Internet search, alternatives to Google
By jstankevicz
OK, raise your hands - how many out there use Google for Internet search? Wow, I'll bet that's 70% of you using the big dog search engine! Google is big because it's good. But, there are very good alternatives for certain search needs and to suit a researchers style better.
Add in Yahoo and Bing, and the big three get 96% of the searches, according to Hitwise.com. So who gets the other searches? There are dozens of search alternatives carving up the left over piece of pie, and those users are very happy with an alternative search engine. Why? Because, for them, there are better choices out there.
Let's look at a few of those alternative search engines. Click the link and the engine will open in a new window, so you can work your way through the list. For a test search you can use your name or some key words from your best HubPage or other web page. Try each out with the same search words, and see for yourself how they work and how they can help your research.
Surfs up!
yahoogooglemsn.com
This engine provides side by side results for all three of the big guys: Yahoo, Google and MSN. This is a great way to checkout your web page results in one easy step. Click here (http://www.yahoogooglemsn.com/), Enter your test search words and search.
You can select or deselect any of the three engines to get different comparisons. The window gets a little cramped, so be prepared to scroll
ask.com
Ask.com was formerly Ask Jeeves, but the butler was retired in favor of the simpler name and interface. Ask.com is a refreshingly clean page, that seems to put more useful stuff in front of you on searches. Instead of scrolling down the page for hits that might help, and dodging ads, you scan the quadrants of the Ask results page. The left panel offers suggestions to imrove your search by narrowing or broadening options. Images and term definition might appear on the right. The center is for the ordered hits. Ask.com claim to use an "expert" approach that gives you "smarter" answers.
See for yourself by clicking here (http://www.ask.com/).
aftervote.com
This is another side by side search, but with a social engineering twist. Aftervote shows you hits that occur on one or more of the sites and gives the page position. So you can see, for example, that a search word produced a certain result in 1st position on Yahoo, 3rd position on Google, and missed on MSN. Then you can vote the hit up or down, for other users to see. There are also buttons for Digg, del.icio.us and other social site goodies. This might be a good way to test your site and add to the social bookmarks at the same time.
Click here (http://www.aftervote.com/), Enter your test search words and search.
Aftervote is my new favorite way to search for images. In the the search result it shows a large thumbnail, the pixels, and the file size. Click on the thumbnail and instead of sending you to a page with the image (other engines), it takes you directly to the image.
technorati.com
Technorati watches blogs, and so should you. Technorati is like a blog post clearing house. Content ranges from the relevant to the ridiculous. Depending on your search topic, you can often find lots of pertinent content in blogs. Technorati can be more timely as blog content can reach Technorati faster than it might be crawled by the other search engines.
Check out your topic search on Technorati here (http://technorati.com/ ).
Swicki at eurekster.com
A Swicki is a customized search engine that is focused on a single general topic. The creator of a Swicki picks the general topic (for example "old time radio") and then "trains" the engine by creating an informed buzz cloud of useful specific searches (for example "jack benny") in the general topic area. When user's search their search terms can also get included in the buzz cloud, so the user community shapes it's own search tool. The author can also customize the look and feel. Then you add the resulting code to your web page and you can offer a unique search engine. The Swicki code can be picked up and placed on other users web pages for added exposure.
Click here to see a Swicki focused on homeowner's associations.
Click here to see a Swicki focused on old time radio.
Click here (http://www.eurekster.com/) for the Swicki home page.
What search engines have you found useful?
thanks for your tip
I love uQast. The problem for me now is I can't afford the $1k tag on it.
Thanks for sharing these amazing Google alternatives. I have tried to use Technorati, but still not able to understand how it works..the rest works fine for me..
I've been using the Dogpile multi-engine search tool for years. I'm usually satisfied with my results, which are usually spot on. Dogpile doesn't pull up as much garbage as some other search engines do. I'm willing to try some new to me that you've described in this hub.
Good job compiling this list. One alternative engine I use frequently is www.tineye.com. It's a great way to find images which have been used multiple times across the Web. Try searching for an image you know to be a stock photograph, like one of those rolls of money you see around on affiliate sites, and you'll get the idea. :)
Great hub. checkout my related hub at: http://hubpages.com/hub/5-Great-Tips-to-Search-Eff
There is more and more talk about Google spying on people and passing the information to gonernments (just like Yahoo did afew years ago in China) It is always good to know about alternatives
Great tips. I haven't used any of the above search engine. I will try using it.
Thanks so much. I haven't heard of some of these search Engines. Good to know.
very nice
"How do you search the Internet? One of the big three? Found a better search tool?"
I always use several search engines every time I want to find something but my favorite (and first one on the list) it´s: http://hubpages.com/hub/Best-Search-Engine
I'm testing out 'aftervote' - I like it so far. Thank you for showing hubbers some great alternatives
yahoogooglemsn.com is really a waste of time, its too slow and the way results are displayed make it very difficult to browse through.
Great Hub, Jack. And you didn't besmirch the Google search...
thanks for introducing me to yahoogooglemsn.com.
I use predominantly Google, aftervote sounds interesting. Google should also have this to see who finds the link best.
I too go for google only. Now I will try others also. Thanks for the useful information.
I consistently use Google but aftervote intrigues me. Thanks for the tip.
How do you search the Internet? One of the big three? Found a better search tool?
Search Amazon for Internet search...
 | Amazon Price: $12.95 List Price: $24.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $58.16 List Price: $69.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $9.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $9.50 List Price: $29.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $5.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $7.95 |
Useful articles on search engines
5 Great Tips to Search Effectively with Google
An Introduction To Search Engines http://hubpages.com/hub/introduction-to-search-engines
How to get your website found in Bing http://hubpages.com/hub/Optimizing-your-website-for-Bing
Yahoo Directory, Bing, and the Yahoo Search – Real World SEO http://hubpages.com/hub/Yahoo-Directory-Bing-and-the-Yahoo-Search-Real-World-SEO
How to filter and control Internet access and Internet content
Electronic ad expenditures to exceed print ads for first time
Grayson Peddie 7 months ago
yahoogooglemsn.com and aftervote.com does not work for me. Both of these reported restricted/forbidden. aftervote.com asked me for a username and password. Ask.com is a good alternative. Swicki at eurekster.com seems to be an exotic search engine for me, but for anything technical-related, such as Linux, BIND 9 (DNS Server), and even Asterisk PBX phone system, Ask.com seems to be a good place to search for those of you who are looking for alternatives to Google search.