Exploring the World of Search Engines: From Google to Ecosia

Lisa Hirst Carnes | June 2023

A few days ago, I was meeting with a client when we got to talking about search engines. They had a conference in Singapore and wanted to know what the popular search engines in Asia were. This, of course, made me curious and I had to find out.

Search engines play a pivotal role in our daily lives. Think how ubiquitous searching- or, most likely, Googling, is. From new information to current events, search engines are the hammer in our digital toolbox.

While Google dominates the market now, that wasn’t always the case. Before Google, there was Excite, Infoseek, Altavista (my favorite), Yahoo!, Lycos (a close second) and more. Some of these have gone by the wayside but there are others that are popular in other parts of the world.

Graph showing the market share of search engines.

The World’s Most Popular Search Engines

Google: The Undisputed Leader – Duh

With over 85% of the search market share, Google reigns as the most used search engine worldwide. Its user-friendly interface and advanced algorithms have made it the go-to choice. Also, Google captures almost 95% of mobile traffic, solidifying its dominance in mobile search.

Bing + Yahoo: The Contenders

Bing holds a 7% share of U.S. desktop searches and powers Yahoo, the U.S.’s third-largest search engine. Although Bing has a modest market share, it has its own search algorithms and features. Notably, Bing and Yahoo account for 1.5% of mobile searches. According to research from 99Firms, Bing users also tend to be older with 70% over 35 years old.

Yandex: Russia’s Search Engine Giant

Founded in 1997 (the same year as ArcStone), Russian search engine Yandex captures approximately 2% of global market share. While it has a limited world presence, Yandex holds the top spot in its home country at 59%, outpacing Google at 39%. Its success can be attributed to localized services and meeting the needs of its users.

DuckDuckGo: Privacy-Centric Searching

For users concerned with data privacy and ads, DuckDuckGo is a compelling alternative. Dubbed “the search engine that doesn’t track you,” it doesn’t store search data or allow personalized advertising. As privacy concerns grow, DuckDuckGo has gained popularity among privacy-conscious users.

Baidu: China’s Search Giant

Baidu is China’s leading search engine, capturing over 40% of the Chinese search market. While Baidu’s interface resembles Google’s, it operates in Mandarin. Like Google, it enhances search results with rich features, making it a key player in China.

Ask.com: The Answer Engine

Ask.com, formerly Ask Jeeves, provides answers to users’ questions. With a mission to enable curious users to find information, Ask.com has a Yahoo-like interface. Unlike Yahoo, Ask.com operates as its own standalone search engine, with most traffic in the U.S.

Naver: South Korea’s Second Largest Search Engine

Naver holds almost 34% of the search engine market in South Korea. Its interface is in Korean, catering to the local population. While lacking English, Naver offers a comprehensive search experience tailored to its users.

Ecosia: Environmentally Friendly Searching

Ecosia sets itself apart from other search engines by incorporating environmental sustainability. Known as the “search engine that plants trees,” Ecosia uses its profits to fund tree-planting initiatives. With 170 million trees planted to date, it holds 0.11% of the global search engine market share.

AOL: The Media Company Turned Search Engine

If you’re over a certain age, you likely remember AOL’s aggressive marketing. Those disks were everywhere. Guess what? They’re still around. AOL, formerly America Online, serves as both an online media company and search engine. Its website features a search bar alongside national and local news. With 85.7% of its traffic originating in the U.S., AOL continues to be a recognizable name.

Internet Archive: A Unique Search Engine

Internet Archive offers a distinctive approach to searching. Rather than ranking websites, it acts as a free archive of books, movies, music and websites. Users can sign up for a free account and upload their content to store in the archives. It’s also fun to use the Wayback Machine to see snapshots from websites over the years. Check out this version of ArcStone.com from 2000!

Wayback Machine screenshot of the ArcStone website in 2000.

We use search engines all the time. They’re the backbone of our online experience, providing access to a ton of information. While Google dominates the market, there are others that cater to specific needs, from privacy concerns to localized searches.

Exploring search engines allows us to discover those that align with our preferences. Whether it’s privacy-conscious browsing with DuckDuckGo or contributing to tree-planting with Ecosia, each offers a unique approach to serving information.