Featured, News, Search Engines
Think You’re Using the Best Search Engine? Try a Blind Search Test
August 17, 2009 by Evan Wondrasek · 4 Comments
With Google and Bing both competing to be the most popular search engine on earth, perception can be more of a deciding factor than search results. Bing (being the new kid in town) has made a particularly strong marketing attempt over the past month, but many people still prefer the simplicity and proven track record of Google. So what if perception was taken out of the equation?
Blind Search allows you to perform a web search with Google, Bing, and Yahoo simultaneously and then lists the results together on one page. One catch – the results have no branding or any way to identify where they originated. A ‘Vote’ button appears at the top of each search column, allowing you to vote for the engine that you feel provided the best results. Once you’ve voted, you’ll immediately find to your surprise (or horror) which search engine you selected.
This site might indeed make you question your search engine loyalty. After performing a blind search for Techerator, I felt two search engines definitely provided better results than the third. I was even surprised to find that after several searches, the engine that I thought was Google turned out to be Bing.
Over 500,000 votes have been cast to decide which search engine reigns supreme. As of this writing, Google leads with 41%, Bing follows with 31%, and Yahoo trailing with 28%. While these results provide a general idea of which search engine provides the best results, it should be noted that only the more tech-savvy web users probably participated in the survey.
Does this end the Google vs. Bing debate? Not exactly. Even though search results play a huge role in which search engine is the best, things like design, user experience, and speed are still significant.
Were you surprised by the search engine you picked? Has brand perception warped our opinion on how search engines perform? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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About the Author
Evan Wondrasek is the founding editor of Techerator and is currently studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of North Dakota. He enjoys web design, vanilla lattes, and all things tech.
you didn't tell us which one is the best. just tell me which one i should use. that's what you're here for.
To Josh,
Finish reading the article–he gives the results of the survey, and states that the debate is not over.