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Wednesday “Wisdom”: Use Google, Period (Part 3)

The past two weeks in Wednesday “Wisdom,” we’ve discussed using Google and neglecting other search engines. This week, we’ll go against the grain and suggest that… maybe… Bing and Yahoo have something to offer both in their extra features and their search results.

I realize that the title of this post is still “Use Google, Period.” And I still stand by that. However, maybe we should consider the merits of the other search engines, if there are any.

For example, Bing’s format can be seen in at least two ways: condescending or enlightening. Yes, it can feel kind of rude to have so many suggested searches thrown at you, and you might think “I know what I searched for. I meant to type this query into the search bar.” But, if you consider the vastness of the internet, Bing is help users to sift through the mess and possibly find some additional interesting and/or helpful information.

They even have a “People also search for…” feature. For the nonconformists, this might be completely useless. But, as the internet is a collective experience, it can certainly be nice to know what our peers search for. This feature promotes people looking into similar topics, therefore opening avenues for discussion amongst coworkers, friends and family – kind of a passive form of social media.

As for Yahoo, their main attractions are probably less search-related. They offer a lot of media, specifically “news.” While they might not be a solid source of hard news, they dig into popular topics and will often give enough of an overview for a user to understand what’s going on. From pop culture to politics to science, you can learn a lot from Yahoo’s home page. Then you can search those topics to find out more.

So… I still think that Google is the best for searches. However, their stripped down search results can get boring. Bing gives us other avenues to drive down and Yahoo gives us unique sources of content within their home page. So, use Google, period… if you know what you’re looking for. If you want to go down a rabbit hole, consider Bing or Yahoo.

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