Leaving Google aside is an almost impossible task, Moreover, the Californian company accumulates 90% of the searches carried out worldwide. However, there are search engines that you do not know and that can help you in your day-to-day life, especially at a professional or academic level.
However, is life beyond Google. Search engines are an excellent supply for students, researchers in any field, and journalism and marketing professionals.
Table of Contents
General Search Engines Beyond Google
When a search returns results that are not what you need, it is when other search engines, thematic and specialized in particular fields or specific file types, come into action.
1. The most popular, Bing
It is the Microsoft search engine, Moreover is incorporated by default in the brand’s computers created by Bill Gates. It works similarly to Google and has a relatively high search volume, around 3% of global searches (if that seems like a low percentage, the rest of the alternatives barely exceed 1% or less).
What are the advantages?
- Its design and operation try to assimilate to Google (for better and worse).
- It offers results with direct links (below the main result, the site’s main sections are broken down).
- It shows related searches at the bottom.
- Shows special features like rich results.
1.1. Strengths or advantages of Bing: image search engine
It is the most popular functionality of Bing. When you perform an image search and click on the one you want to explore, a new page opens with information about the source and the originating web page.
Options:
- (+) icon to save the link.
- Go to the original web page.
- See the full-size image.
- Share on social networks.
1.2. Search within the image in Bing
It consists of a similarity search that allows you to select a specific part of the image (a face, a business, a logo) and search for similar images.
How does it work? It’s as simple as clicking and extending an illuminated box over the photo area you want to explore.
2. Duck Duck Go
A search engine to use with the main strength: it does not track data from its users. In addition, this tool returns good relevant and consistent results with the search terms, and its level of reliability is relatively high.
It contains a specialized blog where search engines and privacy are discussed. DuckDuckGo is growing fast in the US.
3. Ixquick
It is a multi-search engine to use that can be very effective. In addition, as in the case of DuckDuckGo, it does not track search data and is presented as “the most confidential search engine in the world”.
4. Qwant
It is the commitment of the French government to provide security to the searches of its citizens. Considering the amount of information that Google tracks, France has decided to invest in a national start-up to shape Qwant, whose main characteristic is computer security.
In addition, they have developed Qwant junior, which is used at the school level and covers an untapped sector, search for children.
5. Ask
It is a well-known search engine that came to have a remarkable reputation. In recent times, the level of relevance of the results it offers has improved. Its greatest asset is the minimalism of its design.
Specialized search engines
1. Google Scholar
Although it belongs to Google, its operation does not resemble its “father”. It is one of the most used tools at the academic level, especially in journalism, scientific research, the environment or medicine.
It has a library where you can save and order all the information you collect. Truly useful.
2. Microsoft Academic
Again we find the “copy”. As its name suggests, it is Microsoft’s academic search engine. At first, it intended to resemble Google’s tool at all costs, but after a series of changes and adjustments, it has managed to shape its own model, which is different from its competitors.
Although it has less volume of information, sometimes less is more, and you can find concrete results and less “waste”, to put it colloquially.
3. Science Direct
It is a search engine with the same vocation as the previous two but with one main difference: it belongs to the world’s most important medical and scientific literature publisher, Elsevier.
Provides access to more than 13 million exclusive articles from the publisher itself focused on experimental sciences and technology.
4. Wolfram Alpha
It is not a search engine but an answer. You can respond in two ways through a structured database, different from that of other engines such as Google or Bing. The first is through Mathematica, a language that provides a structured database to answer the question. On the other hand, it also answers specific questions such as “how many years did Felipe González last as president?”
Wolfram Alpha is not fully automated. Information sources included in the database are selected by Wolfram employees, and many times they are databases that are not included in Google and other search engines.
5. CC Search
More than a search engine, it constitutes an interface specialized in data and systems that bring together content with a Creative Commons license, that is, free. However is a golden tool for journalists, communication, and advertising professionals who need audiovisual and graphic materials to complement their publications.
6.TinEye
An ally to combat information manipulation. In today’s world, fake news is the order of the day. Many media are dedicated to promoting this type of news in addition to click bates (cyber hooks) to get money with advertising. TinEye allows you to analyze an image to find other similar ones and check that it corresponds to its description.
In short, if you find an image on a social network that claims to be from a specific time and place, you can verify that it is indeed so.
Other efficient search engines
You can also find endless search engines for particular fields. Moreover the most used are:
- ARQ: architecture, design and construction search engine in Spanish.
- org/subsidies: search engine for grants and subsidies offered by the Spanish administration.
- Buscabiografías.com: as its name suggests, it is used to search for biographies of famous people.
- Flight search engines: Skyscanner, Kayak and Momondo. Three different search engines explore the offers of airlines to offer you the cheapest flight solutions.
Twitter and its advanced search
However the little bird’s social network has an advanced search system that allows you to access more specific information. Best of all, it is not necessary to open a profile to use this tool since you only need to access the advanced search of the social network and use a desktop computer if you want to take full advantage of its features. Moreover An excellent ally for activity monitoring.
1. Search by words
– All these words: Browse tweets that contain (in any order) the words you enter.
– This exact phrase: Search for tweets that contain an exact phrase. If you enter “ best restaurant in Madrid ”, all the tweets that contain that expression will be displayed.
– Any of these words: Search for tweets that contain one or more of the words entered.
– None of these words: to refine results and exclude tweets that do not interest you.
– These hashtags: enter a hashtag and check the tweets that include a particular tag.
– Written in (refers to the language): to search for tweets in other languages.
2. People search
– From these accounts: enter the name of another user and browse their tweets.
For these accounts: enter another user’s name and explore all the tweets that mention them.
3. Places
You can filter results by location, but you can only use this filter by logging in with an account.
4. Dates
Select a time to filter the results. If you want to search for tweets that occurred during a particular event, this is the best option.
Twitter’s advanced search is perfect for advertising research. However refining the investigations, this tool allows you to track and monitor the activity of any competitor of a brand, knowing what it is talking about, what impact it has and who reacts to its messages.
Predictive searches
They are known as information aggregators, platforms where you enter your interests and analyze your tastes. They learn from the way you interact to offer you interesting information.
However, they consist of the main page where the most relevant and outstanding news or articles are displayed. The most famous aggregator out there is Flipboard. In reality, Facebook also acts as a news aggregator and, in fact, has the best predictive search system if it is well configured.
conclusion
Although Google is omnipresent, this does not make it omnipotent. The most widely used search engine globally is an effective tool, but it does not have the necessary effectiveness for specific tasks. Moreover to carry out research or work with information. However the rest of the search engines and platforms are allies that you must always keep in mind. Now that you know them, there is no excuse not to use them.