Did you know that Google isn’t the only place to search for information online? Yes, shocking, we know. “Just Google It” has become so synonymous with online search. However, contrary to popular belief, the internet has plenty of great search engines to use, and each of them appeals to a unique audience.
In America, 35% of the search engine market share is owned by companies other than Google. What kind of benefits do different search engines offer? What audiences choose them over Google? When considering options for your customers and your business, you need to know about all the different search engine options. What should advertisers know about these different potential audiences? Read on to learn more.
Gold Standard Search Engines
In America, two search engines dominate the field: the ever-present Google and Microsoft’s search engine Bing. Both are built to be used by a general audience, and both enjoy significant traffic.
Google may just be a simple search engine, but its parent company, Alphabet, controls much of the internet, including Gmail, the most popular email service, and YouTube, the largest video-sharing platform. As such, your Google account is deeply integrated with your entire internet experience, and data from your search history is used to select relevant advertisements and media suggestions.
Bing
Bing is Microsoft’s attempt at creating a competitor to Google. Most of Bing’s traffic comes from users of Internet Explorer (now known as Microsoft Edge), Microsoft’s web browser. Considering Microsoft’s importance in the world of computer hardware, it’s no wonder that Bing sees a lot of traffic from a wide audience.
User-Friendly Search Engines
Most internet users are familiar with the unique language used in internet searches, but for people who aren’t very tech-savvy, performing a successful internet search is difficult. Some search engines take this into account, allowing users to phrase their queries in a more natural way and still see results.
Ask
Formerly AskJeeves, this search engine is designed to answer questions. While a standard internet search may be phrased as “Twilight Edward Cullen actor,” Ask is built to answer questions like “Who played Edward Cullen in Twilight?” As a result, people who aren’t very comfortable with technology, such as older individuals, like to use Ask.
Swisscows
Swisscows is similar to Ask in that it answers questions without the need for phrasing them in a certain way, but while Ask tends to attract older customers, Swisscows is family-friendly and useful for young children. Additionally, Swisscows protects children by filtering dangerous websites and never storing or tracking their personal info.
Privacy-Conscious Search Engines
While many internet users appreciate the deep integration and custom-tailored content that arises from using tech giant engines like Google and Bing, a large population would prefer to keep their personal data private.
DuckDuckGo
Not only does DuckDuckGo never store your search information, but it also works to protect your search information from websites you visit. Websites like Wikipedia, Amazon, and Facebook store your data every time you visit, and DuckDuckGo uses encryption to prevent this as much as possible.
Ixquick
Ixquick doesn’t require the use of personal information or cookies, and it still manages to generate useful search results. Even if you opt to provide these things, they will be wiped from Ixquick’s servers after 90 days of account inactivity, so your information won’t be stored for years.
Classic Search Engines
Many websites, such as Yahoo, AOL, and MSN, were extremely influential in the original days of the internet, and they came with their own proprietary search engines. The internet landscape has changed drastically since those days, and as a result, these websites are no longer the cornerstones that they used to be.
Nevertheless, these websites still see a lot of traffic, primarily from longtime internet users that like the familiarity of the websites they’ve always used. These websites feature search engines that see a lot of traffic due to convenience, but they also feature news stories and useful internet resources.
International Search Engines
Google is available in virtually every language under the sun, and as a result, many countries simply use Google. However, many countries have search engines that are specifically built for their own language and culture.
Yandex is the primary search engine in Russia, and it’s been around even longer than Google. Naver dominates South Korea’s internet search market. Baidu and Quihoo360 are popular in China, while Seznam competes with other search engines in Czechia. Advertisers can use these search engines to target specific countries in their campaigns.
Eco-Conscious Search Engines
Due to the sheer volume of internet searches that take place daily, many companies have taken the opportunity to create search engines that generate resources for eco-friendly causes. Ecosia has used their revenue to plant nearly 100 million trees, while giveWater uses their proceeds to increase access to clean water worldwide. Such websites attract a particular brand of eco-conscious users.
The world of internet searches is complex. If you understand the many options available to users around the world, you can create effective SEO and targeted ad campaigns. To learn more about online marketing, let us help.