If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you found it through using the services of a large search engine such as Google or Bing. These search engines are amazing and they allow you to discover parts of the internet that previously you would’ve had to guess by typing in different URLs one by one. There’s no doubt that these large companies have made an incredible impact and will continue to do so as the internet progresses. Nonetheless, this isn’t to say that they don’t have a lot of underlying issues that can be solved by using a more niche search engine instead. To learn more, it is definitely worth reading the rest of this detailed article.
They Collect Your Data
If you’re someone who prefers to keep their data safe and secure, then search engines such as Google can be something of a privacy nightmare. According to this article, they actually collect a frightening amount of data about users. This can occur no matter whether or not you’re using a private browser or a VPN. Conversely, a privacy-first search engine won’t collect any data about you, making you feel safer about what you are searching for.
Lack of Niche Information
Large search engines have to please a lot of the people all of the time. This means that when you type something into the search engine, you will be expected to get results that can be rather broad. This can be very frustrating when you’re looking for more specific and niche information particularly tailored towards your company. There are alternatives out there. For example, if you are looking for transistors, it might be worth checking out and browsing an electronic component search engine online.
Results Based on Search History
The Google algorithm is constantly updating to help provide you with what they believe to be better information. This means that they can autofill results or provide results based on search history. This is particularly bad when reading the news, because instead of learning new information, you could be getting information that reinforces already existing social stereotypes. That’s why it’s better to use a more neutral search engine that can provide you with less biased results.
You Receive Results Based on Where You Are
It can be one of the most annoying parts about using the internet abroad: You search something online only to find that half of the news results are now in a foreign language that you do not understand. This is because large search engines use your location as a means to tailor your results to you. This can also mean that you are not getting the right results for what you are interested in. While this issue can be solved by setting your VPN location to your desired country, this is something that doesn’t occur with niche search engines, which allow you to easily find the best information no matter where in the world you might happen to be based.
