{"id":125613,"date":"2019-04-25T15:13:57","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T15:13:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/?p=125613"},"modified":"2019-05-09T09:52:51","modified_gmt":"2019-05-09T09:52:51","slug":"whats-it-like-using-duckduckgo-in-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/04\/25\/whats-it-like-using-duckduckgo-in-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s it like using DuckDuckGo in 2019?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><strong>DuckDuckGo could be your new default search engine if you want to focus on privacy and security. What it\u2019s like using it nowadays?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">You might have heard of <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/04\/25\/whats-it-like-using-duckduckgo-in-2019\/\">DuckDuckGo<\/a> in the past. Our first long post about <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2016\/03\/01\/going-over-to-the-duck-side-a-week-using-duckduckgo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">it was back in 2016<\/a> with Rebecca Sentance trying out the new search engine for a week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Three years later, many things have changed. More users are losing trust in big tech companies and privacy and security are more important than ever. How does DuckDuckGo fit in this change?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">And how is the experience of switching into a new search engine nowadays?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><b>DuckDuckGo in numbers<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-125619 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.39.13.png\" alt=\"search engine market share US march 2018 to 2019\" width=\"1194\" height=\"615\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.39.13.png 1194w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.39.13-300x155.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.39.13-768x396.png 768w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.39.13-1024x527.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1194px) 100vw, 1194px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Over the last few months, DuckDuckGo has seen increased media coverage. Its growing stats among a growing conversation around online privacy make it more relevant than ever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">There are more than 30 million searches happening on DuckDuckGo every day. Its data indicates a constant growth. It\u2019s currently the fourth largest search engine in the U.S. counting more than 1 billion searches every month all over the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Google is holding the reins of the market share with 88.5% of it, Bing is following with 6.12%, Yahoo! is third with 4.11% and DuckDuckGo is forthwith 0.99% of the market share.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It clearly has a long way to go to stand out as a serious competitor in the market share. However, it has already paved the way in a new kind of search engine that is serious about security and privacy. In fact, its mission is to set a new standard of trust online.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><b>The search engine that doesn\u2019t track you<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-125621 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.34.00.png\" alt=\"duckduckgo homepage\" width=\"1396\" height=\"673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.34.00.png 1396w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.34.00-300x145.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.34.00-768x370.png 768w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.34.00-1024x494.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1396px) 100vw, 1396px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">One of the first things you notice when visiting DuckDuckGo, except for the search box, is the subheading \u201cthe search engine that doesn\u2019t track you\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">DuckDuckGo was built as an alternative to Google and the big search engines that use tracking data to improve personalization. DuckDuckGo reassures its users that they don\u2019t store their personal information. They don\u2019t collect or share personal data. They are not storing your search history, which means that they are not able to sell this data to advertisers. Moreover, there\u2019s no tracking in the private browsing mode, which sounds encouraging for everyone who is interested in a search engine that won\u2019t track every single search.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-125627 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.43.12.png\" alt=\"duckduckgo privacy information\" width=\"775\" height=\"662\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.43.12.png 775w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.43.12-300x256.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.43.12-768x656.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 775px) 100vw, 775px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">What\u2019s interesting is that DuckDuckGo wants to prove that they take privacy seriously. A click on their menu button at the homepage on \u2018privacy simplified\u2019 allows you to:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">Protect your data on every device<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Subscribe to their Privacy Crash Course to improve your understanding of online privacy<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Protect your devices by reading privacy guides<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Find out more about the importance of reduced tracking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Just recently, Google announced an expanded number of default search engines for users including DuckDuckGo for the first time. This was certainly a small win for the DuckDuckGo and also for people who want to focus on private searches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It\u2019s not surprising that more users are interested in learning more about their online privacy.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-125616 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.35.34.png\" alt=\"duckduckgo traffic from 2010 to 2019, now at more than 30 million searches\" width=\"851\" height=\"574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.35.34.png 851w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.35.34-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.35.34-768x518.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 851px) 100vw, 851px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>[Screenshot from <a href=\"https:\/\/duckduckgo.com\/traffic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DuckDuckGo&#8217;s traffic page<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">A closer look at DuckDuckGo\u2019s stats indicates this growing interest in security and privacy. DuckDuckGo reached 10 million searches in one day back in 2015. It managed to reach 20 million searches in October 2018. In <a href=\"https:\/\/duckduckgo.com\/traffic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 2019 it counts 38 million searches<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><b>Making the most of DuckDuckGo <\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">I\u2019ve decided to try out DuckDuckGo after many years of using Google. The focus on online privacy along with the growing number of people switching to DuckDuckGo made it an intriguing choice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The first impression seemed familiar. Simplicity and a minimal interface made the transition easy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The fact that your searches are not personalized means that everyone can access the same results in a similar search. This seems to be a relief in the common pattern of the online filter bubbles that we\u2019re used to be part of.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-125622 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.39.06.png\" alt=\"search on duckduckgo for &quot;social media trends&quot;\" width=\"1079\" height=\"692\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.39.06.png 1079w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.39.06-300x192.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.39.06-768x493.png 768w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.39.06-1024x657.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1079px) 100vw, 1079px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Another relief was the lack of endless ads before the actual search results. I\u2019ve been used to the series of ads before the actual search results and the science of PPC from a professional perspective, but it was still a nice experience to find the direct results of my query. There was only one ad at the top of the search results, which I certainly wouldn\u2019t mind seeing a similar limit to my Google results.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-125628 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.45.02.png\" alt=\"duckduckgo shortcuts to other sites\" width=\"716\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.45.02.png 716w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.45.02-120x90.png 120w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.45.02-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.45.02-146x110.png 146w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 716px) 100vw, 716px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In addition to these, you can also save time from your searches by making the most of DuckDuckGo\u2019s bangs. Bangs are shortcuts that allow you to search results on other sites. If you want to <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/category\/seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">search for \u201cSEO\u201d<\/a> on Search Engine Watch and you\u2019re actually on DuckDuckGo\u2019s homepage, all you need to do is to type \u2018!searchenginewatch seo\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">There are currently more than 12k bangs so you can search any of the big sites without visiting them in a different tab.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><b>Finding the best search results &#8212; not everything is perfect <\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">I must admit that the lack of personalization has its pros and cons. It is obviously reassuring to feel that you\u2019re in control of your own data. However, you should also be prepared for the additional queries you might need to find the best results.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Forget queries like \u201ccinemas near me\u201d and \u201cwhat\u2019s playing\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-125615 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.32.33.png\" alt=\"duckduckgo query for &quot;cinemas near me&quot;\" width=\"819\" height=\"672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.32.33.png 819w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.32.33-300x246.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.32.33-768x630.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The search results will be the same for everyone all over the world without detailed queries that could possibly help you get more personalized results.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Moreover, the actual search cannot compete with Google\u2019s sophisticated search. After years of serving as the biggest search engine, there is a learning of semantics that leads to way better results compared to all other search engines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">This shouldn\u2019t be a surprise and it should be clear when you\u2019re jumping into DuckDuckGo that not everything will be the same.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">There will also be an initial phase of learning the ropes of a new search experience, which is expected in every new tool and site.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Are these reasons enough to abandon DuckDuckGo? Not yet. It\u2019s good to understand that it won\u2019t replace Google anytime soon but this doesn\u2019t mean that it doesn\u2019t deserve a chance, especially if you\u2019re serious about your online privacy when searching. I\u2019ll personally give it a go knowing that if I can\u2019t find a specific result, I can still use Google. I also enjoy their curated stories around privacy on their Twitter feed so it was an easy decision to follow them and stay up-to-date.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><b>The choice is yours<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-125617 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.36.27.png\" alt=\"duckduckgo query for &quot;alternatives to google search&quot;\" width=\"992\" height=\"552\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.36.27.png 992w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.36.27-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-20-at-15.36.27-768x427.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 992px) 100vw, 992px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The online world is changing. And we\u2019re facing with numerous dilemmas when it comes to staying loyal to the big tech companies. As more data breaches and scandals show up, it\u2019s up to us to decide whether we want to keep personalization or not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">There\u2019s no right or wrong answer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Google is certainly enjoying the success of the big search giant with a large index and search features that keep us hooked with along the numerous services we use on a daily basis. However, it\u2019s refreshing to feel that we still have alternative options. Whether we use them or not, it\u2019s up to us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">What\u2019s important is to be conscious of your decision and your online privacy. The more informed we are, the better our online experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DuckDuckGo could be your new default search engine if you want to focus on privacy and security. What it\u2019s like using it nowadays?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":125630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[249,253,37,27439,93],"content_type":[],"class_list":["post-125613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","category-seo","tag-alternative-search-engines","tag-duckduckgo","tag-google","tag-non-google-search","tag-search-engines"],"acf":{"tad_independentcommercial":false,"tad_content_format":false},"post_info":{"name":"Tereza Litsa","title":"","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screenshot-2019-04-19-at-17.47.30-120x90.png","category":"Industry","timeago":"7y"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125613"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=125613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}