the alternatives. Google isn't one size fits all, so we've compiled a list of alternative search engines, from the expected to the unknown, that are available for you to use:

The search giants

Think of a search engine other than Google, and Bing and Yahoo are likely to be the first to come to mind. Bing offers a more visual approach to search, although most will remember that Yahoo was once a much more powerful engine. strength of what it is today (does anyone remember thoseDeveloped by Inktomidias)?

1. Bing

there's no denying itBinglags behind Google in terms of how many users interact with the platform, currently holding just under 7% of the US search market. It offers the same essential Google features like translation, rich snippets, search calculators, and more. conversion, letters of knowledge for hotels and flights, etc.

But there are also more advanced features that we are underestimating. Bing offers a much more visual approach to search. Its home page is dominated by images and videos, and it also offers advanced features such as machine learning predictions for sports and election results.

Its image search is much more advanced than Google's and has object detection intelligence within the image search feature. You can also save searches as 'collections', making it easy to return to your search later. Bing is the top search engine when it comes to image search.

Plus, it has some amazing perks. HeBing RewardsThe feature also rewards its users by giving them credits just for using its platform to browse.*

* You'll need to stay logged in to earn points while you search, but you can use any device, be it mobile, tablet or desktop.

2.Yahoo

yahooIt used to be one of the biggest search engines in the world; it now has just under 3.5% of the market.

We shouldn't be too hasty when it comes to declining popularity over the years, as Yahoo is still the third largest search engine in the US, but they're not as visually appealing. However, users suggest that this platform is an option to look for services related to news, sports and finance.

Search engines that prioritize privacy

As search engines have become more internet savvy in recent years, it's no surprise that users have become more cybersecurity conscious. Marketers have seen a notable increase in the number of search engines that place privacy at the heart of their platform. Here are some privacy-focused alternative search engines:

3.DuckDuckGo

Whileduck duck to winhas increased in popularity recently, it still only has around 1.5% share of the US search market.

DuckDuckGo is considered one of the best search engines for private browsing, which is why it has gained market share in recent years. It does not collect any data about the searches you perform or your personal information, and this alone is one of the main reasons for its recent rise in popularity.

And one feature to look out for is the 'Bang' search. You can use this feature if you know when you want to search on other platforms (Wikipedia, eBay, Amazon, etc.). Just click on your 'burst' and it will take you to your chosen website.*

*DuckDuckGo makes it clear that if you visit other websites, you will be subject to their policies, including how they collect your data and not theirs.

4.Startpage.com

Homepage.commakes the bold claim that it is the most private search engine in the world. This statement leads togood amount of media coverageas well as a third party audit by theEuropean Privacy Seal.

Startpage.com's claims can be supported by its "no logs" policy. The 'no-logs' policy means that the search engine has no idea who its users are; they do not store browsers IP address or store tracking cookies.

If you are simply looking for relevant results with the confidence that privacy comes first, Startpage.com is the right choice for you.

5. What do I want?

I wantclaims to 'respect your privacy' and is another reliable option for anyone looking for a true Google alternative.

Unlike other search engines that prioritize privacy, Qwant uses its indexing engine combined with Bing results to emphasize preventing personalization of search results to avoid searchers being trapped in afilter bubble.As this search engine is based in Paris, it is essential to know that European privacy protection laws are often much stricter than in other parts of the world, such as the US.

And to get it out of Qwantthemselves:

When you use Qwant as a search engine, we do not place any cookies on your browser that would allow us or others to recognize or track you anywhere on the Internet. We do not use any tracking device (pixel, fingerprint…). We do not collect or store any history or your searches. When you perform a search, your query is instantly anonymized by being decoupled from your IP address, in accordance with the advice of the French data controller. Long story short, what you are doing with Qwant is part of your privacy and we don't want to know about it.

- I want

6. Swiss cows

swiss cowsis another European search engine heavily focused on the privacy of its users. They market themselves around three main promises that make them a great alternative to Google and others:

• They don't store your data.
• They place great importance on family content
• They created an innovative search engine

Enabling children to browse the web is a concern for many parents, and Swisscows is committed to providing a search engine that is a safe environment for the whole family to enjoy the web.

7. Encrypted search

In your face,search encryptit looks a lot like Google, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

There is a clear emphasis on doing one thing: getting the user to search.

However, the purpose of Search Encrypt is "to protect your privacy by detecting searches that can be tracked and linked to your personal information. It intercepts these searches and redirects them to Search Encrypt's privacy-enhanced search engine, which will be set as your default search engine."

Unlike some of the alternatives here, it stores your history for 30 minutes. Are you wondering if this search engine is right for you? See which users haveI completely switched to this from GoogleI have to say about it.

8. A survey

a research, Verizon's new search engine, features six key privacy-focused features around which they built their search engine:

• no cookies
• No user tracking
• no search history
• Pure, unfiltered results
• Share links with confidence
• keyword encryption

And it's an attractive option, given that parent company Verizon also owns Yahoo. And it's no secret that Yahoo has been under pressure for several years.data breachand privacy mistakes in the past. However, the results are powered by Bing, giving you a way to return results from a platform you're already familiar with. Another advantage of OneSearch is that you enjoy additional layers of privacy.

charity search engines

If you want to do your part to support a great cause while doing your daily web searches, you'll be happy to know that there are charitable search engines that donate every time you do a search. Here are some worth checking out:

9. give water

The unfortunate reality is that many parts of the world still lack access to safe drinking water.

You can help usinggive wateras your preferred search engine and clicking ads on the platform. There's also a handy browser extension you can install to help contribute to this worthy cause.

10. Ekoru

a search inEkoruhelp clean up our oceans.

This charity-run search engine is starting to gain traction as the world becomes increasingly aware of the damage we are doing to our seas and oceans. Ekoru says: Every survey helps raise money for the Big Blue Ocean Cleanup Every survey helps raise money for Operation Posidonia All of their servers are powered by hydroelectric power

This is a genuinely ethical search engine, and everything has been designed with an eco-friendly approach in mind.

Ekoru can also be classified as an alternative to Google as a privacy-first search engine. Its commitment to encrypting all data and not storing any of your searches on its servers is another advantage of this eco-friendly search engine. Double win for Ekoru!

11. Ecosia

Although he only has one0.13% stakeof the US search market,ecosiais a search engine that is rapidly growing in popularity.

Its purpose as a company is to promote positive environmental change and use its resources to plant trees around the world.

Bing powers Ecosia search results so you still get a great search experience like translation, rich snippets, conversion calculators, knowledge graphs for hotels and flights, etc. Ecosia also prides itself on privacy, and users can disable tracking to ensure a private browsing experience.
Ecosia is also growing in popularity; there are currently over 15 million active users and they have helped plant over 100 million trees using the search engine. So if you're looking for a platform that supports protecting your data while giving back to the world, check out Ecosia.

Format-specific search mechanisms

Think about the different things you Googled last week.

We assume you've probably done a search to find:

• Images
• videos
• podcasts
• learning material

But the question you should ask yourself is whether Google is the best search engine to return these results, or are there specific better format options you could use.

Here's a quick rundown of the top format-specific search engines:

12. Youtube

let's guess whatYouTubeIt needs no introduction for you.

After all, it issecond largest search engineand the one that most people use every day. Whether you're looking for videos, from movie clips to podcasts, or looking for creators who arereleasing amazing original content, YouTube is the place to visit.

Yes, you can search and find videos on Google. But when it comes to finding the right content quickly, you should head straight to the platform and use its built-in search engine.

13. Vent

Whether you're about to publish your next blog post, looking for compelling images to use on social media, or even a stunning photo to use as part of your company's printed marketing material, images are an essential part of our interaction with businesses. . However, we all know that stock images can be very expensive.

Unsplashis a search engine that exists to help you find free images to use in your projects without worrying about copyright. So, before turning to Google Images and worrying about getting the rights to an image, know that Unsplash lets you use all photos without strings attached.

Ever attended a conference, didn't take notes, and wanted to find the speaker's session later? Or maybe you haven't shown up and heard someone give a great talk that you wish you had seen.

share slidesit hosts thousands of slideshows covering just about any topic you can imagine. Finding a presentation you already know many times can lead you on a path of discovery to other inspiring content.

15.Creative Commons Research

The second of our recommended alternatives for Google Image Search isCreative Commons Search. Creative Commons Search can help you find content that you can reuse or even modify.

When using Google, there is always a risk that even when you filter by usage type, the file may have been flagged incorrectly or by someone other than the original creator. Creative Commons eliminates that worry, ensuring you find high-quality images. to use quickly.

16. Listen to the notes

Podcasts are growing in popularity right now and we can see on Google Trends how much search activity there is for them on the platform.

But the reality is that Google was not conceived as a podcast search engine, buthear notesIt is. If you're looking for a better way to find your next podcast, give it a try.

17. GIPHY

Who doesn't love a gif?

From finding the right one to use in a presentation to your latest blog post or just sharing on social media, getting it right is essential.

Google Images offers some gifs, but nothing matches the gif library atGIPHY. GIPHY is home to over 10 billion pieces of content, much of which you've probably used on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and more.

Gifs are everywhere, but when you're looking for the right gif, nothing competes with GIPHY.

18. Wiki.com

Last but not least, comesWiki.com, the perfect place to search not only Wikipedia, but also other popular encyclopedias and wikis.

If you're a fan of community-led informational content and use it regularly in your work, Wiki.com can be a huge time saver by helping you find the right information quickly and get the best results.

Optimizing your site for alternative search engines

So what should you do differently to rank on these alternative search engines compared to ranking on Google?

The honest answer to this question is to take the time to understand how each search engine works and what makes it different from Google. For format-specific search engines, you need to know how their algorithms work, as they are not a direct alternative to Google. By properly optimizing for other search engine formats, you'll get better results and receive more relevant traffic.

Here are some great resources to help you do just that:

• YouTube SEO: How to Create a YouTube Channel and Promote It
• How to Optimize Your GIFs for GIPHY
• Breaking SlideShare: How I Got 2,000,000 Views in Just 16 Presentations
• Unsplash Presentations 101

And really, it all comes down to Google or Bing, perhaps with the exception of DuckDuckGo, as most are using results from one of the major search giants to boost their own listings (including Yahoo).
Most search engines are using the results of one of the major search giants to power their own listings (i.e. Google, Bing or Yahoo). However, among the big search giants, there is a critical clash: Google vs. bing. To successfully optimize for Google and Bing, you need to focus on the differences between them.

You can read more about the differences between Bing vs. Googlehere, but to quickly summarize the main points:

1. Exact match keywords (in your domain, title tags, H1 tags and URLs) still have a more significant impact on Bing rankings than Google. Just be careful not to hurt your visibility on Google by optimizing for Bing.
2. Meta keywords can still be used as a ranking factor. However, this has not been officially confirmed.
3. While Google uses PageRank to measure link influence as a ranking factor, Bing sees things a little differently and established domains are known to be a major influencer.
4. Bing is very open about how social signals can influence search rankings, leading topreviously mentioned, "Social media plays a role in today's effort to rank well in search results. The most obvious part they play is through influence. If you're socially influential, it drives your followers to share your information widely, which , in turn, causes Bing to see these positive signals. These positive signals can have an impact on your organic ranking in the long term."
5. Bing loves media. Using attractive images, videos, and other formats on your site can help maximize visibility.

While Google has become the go-to search engine for most of us, there are other alternative search engines out there. Whether you want to know your data is safer, want to help a good cause while surfing the web, or want to find a specific type of results, don't be afraid to visit another search engine; can help you find what you're looking for.