DuckDuckGo Vs Google - Which One Is Really Better?
I have had a lot of people ask me questions about DuckDuckGo and it always leads to DuckDuckGo vs Google I am sure by now you all have heard about DuckDuckGo it isn't a new search engine it actually has been around since 2008 but it has been rising quickly ever since privacy concerns have plagued the internet. While a lot of SEO freelancers, agencies, and businesses have shrugged off DuckDuckGo it's been quickly and quietly gaining in popularity. Personally, I think DuckDuckGo has the potential to become the most popular search engine (bring out the pitchforks & torches, because I am ready for the heat I will get for that comment). A lot of marketers have only known Google to be king, however, I have seen the rise and fall of the Yahoo kingdom and I believe that was all due to their own choices and personally believe it was speed issues, too many ads, and that gave Google a clear advantage at the time with their no ads and faster search platform.
Ignoring DuckDuckGo? Get Ready To Duck!
Nobody really knows what search engine is going to be the most popular search engine in the future. Don't mistake what I am saying and only focus on DuckDuckGo, I am simply saying don't ignore it as it is growing and does drive traffic. Also, I don't believe it's impossible for another search engine to overthrow Google look at TikTok recently and what they have accomplished. These same people saying it's impossible would have argued that scenario as well.
How Many People Use DuckDuckGo?
DuckDuckGo Vs Google Search
Nearly 4 billion people use Google! Now looking at DuckDuckGo they are only capturing a drop in the bucket when it comes to market share. However, this is popularity not which search engine is better. As far as SEO is concerned my primary focus is Google, this is because it is the most popular search engine. As a searcher, I like to perform my searches across several different search engines because some of the best information on the internet is published by people who suck at SEO. While Google continues to add more ads into the search, sharing our search data, and selling our information when will enough be enough to elect a new king? I don't think Google will ever fail as most people don't know but Google owns way more than just a search engine and they will be around whether they are the #1 search engine or not. In order for DuckDuckGo to become number one, would literally be a David Vs Goliath story according to StatCounter currently, DuckDuckGo owns about 2.52% of the market share on Nov. 2021.
Is DuckDuckGo Better Than Google?
This isn't a black and white question, it's much like comparing apples & oranges. Wait... they both are search engines so how is it comparing apples to oranges? Well, Google search works by using its own algorithm to search for sites within its own network. DuckDuckGo uses its algorithm to search several search engines including Bing, Yandex, Google, and more so their algorithm is searching outside its own network. Currently, Yahoo gets more search traffic than DuckDuckGo and Bing owns about 3x the market vs DuckDuckGo. One huge advantage Google has on any search engine is Google Maps. Yes, Apple has its own maps but they aren't as accurate and have run into issues that Google already tackled and conquered years prior. DuckDuckGo uses Apple maps in their search. I personally judge a search engine on its results, not popularity, not market share, but on how well they render and deliver exactly what I am searching for. DuckDuckGo has a long way to go but sometimes they deliver better results for my searches vs Google and this is a good sign that they could capture much more market share in the next few years. Even though they have a small market share they have grown almost 3 times in under 2 years and they have had investors backing them. So at this time DuckDuckGo Vs Google truly would be a David Vs Goliath story if they took the majority of the market share.
DuckDuckGo Vs Google Censorship
DuckDuckGo doesn't store user data, doesn't track or manipulate your search results based on search history. Another thing DuckDuckGo focuses on beyond their strict privacy practices is searches aren't censored! An article on Wired explains why they ditched Google for DuckDuckGo you can read about it here. Google does censor search, they do collect user data, they do show you search based on history, sell your data, sell your information, and cram the search full of ads. If those things sound good to you then you should stick with Google. I am an SEO marketer and it's not so black and white for me and probably not you either and this is because Google is where the jobs are and until that tide turns for the business life I have to stick with Google.
DuckDuckGo Vs Google Incognito
Google incognito the name itself makes you feel all safe and warm inside I mean the definition itself "(of a person) having one's true identity concealed." seems like you are truly incognito and protected. However, with Google incognito that couldn't be further from the truth. While Google incognito won't store any history information within the browser they are still spying and viewing your search which Google will use that information to send intrusive ads even across millions of websites and apps that run Google ads. DuckDuckGo doesn't track your search history at all, doesn't store your data, or serves you intrusive ads across millions of websites and apps.
That concludes my post about DuckDuckGo Vs Google and I hope you found it useful and as with all SEO keep up with the times and watch trends and if DuckDuckGo can keep on the course they could end up with a huge market share of search and is something you don't want to be blindsided in the event they do become much more popular while the rest of us SEO's are already prepared for the future.