Trend Micro</a>.</p>\r\n<p>In the modern world, searching for information is simple. There&rsquo;s no need to go from one library to another, flipping through numerous pages, or checking the table of contents before you get to what you&rsquo;re looking for. Simply typing words on the internet will give you limitless results &mdash; all you need to do is narrow them down.</p>\r\n<h2>What is a Search Engine?</h2>\r\n<p>If you need to find something, like a website or page that contains your needed information, you&rsquo;ll need to go and visit a search engine page to query keywords.</p>\r\n<p>A search engine is a program or application that checks, hunts, and searches the web for sites based on keywords. It uses these keywords and returns pages that are connected to what you have typed.</p>\r\n<p>Search engines use web crawlers or web spiders to catalog the World Wide Web. These crawling bots are used for indexing contents. They will scan, check, assess and inspect site pages and their information across the web.</p>\r\n<h2>Notable Search Engines and Their Brief Histories</h2>\r\n<p><strong>Archie</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; During the 1990s, the very first search engine arrived, named Archie. Its purpose was to search FTP sites to create indexes of files that are downloadable.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Veronica&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jughead</strong> &mdash;&nbsp;Created around 1992/93, they both searched file names and titles in Gopher index systems.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Infoseek&nbsp;</strong>&mdash; In 1994, Webmasters would submit and provide a page in real-time with this program.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Yahoo Search</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; Also created in 1994, it created a collection of favorable web pages with description of each website.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Looksmart,&nbsp;Excite&nbsp;and&nbsp;AltaVista&nbsp;</strong>&mdash; These search engines were created in 1995 and tried to compete with Yahoo.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Backrub</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; Created around 1996, Google&rsquo;s initial project, Backrub, was a search engine that utilized backlinks for searches. It ranked pages depending on citations from other sites.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Ask Jeeves</strong> &mdash;&nbsp;Started in 1996, this search engine used human editors that tried to match search queries.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Google</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; Officially launched in 1998.</p>\r\n<p><strong>MSN Search</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; Relied on three different search engines: Looksmart, Overture and Inktomi.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Snap</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; A somewhat complex search engine, released in 2005, that shows search volumes, revenues and advertisers.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Bing</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; Rebranded name for MSN/Live Search.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Schema.Org</strong> &mdash;&nbsp;In 2011, Microsoft, Google and Yahoo collaborated to create Schema.org to create structured internet data.</p>\r\n<h2>Top 10 Most Used Search Engines</h2>\r\n<p>The following list contains the top ten from across the world:</p>\r\n<p><strong>1.&nbsp;Google:&ldquo;</strong>Just google it&rdquo; is a ubiquitous expression nowadays. Google is the most popular across all search engines &mdash; even more than all others combined. According to statistics, around&nbsp;<strong>78%&nbsp;</strong>of desktops and laptops uses Google.</p>\r\n<p><strong>2.&nbsp;Yahoo:</strong>&nbsp;In the past, Yahoo had competed with Google. But as the years went on, Yahoo users had declined significantly. Now it is mostly used as a backup search engine in case the dominant one is down.</p>\r\n<p><strong>3.&nbsp;Bing:</strong>&nbsp;Microsoft Bing (or just Bing) is owned by Microsoft. Its origin came from MSN Search and Windows Live Search. This search engine is proud of its &lsquo;decision&rsquo; engine which provides suggestions on the sides.</p>\r\n<p><strong>4.&nbsp;AOL Search:</strong>&nbsp;Known before as American Online Search. This search engine is used mostly by older people accustomed to AOL.</p>\r\n<p><strong>5.&nbsp;Duck Duck Go:</strong>&nbsp;Some say that Duck Duck Go is for and by Hipsters. But the main reason users choose this search engine is that it does not track search history and avoids spammy websites.</p>\r\n<p><strong>6.&nbsp;Baidu:</strong>&nbsp;This search engine is the&nbsp;<strong>3rd&nbsp;largest&nbsp;out there</strong>. Baidu dominates the Chinese market and is the first choice in China. This engine has a sophisticated online censorship system since there&rsquo;s many restrictions in its operating region.</p>\r\n<p><strong>7.&nbsp;Yandex:</strong>&nbsp;If Baidu has China as its market, then Yandex has the&nbsp;<strong>Russian&nbsp;</strong>market.</p>\r\n<p><strong>8.&nbsp;Ask:</strong>&nbsp;Its origin is the older&nbsp;<strong>&ldquo;Ask Jeeves&rdquo;</strong>. Since it could not compete with Google, it&rsquo;s now&nbsp;<em>powered</em>&nbsp;by Google &mdash; if you can&rsquo;t beat &lsquo;em, join &lsquo;em!</p>\r\n<p><strong>9.&nbsp;Naver:</strong>&nbsp;South Korea is another huge tech and communications market with its own search engine, Naver.</p>\r\n<p><strong>10.Seznam:</strong>&nbsp;The search engine popular in the Czech Republic and C. Europe.</p>\r\n<h3>And some honorable mentions:</h3>\r\n<p><strong>Ecosia&nbsp;</strong>&mdash; Donates surplus income to organizations that plant trees.<br /><strong>Dogpile</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; Shows results from the top 3 search engines (Google, Bing and Baidu).<br /><strong>Gigablast</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; An open-source search engine.<br /><strong>Qwant</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; A popular, EU-based search engine.</p>\r\n<h2>Tips For Using Search Engines</h2>\r\n<p>Search engines are brilliant tools to immediately get the information we want. However, since search engines generally do not have much security capability, you should invest in a security product to provide and efficient browsing.</p>\r\n<h3>1. Install the Maximum Security tool bar to prevent you from visiting malicious websites.</h3>\r\n<p>You can install the <a title=\"https://tmurl.co/saMS\" href=https://www.scamadviser.com/"https://tmurl.co/saMS/">Trend Micro Maximum Security</a> toolbar service, which warns you of security risks relevant to the websites you visit.</p>\r\n<p>When you search online, it monitors and rates websites in search engines such as Google, Bing, Baidu, and Yahoo. The&nbsp;<strong>Trend Micro Toolbar</strong>&nbsp;provides Page Ratings that show if the page is&nbsp;<strong>safe,&nbsp;suspicious,&nbsp;dangerous,&nbsp;trusted&nbsp;or&nbsp;untested.</strong></p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>A Mac User? No problem. <a title=\"https://tmurl.co/saITIS\" href=https://www.scamadviser.com/"https://tmurl.co/saITIS/">Trend Micro Antivirus</a> One for Mac has the same toolbar feature to protect your online activity.</li>\r\n</ul>"}},{"_template":"Articles\\ButtonGroup","_identifier":"block-193440","data":{"buttons":[{"_template":"Articles\\Button","_identifier":"block-193441","data":{"text":"Download the ScamAdviser App for iOS","link":"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/scamadviser/id6480509109"}}]}},{"_template":"Articles\\ImageFull","_identifier":"block-45353","data":{"image":null}},{"_template":"Articles\\ImageFull","_identifier":"block-45355","data":{"image":"https://whitelabel-manager-production.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/thumbs/browse003-77bcb.png_900x.png"}},{"_template":"Articles\\Text","_identifier":"block-45357","data":{"text":"<h2>2. Install AdBlock One to stop annoying ads.</h2>\r\n<p>In addition, be sure to also use <a title=\"https://cleanerone.trendmicro.com/ad-block-one-for-mac/\" href=https://www.scamadviser.com/"https://cleanerone.trendmicro.com/ad-block-one-for-mac//">AdBlock One for Safari</a>. This app stops annoying online ads from bothering you and helps load web pages faster &mdash; a significant boost in securing and improving your digital life.</p>\r\n<h3>Without AdBlock One&nbsp;</h3>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>"}},{"_template":"Articles\\ImageFull","_identifier":"block-45369","data":{"image":"https://whitelabel-manager-production.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/thumbs/browse004-b77b3.png_900x.png"}},{"_template":"Articles\\Text","_identifier":"block-45371","data":{"text":"<h3>With AdBlock One</h3>"}},{"_template":"Articles\\ImageFull","_identifier":"block-45383","data":{"image":"https://whitelabel-manager-production.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/thumbs/browse005-06e9d.png_900x.png"}},{"_template":"Articles\\Button","_identifier":"block-45385","data":{"text":"Get Adblock One","link":"https://tmurl.co/saDABO"}},{"_template":"Articles\\Text","_identifier":"block-45398","data":{"text":"<p>If you&rsquo;ve found this article an interesting and/or useful read, please do<strong>&nbsp;SHARE</strong>&nbsp;with family and friends.</p>\r\n<p>📱 Make the Most of ScamAdviser Everywhere You Go<br />Check websites, numbers, IBANs &amp; wallets in seconds.<br />Spot red flags before they spot you &mdash; <a href=https://www.scamadviser.com/"https://www.scamadviser.com/download-browser-extension-app/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">install the app now!</a></p>"}},{"_template":"Articles\\ImageLink","_identifier":"block-193444","data":{"image":"https://whitelabel-manager-production.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/thumbs/app-sa-e46b5.png_900x.png","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/download-browser-extension-app","openInNewTab":true}}],"sidebarBlocks":[{"_template":"Small\\Content\\Cta","_identifier":"block-157084","data":{"title":"Report a Scam!","consumer":null,"description":"Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!","image":"https://files.scamadviser.com/thumbs/tell-your-story-8910e.png_200x200.png","button":"Report a Scam!","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/leave-review"}},{"_template":"Small\\Content\\Taxonomy","_identifier":"block-157123","data":{"title":"Scam Categories","taxonomies":[{"id":7,"name":"Scam Alerts (896)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-alerts"},{"id":6,"name":"Scam Trends (331)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-trends"},{"id":8,"name":"Global Scam Country Guide (44)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/global-scam-country-guide"},{"id":3,"name":"News about Scamadviser (41)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/news-about-scamadviser"},{"id":5,"name":"Reliable Sites (37)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/reliable-sites"},{"id":2,"name":"Research & Reports (26)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/research-reports"},{"id":1,"name":"Tips & Support (24)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/tips-support"},{"id":88,"name":"Fact Check (19)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/fact-check"},{"id":87,"name":"Product Reviews (6)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/product-reviews"},{"id":4,"name":"Advice for Companies (2)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/advice-for-companies"}]}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Heading","_identifier":"block-59407","data":{"align":"","text":"Help & Info","size":"large"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157795","data":{"articles":[{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157796","data":{"title":"Tips & Support","link":"","icon":"fa-lightbulb-o"}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157824","data":{"title":"Scam Alerts","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-alerts","icon":"fa-exclamation-triangle"}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157839","data":{"title":"Learn about Scams","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-trends","icon":"fa-tags"}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157854","data":{"title":"Reliable Sites","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/reliable-sites","icon":"fa-check-circle"}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157869","data":{"title":"Advice for Companies","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/advice-for-companies","icon":"fa-comment"}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157884","data":{"title":"Research & Reports","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/research-reports","icon":"fa-search"}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-161131","data":{"title":"Global Scam Country Guide","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/global-scam-country-guide","icon":"fa-globe"}}],"buttonText":"See all","buttonLink":"https://www.scamadviser.com/help-info"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Heading","_identifier":"block-167997","data":{"align":"left","text":"Top Safety Picks","size":"large"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Lists","_identifier":"block-167811","data":{"heading":"Your Go-To Tools for Online Safety","description":null,"listItems":[{"_template":"Default\\Items\\ListItem","_identifier":"block-167891","data":{"title":"ScamAdviser App - iOS","titleUrl":"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/scamadviser/id6480509109","linkTarget":"1","text":"Your personal scam detector, on the go! Check website safety, report scams, and get instant alerts. Available on iOS"}},{"_template":"Default\\Items\\ListItem","_identifier":"block-167944","data":{"title":"ScamAdviser App - Android","titleUrl":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tech.scamadviser","linkTarget":"1","text":"Your personal scam detector, on the go! Check website safety, report scams, and get instant alerts. Available on Android."}},{"_template":"Default\\Items\\ListItem","_identifier":"block-169734","data":{"title":"NordVPN","titleUrl":"http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-101566658-13382109","linkTarget":"1","text":"NordVPN keeps your connection private and secure whether you are at home, traveling, or streaming from another country. It protects your data, blocks unwanted ads and trackers, and helps you access your paid subscriptions anywhere. Try it Today!"}}]}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Heading","_identifier":"block-59517","data":{"align":"left","text":"Popular Stories","size":"large"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Blogs","_identifier":"block-59530","data":{"items":[{"id":13,"title":"How to Recognize a Scam Website","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/how-to-recognize-a-scam-website","excerpt":"As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam.\r\nCommon Sense: Too Good To Be True\r\nWhen looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact.\r\nIf an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website.\r\nCheck Out the Social Media Links\r\nSocial media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu","buttonText":"Read more","renderAsInertiaLink":false},{"id":4,"title":"How Do I Get Money Back From a Scammer?","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/how-do-i-get-money-back-from-a-scammer","excerpt":"Disclaimer: This article was originally published in 2018 and has been updated in October 2025 to reflect more current information, resources, and advice. Scams and recovery options continue to evolve, so always double-check with your bank, payment provider, or local consumer protection authority for the latest guidance.\r\nSo the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!!\r\nIf you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking. \r\nIf you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used.\r\n\r\nPayPal\r\nDebit card/Credit card\r\nBank transfer\r\nWire transfer\r\nGoogle Pay\r\nBitcoin\r\n\r\nPayPal\r\nGood news: PayPal gives you strong protection. You can file a dispute within 180 days of your purchase.\r\nYou can get a refund if:\r\n\r\nYour order never arrives, and the seller cannot provide proof of delivery.\r\nThe scammer sends you something completely different (e.g., a controller instead of a PlayStation).\r\nThe product condition was misrepresented (sold as new but arrives used).\r\nThe item is missing undisclosed parts.\r\nThe item is counterfeit.\r\n\r\nStart your claim directly through Pay","buttonText":"Read more","renderAsInertiaLink":false}]}}],"meta":{"title":"Top 10 Most Used Search Engines & Tips for Browsing","description":"Check if a website is a scam website or a legit website. ScamAdviser helps identify if a webshop is fraudulent or infected with malware, or conducts phishing, fraud, scam and spam activities. 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Top 10 Most Used Search Engines & Tips for Browsing

Header

Author: Trend Micro

December 11, 2021

This article is from Trend Micro.

In the modern world, searching for information is simple. There’s no need to go from one library to another, flipping through numerous pages, or checking the table of contents before you get to what you’re looking for. Simply typing words on the internet will give you limitless results — all you need to do is narrow them down.

What is a Search Engine?

If you need to find something, like a website or page that contains your needed information, you’ll need to go and visit a search engine page to query keywords.

A search engine is a program or application that checks, hunts, and searches the web for sites based on keywords. It uses these keywords and returns pages that are connected to what you have typed.

Search engines use web crawlers or web spiders to catalog the World Wide Web. These crawling bots are used for indexing contents. They will scan, check, assess and inspect site pages and their information across the web.

Notable Search Engines and Their Brief Histories

Archie — During the 1990s, the very first search engine arrived, named Archie. Its purpose was to search FTP sites to create indexes of files that are downloadable.

Veronica and Jughead — Created around 1992/93, they both searched file names and titles in Gopher index systems.

Infoseek — In 1994, Webmasters would submit and provide a page in real-time with this program.

Yahoo Search — Also created in 1994, it created a collection of favorable web pages with description of each website.

Looksmart, Excite and AltaVista — These search engines were created in 1995 and tried to compete with Yahoo.

Backrub — Created around 1996, Google’s initial project, Backrub, was a search engine that utilized backlinks for searches. It ranked pages depending on citations from other sites.

Ask Jeeves — Started in 1996, this search engine used human editors that tried to match search queries.

Google — Officially launched in 1998.

MSN Search — Relied on three different search engines: Looksmart, Overture and Inktomi.

Snap — A somewhat complex search engine, released in 2005, that shows search volumes, revenues and advertisers.

Bing — Rebranded name for MSN/Live Search.

Schema.Org — In 2011, Microsoft, Google and Yahoo collaborated to create Schema.org to create structured internet data.

Top 10 Most Used Search Engines

The following list contains the top ten from across the world:

1. Google:“Just google it” is a ubiquitous expression nowadays. Google is the most popular across all search engines — even more than all others combined. According to statistics, around 78% of desktops and laptops uses Google.

2. Yahoo: In the past, Yahoo had competed with Google. But as the years went on, Yahoo users had declined significantly. Now it is mostly used as a backup search engine in case the dominant one is down.

3. Bing: Microsoft Bing (or just Bing) is owned by Microsoft. Its origin came from MSN Search and Windows Live Search. This search engine is proud of its ‘decision’ engine which provides suggestions on the sides.

4. AOL Search: Known before as American Online Search. This search engine is used mostly by older people accustomed to AOL.

5. Duck Duck Go: Some say that Duck Duck Go is for and by Hipsters. But the main reason users choose this search engine is that it does not track search history and avoids spammy websites.

6. Baidu: This search engine is the 3rd largest out there. Baidu dominates the Chinese market and is the first choice in China. This engine has a sophisticated online censorship system since there’s many restrictions in its operating region.

7. Yandex: If Baidu has China as its market, then Yandex has the Russian market.

8. Ask: Its origin is the older “Ask Jeeves”. Since it could not compete with Google, it’s now powered by Google — if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

9. Naver: South Korea is another huge tech and communications market with its own search engine, Naver.

10.Seznam: The search engine popular in the Czech Republic and C. Europe.

And some honorable mentions:

Ecosia — Donates surplus income to organizations that plant trees.
Dogpile — Shows results from the top 3 search engines (Google, Bing and Baidu).
Gigablast — An open-source search engine.
Qwant — A popular, EU-based search engine.

Tips For Using Search Engines

Search engines are brilliant tools to immediately get the information we want. However, since search engines generally do not have much security capability, you should invest in a security product to provide and efficient browsing.

1. Install the Maximum Security tool bar to prevent you from visiting malicious websites.

You can install the Trend Micro Maximum Security toolbar service, which warns you of security risks relevant to the websites you visit.

When you search online, it monitors and rates websites in search engines such as Google, Bing, Baidu, and Yahoo. The Trend Micro Toolbar provides Page Ratings that show if the page is safe, suspicious, dangerous, trusted or untested.

  • A Mac User? No problem. Trend Micro Antivirus One for Mac has the same toolbar feature to protect your online activity.

2. Install AdBlock One to stop annoying ads.

In addition, be sure to also use AdBlock One for Safari. This app stops annoying online ads from bothering you and helps load web pages faster — a significant boost in securing and improving your digital life.

Without AdBlock One 

 

With AdBlock One

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