When I started my virtual assistant journey 11 years ago, we virtual assistants used to say among ourselves that Google is our lifeline. Even today, if we need to tell someone to find something online, we often say, "Google it."

Back then, we used to consider ourselves search wizards after learning various Google shortcuts, such as exact, insite, or filetype searches.

The bond is still intact and has flourished with the advent of Google Gemini. 

However, when I came across DuckDuckGo a few years ago, I felt it was worth trying to extend and improve our search experience beyond Google! 

Why DuckDuckGo?

DuckDuckGo Does Not Track You!

DuckDuckGo is a search engine that cares about keeping your search history private and giving you fair search results. Unlike some other search engines, it doesn't spy on what you've searched for before or gather any of your info. 

That means when you search with DuckDuckGo, you'll see results based purely on what you're looking for right now, not what you've looked at in the past. 
This helps prevent you from being stuck in a bubble where you only see things that match your preconceived notions. Instead, you'll get a broader range of information to explore. 

It's an excellent option for users who value privacy and control over their search results. 

You might say, but hold on! Does not Google Incognito offer similar features?

Well, no! 

Google Incognito mode might seem similar to DuckDuckGo, but they work differently.

Google Incognito only clears your search history, but it doesn't make your online activity entirely private. Your internet service provider (ISP), employer, school, or the websites you visit can still track what you're doing even in Incognito mode.

Conversely, DuckDuckGo doesn't record your searches, giving you a private search experience.

DuckDuckGo offers a simple search experience with no tracking! 

However, like Google, it also has a paid ad feature (way fewer!), wherein sponsored ads appear at the top of the search results.

Save Time with DuckDuckGo's Instant Search Results

One feature that I like about DuckDuckGo is its "Bangs" feature! It allows you to search other websites directly without visiting them first. For example, if you type in "!w One Direction", you will be taken directly to the Wikipedia page for One Direction. This can save you time and clicks when searching for specific information on a particular website.

Not Isolating Your Audience

Relying solely on one platform, whether it's Google, Bing, or even DuckDuckGo, can alienate parts of your target audience. For example, if your business sells "electronic gadgets" and you only focus on optimizing your Google search ranking, you might miss out on potential buyers who are gadget enthusiasts but prioritize privacy. These potential customers might not use Google and could be overlooked if you don't diversify your online presence.

Ever-Changing Google Algorithms 

Google periodically changes its ranking and algorithm rules, so no traffic or ranking is permanent. Focusing only on Google ranking is similar to keeping all your eggs in one basket. 

Google has become stricter with its policies over time, and so every business is likely to be penalized by Google. And if it ever happens, your online presence will get severely hampered. 

Don't rely only on Google. Use social media, emails, other search engines, and forums to reach more people. This way, if your Google ranking changes, you still have different ways to connect with your audience. 

Dodge Big Sharks

Google is undoubtedly the biggest player, which means that the competition to rank at the top of Google's search results is incredibly fierce. 

Big companies constantly wrestle and wrangle to reach the top of search results. They spend millions of dollars on paid advertisements. As a result, the cost per click of specific keywords relevant to your business becomes too expensive, making it challenging for smaller websites and businesses to compete and gain visibility.

In our business, “Virtual Assistant” is one of the primary keywords, as we’re human virtual assistants who assist companies with their tasks remotely. However, many other businesses, like Amazon, Apple, and so on, use the same keyword for their AI assistants, like Alexa and Siri. 

Not only that, many big technology firms allocate a huge budget to using the same word for their paid advertisements, making it expensive for us to use it. To tackle this, we use longtail keywords such as virtual assistant for real estate, administrative tasks, etc., and related keywords such as remote assistants, personal assistants, etc. 

But if you're looking for a less crowded online space that offers a less cut-throat and noisy environment, you might want to check out DuckDuckGo. Unlike Google, ranking on DuckDuckGo is relatively easier, and you won't have to worry about being overshadowed by bigger players. As a result, you can expect less competition, more visibility, and a fairer playing field on DuckDuckGo.

How to Use DuckDuckGo

Using DuckDuckGo is easy, just like using any other search engine. You can visit their website on your browser or download their app on your phone.

To search, type what you're looking for into the search bar and press enter. You can also use "bangs" by typing "!g" for Google, "!a" for Amazon, or "!yt" for YouTube before your search to go directly to those sites.

DuckDuckGo has settings you can tweak, like changing the theme or turning on dark mode. To access these options, click the menu icon at the top right corner.

Does it mean you should stop using Google?

The world of search engines is not a competition where one wins and the other loses. Just like when shopping, you don't limit yourself to a single store. Similarly, there's no need to restrict yourself to a single search engine. Instead of thinking of DuckDuckGo as a replacement for your current search engine, consider it as a powerful extension to your search strategy, providing privacy-first, unbiased results, and a level playing field. 

If you want to search for something that falls under the marketing segment, where you search for it once and get thousands of sponsored ads for similar products, then DuckDuckGo is the right search engine for you.