Google is great. As the most sophisticated search engine in the world, it allows you to find answers to almost any question you might have within just a few clicks. Nonetheless, there are times that the service can find you wanting. This begs the need for a search engine that caters to more niche interests, especially if your work requires far more specialization. This guide will outline four advantages of using a niche search engine. Read on now to learn more.
They Increase Privacy
Google’s search engines have thrown up all kinds of privacy questions, with multiple controversies thrown up regarding how they use your personal data. Niche search engines can allow you to look for different subjects without having to worry as much about privacy. They do not keep tabs of your location or previous search enquiries, meaning that you can get more of a neutral response to anything that you want to look for. This can be helpful when you are looking for objective information. It also means less advertisements, which can be distracting and filled with information that has no relation to what you are actually searching for.
They are Less News-Orientated
Google’s search engine is constantly updating. This means that if anything happens, the search engine will quickly update to reflect the latest articles on each subject. This is generally a good development, as it can help you keep up-to-date, but the flip side of this is that it can mask more long-lasting information. Niche search engines allow you to look for more evergreen content that may be more specific to the enquiries that you have.
They Allow You To Answer Specific Queries
While Google is great if you need to find answers to broad queries, such as the temperature outside or the best place to find tacos in your area, for much more niche interests (for example finding papers for specific academic inquiries) their algorithm is unlikely to throw up exactly what you need. A niche search engine, on the other hand, has been tooled exactly for the type of information that you need, no matter how small your enquiry is. For example, Octopart can help you search for electronic components with ease. It makes sense to switch to these if your initial search on Google does not come up with what you need.
More of a Human Approach
When we search for information online, our search is greatly aided if we know that there is a human on the other side. While all major search engines that make use of APIs are going to use algorithms to some degree or another, a niche search engine will feature more personalized curation and updates, allowing you to get far more specificity for your search enquiries. This is not so much a slight on Google as a recognition of its limitations – the vast size of the company means that they cannot cater to smaller, more technically or academically-minded subjects. They need to appeal to the many not the few.
