When you hear the word “search engine,” chances are you instantly think of Google.
But here’s the thing – Google isn’t the only player in the game anymore. As of 2025, people are searching not only on Google, but also on AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, and You.com as well as privacy-first engines, social media search, and even niche regional platforms like Naver or Seznam.
Search is evolving. And if you’re doing SEO or content marketing in 2025, understanding where people are searching is just as important as how search works. So for SEO Series 6, we covering the top search engines and discovery platforms that shape global traffic today.
Why It Matters
While Google still holds over 90% of the global market, emerging AI and regional platforms are shifting the landscape. Marketers now need to optimise not just for Google Search — but for AI discovery, voice search, and social search too. If your content isn’t visible on the platforms your audience actually uses, you’re invisible even with great SEO.
List of search engines
Below is an updated list showing how different types of search engines work from traditional to privacy-first platforms and AI-powered tools.
Table: List of Search Engines (2025 Edition)
Category | Search Engine | Focus / Strength | Best For | Global Monthly Visits |
Traditional Search Engines | · The world’s largest search engine with over 90% global market share. · AI-powered features like autocomplete and featured snippets help users find information fast. · Offers personalised results, voice search, and AI summaries for quick answers. · Integrates well with Maps, Shopping, and YouTube. · Ads and user data tracking have raised privacy concerns. | Everyday searches | 92.7B+ | |
Bing | • Microsoft’s search engine known for visual search and product previews. • Integrates with Microsoft products like Windows and Edge. • Offers reward points for searches and fewer ads than Google. • Focuses on curated results from credible sources like Wikipedia or government sites. | Microsoft & Windows users | 4.2B | |
Yahoo | • Combines search with news, weather, and email services. • Uses Bing’s search index. • Reliable for general queries but lacks advanced AI search tools. • Popular for its homepage experience and casual browsing. | Casual users (US market) | 2.5B | |
Privacy-Focused Search Engines | DuckDuckGo | • Doesn’t track users or store search history. • Provides simple, ad-free results from Bing and its own crawler. • Ideal for those who value privacy but still want useful features like maps and instant answers. | Private browsing without tracking | 1.9B |
Brave Search | • Uses its own web crawler, not Google or Bing. • Offers ad-free, independent search results. • Custom “Goggles” filters let users see only results from chosen sources (e.g. independent media). | Privacy advocates | 367.2M | |
Ecosia | • Eco-friendly engine that uses ad revenue to plant trees (230M+ trees so far). • Powered by Bing and Google results. • Great option for users who want to search and support sustainability. | Eco-conscious users | 254M | |
Swisscows | • Privacy-first Swiss engine that doesn’t collect or store personal data. • Family-friendly with strict filters on explicit content. | Safe private browsing | — | |
Qwant | • European-based engine focused on privacy and neutrality. • Doesn’t track users or personalise search results. | Users in EU seeking privacy | — | |
Startpage | • Provides Google results but removes identifiable tracking data. • Allows proxy search for extra anonymity. • • Ideal for objective, depersonalised results. | Research & private users | 49.4M | |
Specialised & Niche Search Engines | ResearchGate | • Academic search engine for peer-reviewed studies and research papers. • Used by scientists to share and download publications. | Researchers & academics | 92.9M |
WolframAlpha | • Computational search engine that answers factual and mathematical queries. • Ideal for data analysis, statistics, and equations. | Analysts, engineers, students | 5.4M | |
Wayback Machine | • Let’s users view archived versions of websites across history. • Useful for SEO, research, or retrieving lost content. | Researchers, SEO professionals | 23M | |
Kagi | • Ad-free, paid search engine with fully customisable results. • Pulls data from Google, WolframAlpha, and other indexes. • Great for power users seeking distraction-free research. | Professionals, researchers | 2.4M | |
Meta & Archive Tools | Dogpile | • Metasearch engine combining results from Google, Bing, and Yahoo. • Lightweight and straightforward interface. | General users | — |
SearX | • Open-source, privacy-focused meta engine that blends multiple search indexes without tracking users. | Open-source privacy-first users | — | |
AI-Powered Search & Answer Engines | ChatGPT Search | • AI-driven conversational search with cited sources. • Lets users ask follow-up questions and get summarised, trustworthy answers. | Research & Q&A | 4.5B |
Perplexity AI | • Combines live web data with AI-generated, cited answers. • Ideal for fact-checking and quick research. • Paid plan allows advanced multi-turn questions. | Fact-checked learning | 125.4M | |
You.com | • Chat-style search engine integrating AI tools for writers, coders, and creatives. • Focused on productivity and real-time generation. | Writers & coders | 70M | |
Regional Search Engines | Yandex (Russia) | • Russia’s top search engine with strong local mapping and translation tools. • Popular for news, shopping, and local results. | Russian users | 238.3M |
Baidu (China) | • Dominant in China with AI tools, video, and maps. • Limited international access due to censorship. • Preferred by local businesses and users. | Chinese users | 782.2M | |
Naver (Korea) | • Combines search with blogs, Q&A forums, and news. • Great for discovering Korean trends and culture. | Korean users | 1.1B | |
Seznam (Czech Rep.) | • Czech-based engine focused on local news and culture. • Understands Czech language and idioms better than global engines. | Czech users | 246.1M | |
Shenma (China) | • Mobile-first engine by Alibaba. • Focused on eCommerce and app-based searches. • Popular for product and entertainment discovery. | Chinese shoppers | 500M+ | |
Social Media Search Engines | YouTube | • The world’s 2nd largest search engine. • Used for how-to content, tutorials, reviews, and entertainment. • Prioritises high-engagement videos in results. | Visual learners | 2.8B |
TikTok | • Video-first search platform growing fast among Gen Z. • Ranks videos by engagement, relevance, and activity. • Ideal for quick recommendations and trending topics. | Gen Z users | 1.9B |
Google is still the most popular search engine in the world. But AI search platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are gaining traction. That means businesses looking to improve visibility should ensure that their websites are optimized for AI platforms as well. In the reading materials you can find a link to a tool to help keep track of these numbers if you want to. Research your audience to discover which search engine they might be inclined to use. Of course, in a lot of countries, Google is the default choice of search engine. But, this might not be the case everywhere.
Key Insights for Marketers
- Google dominates, but AI-driven search (ChatGPT, Perplexity) is redefining discovery.
- Social platforms = new search engines. TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit now drive millions of “how-to” and “product review” searches.
- Privacy-first platforms like DuckDuckGo and Brave are growing among Gen Z and researchers.
- Regional platforms matter. Optimise multilingual content for Baidu, Naver, or Yandex if you’re expanding internationally.
SEO Takeaway
Don’t just “do SEO for Google.”
Do SEO for discovery across every platform where people search, scroll, and ask.
Your 2025 SEO strategy should cover:
✅ Google & Bing optimisation
✅ AI platform visibility (ChatGPT, Perplexity)
✅ Video & social SEO (YouTube, TikTok)
✅ Privacy-first discoverability (DuckDuckGo, Brave)
Conclusion
Google may be the king, but it’s not the entire kingdom anymore.
In 2025, smart brands are building multi-platform visibility so wherever your audience searches, you’re there.
References
- StatCounter (2025) Search Engine Market Share Worldwide.
- Digital Marketing Institute (2025) Search Engines: Types and Trends.
- Yoast Academy (2025) SEO Basics and Holistic SEO.
- Moz (2024) Search Engine Market Data & Analysis.
- Statcounter (2025) ‘Search Engine Market Share Worldwide’ Available at https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share/
