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However, in order to find content online, you needed a search engine as well, which was accessed separately. When the internet first hit the mainstream and became more widely available around the world, web browsers and search engines had a more clear delineation.Īt the time, a web browser was how you accessed the internet. This has to do with how the technologies have developed over time. However, the two things are easily confused. In addition, private search engines typically do not store browser history. However, these ads tend to be de-personalized because your data is not collected and sold. Google has sold the data about your search to advertisers who can follow you across websites.Ī private search engine, on the other hand, may show you ads (they do pay the bills after all). That’s why, if you use their platform to search for jewelry stores in New York one time, you’ll start seeing ads for such businesses on nearly every website you visit.
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In the case of a regular search engine, like Google, that money is raised by collecting and selling user data to advertisers and other third parties. Because search engines are typically free, they need to raise money to fund their work somehow. However, there are a few things that differentiate them: mostly, how they handle user data. For example, if a person searches for “jewelry stores in New York City,” the algorithm can search the catalogued web pages for a website which includes the keywords “jewelry” and “New York” to return the correct results.īoth regular and private search engines use this basic premise in order to provide their services. By determining the main keywords used on each web page, the search engine can help match users with websites based on the search parameters they use. From there, that information is catalogued and sorted by the algorithm, which helps classify what the data on each page really says. They collect data from those pages, such as page title, topic, content length and clarity, keywords, and more. The bots, also known as web crawlers, scour the web for new and old web pages. Here’s what you should know: How Do Search Engines Work?Ī typical search engine is built on two things: algorithms and bots. Despite its ubiquity, and that of search engines in general, many people don’t know exactly what a search engine is or how it works. The platform sees roughly 92 percent of all search traffic online. The world’s most popular search engine, by far, is Google.
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How else can you remain private online?.What are the most popular private search engines?.What are the pros and cons of using a private search engine?.How do they differ from incognito mode?.If you’re considering changing search engines, learn the pros and cons of using a private search engine. However, many people are hesitant to make the switch to a new search provider because they worry that they will lose the convenience and comfort they’ve come to expect online. Their main goal is, well, exactly what it seems: to protect the privacy of their users. Private search engines are a safer alternative to traditional search engines like Google and Bing.
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