Google Search

The grand daddy of all Google services, Search.  For the past 15 or more years Google has been the defacto standard of search on the web.  It has also been turned into a verb – Google it!  A common household name to say the least.

Even before Google rolled out Plus to the masses and started customizing the search results with data from your social network (which you can turn off), I started noticing the results were becoming less and less relevant.  I increasingly found myself looking beyond the first page of results for information.

After I concluded the migration from all the Google web services, I was still using Google for search, even though it was producing less relevant results.  So I started looking at other search providers.  What I found was surprising.

I did side by side tests of several providers.  I started with Yahoo!, but was still unimpressed with the results as I was when Yahoo! was in its former glory.  Since I have started to hear a lot of good things about Microsoft Bing, I decided to give it a try.  I was sure there was no way Microsoft could compete in this space.  Well, guess what?

I was wrong.  Side by side comparisons showed me that Bing is providing the results I want to see (usually on the first page of results).  Just what I am looking for!  I started a trial of Bing using only one web browser on one device.  After a short while I enabled it on another, then another, and then all.

Just as Microsoft quietly built the best online Office suite, they also built a top-notch search engine.  Microsoft is gaining more and more respect in my book, but I still won’t use Windows. 😛

You should give Bing a try as well.  It may just surprise you too.

Here is how to switch the search provider on several browsers.

OSX Safari:

1. Open Safari.
2. Select Safari > Preferences from the menu.
3. Select the General section.
4. Next to “Default search engine” use the drop down to select Bing or whichever provider you choose.

iOS Safari:

1. Open Settings > Safari > Search Engine.
2. Select Bing or whichever provider you choose.

Windows Firefox:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Click the down arrow button next to the search providers icon.
3. Click Bing or whichever provider you choose from the list.

Windows Internet Explorer:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click the down arrow next to the magnifying glass icon.
3. Click Bing or whichever provider you choose from the list.

Next up: Conclusion