17.12.2017 17:00:00
The modern Internet is difficult to imagine without search engines. Every day they process billions of requests coming through desktop browsers and mobile applications. The most complex algorithms literally predict the actions of users, suggest possible options input data and produce the most accurate results.
But what is the best search engine on the Web today? Why do we prefer a particular search engine? In our article, we will analyze which search engines have gained the greatest popularity and what are their fundamental differences.
Search engine ranking in the world
First, let's find out which search engines are the most popular in the world. To do this, let's turn to the data provided by the reputable analytical agency NetMarketShare. This table displays the top 5 search engines and the percentage of requests from personal computer users for 2017:
It is easy to see that in both positions, the search engine from Google is in the lead with the maximum margin from its competitors. Moreover, for mobile devices Google, in fact, is a monopoly, processing 93% of all search queries. This is due to the widespread use of smartphones on the Android OS.
In addition, Google is one of the most minimalistic search engines. On the home page the user sees only the logo and the search bar. Also, users are attracted by interesting doodles - Google logos, which are redrawn in honor of a certain date or event. Very often such doodles are made interactive. Thus, according to all the above indicators, Google is by far the best search engine.
In second place in popularity, both on PCs and on smartphones, the Chinese search engine Baidu has firmly established itself. The fact is that this service is the only one available in China - it is used by 92% of the entire population. From time to time, Baidu tries to expand the geographical boundaries, but it has not gained popularity in other countries. This is largely due to a rather aggressive promotion policy and the conflict between search engine extensions and antiviruses.
Bing is a search engine from Microsoft, which is most often used by owners of personal computers in the United States. A small percentage of requests from mobile devices is due to the fact that smartphones from Microsoft are gradually leaving the market.
Yahoo! - one of the oldest search engines, which was created in 1995. Basically, it is used by residents of the USA, Great Britain and some countries of Southeast Asia.
The search engine from Yandex was only in the top five for requests from a PC. A small percentage of the total number of requests is also due to the fact that users of Russia and the CIS countries use the domestic search engine. And the Dogpile service closes the top 5 in terms of popularity of search engines for mobile devices. Its main audience is residents of the USA, Canada and Europe.
Search engine rating in Russia
To find out which is the best search engine in the Russian Internet segment of the Runet, we will be helped by the data of the LiveInternet counter and the analytical service Seo-auditor.
The LiveInternet counter takes into account search queries from both the PC and mobile platforms. As a result, the popularity rating of search engines in Russia looks like this:
Two main competitors lead by a wide margin - Google and Yandex. Both search engines are different. high speed and work efficiency. In addition, each service has its own unique features. For example, the Google search engine gives clear and concise information about each site, and also takes into account the quality of the pages in the issue. Yandex, on the other hand, pays great attention to its additional services, which are connected with each request in a search engine.
In third place in terms of popularity was the search engine from Mail.ru. Many experts note that this service has well-developed search algorithms, quick news updates on the main page. On the other hand, Mail has enough shortcomings. First of all, there is a lack additional services and an unfinished anti-spam filter.
The once popular Rambler now processes only 0.2% of the total number of search queries on the Russian Internet. Some time ago, the service made a major overhaul: the search engine changed its logo and the main page was redrawn from scratch. However, this, alas, did not help to rise in the ranking of search engines.
However, Rambler has its obvious merits. For example, an associative search system. If the user forgets to change the layout and types in the word vepsrf, the search engine returns results for the query "Music". Now you won’t surprise anyone with this system, only Rambler was the first search engine in Runet that was able to implement such an algorithm with high quality.
Less than 200 thousand requests per year were processed by the Bing search engine. As mentioned above, the service from Microsoft is popular mainly in the West, and, most likely, most of the requests in Runet via Bing are sent from smartphones and PCs of foreigners working in Russia.
Similar data on the popularity of search engines can be observed in the study of the analytical agency Seo-auditor. Compare the numbers as of January and November 2017:
Comparing the data of counters Yandex.Metrika, SpyLog/Openstat, LiveInternet, Hotlog, [email protected], as well as using original algorithms, Seo-auditor experts came to the conclusion that the title of "The Best Search Engine" in Runet is once again divided among themselves Google and Yandex. In addition, it is noticeable how the share of requests through the search engines Mail, Rambler and Bing has decreased over the year.
Mobile application search engines
Among the top five most popular search engines, Google, Yandex and Bing have branded mobile applications. To find out how each utility is different, we tested search engines on a powerful and productive smartphone. As a test query, we used one of the most popular, on this moment, not only in Russia, but throughout the world - Star Wars 8. The result can be seen in the video below:
Google in its mobile search engine is guided by the same principle as in the desktop version - a minimum of interface elements. Search query can be entered as on-screen keyboard, as well as voice. In the issuance of the search engine, you can trace a clear hierarchy:
- Film reviews and ratings
- Schedule of screenings in cinemas of the city
- Trailers on YouTube
- List of film cast
- Related searches
- Links to sites.
A similar picture can be observed in the search engine from Yandex. The Russian service in its application also copies the main version. On the main page are useful services and news, and the search bar is pinned at the bottom of the screen. The results are distributed as follows:
- Trailers and videos on Yandex.Video
- Schedule of screenings in cinemas
- Link to Wikipedia
- List of actors
- Related searches
- Links to the site (and the first link is the page of the film on Kinopoisk, which belongs to Yandex).
A separate "trick" of Yandex can be called voice assistant Alice, with which you can not only find necessary information, but also pass the time in a pleasant and sometimes funny conversation with a digital algorithm.
Bing, like Google, is on the path to being concise. There is a search button on the main screen. beautiful background. By clicking on the magnifying glass, the user is taken to the page of the search engine. Despite the fact that the interface is not Russified, the application quickly produces the desired results. True, unlike Google and Yandex, Bing is limited to links to sites without additional services included.
Alternative search engines
In addition to the most popular search engines like Yandex and Google, there are many interesting search services on the Web that, in terms of their functions, can become a good alternative to the recognized giants. We have selected 5 of the most interesting systems that can be used both on PC and on smartphones.
A search engine based on three main principles:
- Lack of a personal data store
- Absence intrusive advertising based on user requests
- Lack of user activity tracking.
Thus, DuckDuckGo will be appreciated by those who prefer privacy on the Web and want to receive objective information, without regard to past browsing behavior on the Internet. In addition, DuckDuckGo is not geographically tied to the user. This means that information can be searched for and received in any language, while Yandex and Google prefer Russian-language resources, even if you enter a request in English.
YaCy
A decentralized search engine that does not have a single server and owner. YaCy is a network of user computers on which special program. Each PC independently scans the Network and collects the information received into a common database. Each node on the YaCy network is autonomous and therefore not subject to government or corporate censorship.
The only drawback for a domestic user is that YaCy is not Russified.
Pipl
Pipl is a system that is designed to search for specific users on the Web. Sophisticated algorithms collect all the data about a person from social media profiles, comments, open databases, and so on. At the moment, the Pipl search database contains data on more than 3 billion people.
RuNet search for Pipl is still pretty challenging task. So this search engine will be more useful for those who are looking for specific users in Europe, the USA or Canada.
Question-answer system, a search engine based on a knowledge base and a set of computational algorithms. Unlike other search engines, Wolfram|Alpha does not display a list of links for queries, but generates a complete response based on a knowledge base about history, culture, science, cinematography, theater and much more. In addition, the algorithm connects data about famous people and pages on the Web.
For example, for a request Star Wars films search engine provides a list of all films of the cinematic universe, for each of which you can see an individual information card. This is followed by a selection of movie posters and detailed information about the box office in cinemas.
Wolfram|Alpha is constantly updating its database to more accurately display the most relevant information for queries. For Wolfram|Alpha students, journalists, analysts, and researchers, perhaps best search engine, since it produces not only text information, but also compiles various graphs, tables and diagrams for greater clarity.
We have introduced you to the most popular search engines. Of course, it is quite difficult to call a certain search engine the best in the world. Each system has its own set of tools that attract certain users. What search engine do you use the most? Tell us about your impressions in the comments to this article!
The word "google" has long been synonymous with the phrase "search for information on the Internet." The reason for this is the monopoly position of Google. It answers 3.5 billion queries daily.
Many Russian-speaking users are not aware of the existence of alternative search engines, except perhaps for Yandex and Mile.ru.
But there are other popular search engines in the world. Many of them are no less convenient and interesting, and sometimes even safer.
Consider the following search engines of the world:
- bing;
- Yahoo!;
- Baidu;
Bing
Bing.com is a well-known information search engine from Microsoft. At the same time, Bing is an old enemy of Google. From time to time, competitors accuse Bing of "cheating", and immediately after its release, jokes like "Bing Is Not Google" (Bing is not Google) appeared.
The Bing search engine correctly searches for both information and pictures. And it’s also well-designed – themes change on the main page every day. Or you can change the topics yourself using the arrows "<» (назад) или «>» (forward), which are located in the lower right corner of the search engine.
Rice. 1 bing search engine Bing is really nice to work with, but it's hardly a full-fledged alternative to Google. After all, he also collects information about users, although Microsoft, in turn, assures that it is stored on their servers for no more than six months.
Yahoo!
Yahoo.com can rightly be called a veteran search engine. It was founded 20 years ago by two graduate students at Stanford University - Jerry Yang and David Filo. At the moment, it takes an honorable second place among search engines (if you do not take into account the Chinese search engine Baidu). The portal offers its users a long list of products and services (eg e-mail, news, weather).
Rice. 2 Yahoo! In 2008, Microsoft wanted to buy Yahoo! for 44 billion dollars, but was refused. Now they are still cooperating, since the search on the portal is carried out using the Bing system.
Duckduckgo.com is a complete alternative to Google. This information search engine positions itself as the most confidential search engine.
At one time, the search engine team even organized a large poster campaign called “Google is watching you. We are not." Google could not ignore this and responded: “Unfortunately, DuckDuckGo plays on people’s fears and offers incomplete information in order to attract attention.”
Rice. 3 Search Engine DuckDuckgo A feature of the DuckDuckGo system is that it has abandoned the use of the "filter bubble". This means that the search engine offers you not only the information that it considers necessary, but all that it has. Thus, on two different ones you will get the same list of answers to queries, and not like when you search in Google.
Chinese search engine Baidu
Baidu.com is the leading search engine in China and one of the top five search engines in the world. Search results include pictures and videos.
The Chinese search engine has its own antivirus and an online encyclopedia called Baidupedia. It was founded in 2006 and has already overtaken the Chinese version of Wikipedia in terms of the number of articles.
Rice. 4 Chinese search engine Baidu Baidu currently exists only in Chinese and Japanese versions, so it can hardly be called convenient for a Russian-speaking user.
Ecosia.org is a rather unusual search engine. Its motto is "Ecosia - green search".
Rice. 5 Search engine ecosia Together with other users of the search engine (the number of which is currently 2,250,710 people), you can contribute to the planting of trees in Brazil.
The company, which currently has just 10 employees, donates 80 percent of its revenue to support Brazil's Tumucumaké Park. During the year (between August 2013 and August 2014), 556,841 trees were planted thanks to Ecosia. Reports are published monthly on the search engine website.
What is it
DuckDuckGo is a fairly well-known open source search engine. source code. The servers are located in the USA. In addition to its own robot, the search engine uses the results of other sources: Yahoo, Bing, Wikipedia.
The better
DuckDuckGo positions itself as the ultimate privacy and privacy search. The system does not collect any data about the user, does not store logs (no search history), use cookies maximum limited.
DuckDuckGo does not collect or share personal information from users. This is our privacy policy.
Gabriel Weinberg, founder of DuckDuckGo
Why do you need this
All major search engines try to personalize search results based on data about the person in front of the monitor. This phenomenon is called "filter bubble": the user sees only those results that are consistent with his preferences or that the system considers as such.
Forms an objective picture that does not depend on your past behavior on the Web, and eliminates thematic google ads and "Yandex", based on your requests. With the help of DuckDuckGo, it is easy to search for information in foreign languages, while Google and Yandex prefer Russian-language sites by default, even if the query is entered in another language.
What is it
not Evil is a system that searches the anonymous Tor network. To use it, you need to go to this network, for example, by launching a specialized .
not Evil is not the only search engine of its kind. There is a LOOK (default search in the Tor browser, available from regular internet) or TORCH (one of the oldest search engines on the Tor network) and others. We settled on not Evil because of the unmistakable allusion to Google (just look at the start page).
The better
He is looking for where Google, Yandex and other search engines are denied access in principle.
Why do you need this
There are many resources on the Tor network that cannot be found on the law-abiding Internet. And their number will grow as the control of the authorities over the contents of the Web tightens. Tor is a kind of network within the Web with its social networks, torrent trackers, media, trading platforms, blogs, libraries and so on.
3. YaCy
What is it
YaCy is a decentralized search engine that works on the principle of P2P networks. Each computer that has a primary software module, scans the Internet on its own, that is, it is an analogue of a search robot. The results obtained are collected in a common database, which is used by all YaCy participants.
The better
It is difficult to say here whether this is better or worse, since YaCy is a completely different approach to organizing search. The lack of a single server and owner company makes the results completely independent of anyone's preferences. The autonomy of each node excludes censorship. YaCy is capable of searching the deep web and non-indexed public networks.
Why do you need this
If you are an open source supporter and free internet, not subject to the influence of government agencies and large corporations, then YaCy is your choice. It can also be used to organize searches within a corporate or other autonomous network. And although YaCy is not very useful in everyday life, it is a worthy alternative to Google in terms of the search process.
4. Pipl
What is it
Pipl is a system designed to search for information about a specific person.
The better
The authors of Pipl claim that their specialized algorithms search more efficiently than "regular" search engines. In particular, profiles are prioritized social networks, comments, lists of participants, and various databases where information about people is published, such as databases of court decisions. Pipl's leadership in this area is confirmed by Lifehacker.com, TechCrunch and other publications.
Why do you need this
If you need to find information about a person living in the US, then Pipl will be much more efficient than Google. Databases of Russian courts, apparently, are inaccessible to the search engine. Therefore, he does not cope so well with the citizens of Russia.
What is it
FindSounds is another specialized search engine. Searches open sources for various sounds: house, nature, cars, people, and so on. The service does not support requests in Russian, but there is an impressive list of Russian-language tags that you can search for.
The better
In the issuance of only sounds and nothing more. In the settings you can set the desired format and sound quality. All found sounds are available for download. There is a pattern search.
Why do you need this
If you need to quickly find the sound of a musket shot, the blow of a sucking woodpecker, or the cry of Homer Simpson, then this service is for you. And we chose this only from the available Russian-language queries. On the English language the spectrum is even wider.
Seriously, a specialized service implies a specialized audience. But what if it comes in handy for you?
What is it
Wolfram|Alpha is a computational search engine. Instead of links to articles containing keywords, it gives a ready response to the user's request. For example, if you enter in the search form "compare the population of New York and San Francisco" in English, then Wolfram|Alpha will immediately display tables and graphs with a comparison.
The better
This service is better than others for finding facts and calculating data. Wolfram|Alpha accumulates and systematizes the knowledge available on the Web from various areas including science, culture and entertainment. If this database contains a ready answer to search query, the system shows it, if not, it calculates and displays the result. In this case, the user sees only and nothing more.
Why do you need this
If you are, for example, a student, analyst, journalist, or researcher, you can use Wolfram|Alpha to find and calculate data related to your activities. The service does not understand all requests, but is constantly evolving and becoming smarter.
What is it
Metasearch engine Dogpile displays a combined list of results from search engines. Google SERPs, Yahoo and other popular systems.
The better
First, Dogpile displays fewer ads. Secondly, the service uses a special algorithm to find and display top scores from different search engines. According to the developers of Dogpile, their system generates the most complete issue on the entire Internet.
Why do you need this
If you can't find information on Google or another standard search engine, look it up in several search engines at once using Dogpile.
What is it
BoardReader is a text search system for forums, Q&A services and other communities.
The better
The service allows you to narrow the search field to social sites. Thanks to special filters, you can quickly find posts and comments that match your criteria: language, publication date, and site name.
Why do you need this
BoardReader can be useful for PR specialists and other media professionals who are interested in the opinion of the mass media on certain issues.
Finally
The life of alternative search engines is often fleeting. Lifehacker asked the former CEO of the Ukrainian branch of the Yandex company Sergey Petrenko about the long-term prospects for such projects.
Sergei Petrenko
Former CEO of Yandex.Ukraine.
As for the fate of alternative search engines, it is simple: to be very niche projects with a small audience, therefore, without clear commercial prospects, or, conversely, with the complete clarity of their absence.
If you look at the examples in the article, you can see that such search engines either specialize in a narrow but in-demand niche, which, perhaps only so far, has not grown enough to be noticeable on the radars of Google or Yandex, or are testing an original hypothesis in ranking, which is not yet applicable in conventional search.
For example, if a Tor search suddenly turns out to be in demand, that is, at least a percentage of the Google audience needs the results from there, then, of course, ordinary search engines will begin to solve the problem of how to find them and show them to the user. If the behavior of the audience shows that a significant proportion of users in a significant number of queries seem to have more relevant results, data without taking into account factors that depend on the user, then Yandex or Google will begin to give such results.
"To be better" in the context of this article does not mean "to be better at everything". Yes, in many aspects our heroes are far from Yandex (even far from Bing). But each of these services gives the user something that the giants of the search industry cannot offer. Surely you also know similar projects. Share with us - let's discuss.