If we look at the launch date of DuckDuckGo (25th Spetember, 2008), we would know it is not a ‘just born’ in the search world. But when it comes to awareness amongst people and the use of DuckDuckGo compared to other giant search engines, it is New.
Though new, this newbie is proving to be real competition to the widely used search engine platforms like Google and Bing. Here’s why —
‘Privacy’ is the Key:
The only major issue people have with Google is – No Privacy. DuckDuckGo has made a smart move by not storing any user information or tracking search data. People who does not like to share any information about their internet usage prefer DuckDuckGo over Google. You can check DuckDuckGo’s privacy policy in detail on their official page.
Shortcut for Searches
If you want to be directed to YouTube, there is a shortcut. If you want to go directly to the first search result displayed, you have a shortcut. If you think DuckDuckGo does not have a result you are looking for, then you have Google, Amazon, Wikipedia, News, etc.
List of shortcuts:
!yt for YouTube: You can enter your search with !yt command and you will be taken to YouTube.
Query:
!a: Shortcut that lets you search anything on Amazon.com
!gi: Directs you to Google Images, similarly
!bi: directs you to Bing images
!w: Lets you search Wikipedia
!n: for News
!m: for maps
Allows Customization
Unlike Google, DuckDuckGo allows customization. You can change the color of the toolbar, change the font style, size, layout and much more.
Information on the ‘Search Results’ Page
With DuckDuckGo, you need not visit a website for basic information. You get it on the search results page with other relevant results like official website, social media pages, etc. For example, if you are looking for Eminem, this is what you get —
Results on a Single Page
Unlike Google, all the search results will be displayed on a single page. You will not have to go to page 2, 3 or 12 in search of relevant results. If DuckDuckGo does not have results you are looking for on one page, then you will be directed to other search engines.
DuckDuckGo, though not the toughest competitor of Google at this time; but with the features this search engine has, this underdog can definitely make it big someday.
