Hunter Storm | How to Use a Search Engine Properly

Things Schools Should Actually Teach | How to Use a Search Engine Properly | Stop Clicking the First Link!

Most people don’t know how to really search the internet. They type a phrase into Google, click the first link, and call it a day. But that’s not how you find the best information. In this guide, we’ll break down how to use a search engine properly, how they work, how to search smarter, and why you should use more than just Google. Yes, that includes privacy-focused options like Tor and DuckDuckGo.

Not All Search Engines Are the Same

Different search engines rank and display results differently, so using more than one can help you get a broader perspective. Here’s a breakdown of popular search engines and their pros and cons.

Discover more in our article, How to Navigate a Website.

Search Engine Strengths Weaknesses

Baidu: Dominates in China, fast results Heavy censorship, not useful outside China
Bing: Rewards program, decent image search, less censorship than Google Still tracks users, fewer results than Google
Brave: Search Private, independent index, no tracking Still growing, smaller database
DuckDuckGo: Privacy-focused, no tracking, avoids filter bubbles Fewer search refinements, sometimes less relevant results
Ecosia: Plants trees with ad revenue, decent privacy Limited search depth
Google: Largest index of websites, AI-driven results, best for general searches Highly filtered, tracks user data, ads dominate results
Startpage: Uses Google results but removes tracking Dependent on Google’s indexing
Yahoo: Good for news and finance searches Results often outdated, ad-heavy
Yandex: Strong in Russia, good for images Privacy concerns, state influence

Deep Web & Privacy-Oriented Search Engines

If you want more privacy, less filtering, or access to hidden content, try these options:

Tor Search Engines: Access sites that don’t appear on standard search engines (requires the Tor browser). Example: DuckDuckGo on Tor or Onion Search Engine
Ahmia.fi: Indexes Tor-based hidden services (useful for researching anonymity-focused sites).
Metasearch Engines: Combine results from multiple search engines for better depth (e.g., SearX).

Pro Tip: If you’re researching controversial or sensitive topics, using multiple search engines prevents reliance on one company’s filtering.

Learn more in our article, The Truth About Online Anonymity | Are You Ever Really Invisible?

Advanced Search Techniques | How to Find Exactly What You Need

Most people don’t realize there are some simple tricks to find what you are looking for. We cover some of these in the section below.

Search Operators (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Etc.)

These special commands help you narrow down results:

Exact phrase search: Use quotes: “best cybersecurity practices” (Finds exact matches.)
Exclude words: Use -: best headphones -Apple (Removes Apple results.)
Search a specific website: Use site: quantum computing site:nist.gov (Only shows results from nist.gov.)
Find related sites: Use related: related:nytimes.com (Finds sites similar to NYTimes.)
Find files (PDFs, Docs, etc.): Use filetype: cybersecurity guide filetype:pdf (Finds PDF documents.)
Find old pages: Use cache: cache:example.com (Shows a site’s last saved version.)
Boolean Search (For Deeper Research): If you’re looking for academic research or legal info, Boolean searches work on many databases:
AND: Finds results with BOTH words (e.g., cybersecurity AND risk management).
OR: Finds results with EITHER word (e.g., hacking OR penetration testing).
NOT: Excludes a term (e.g., privacy NOT Facebook).

Pro Tip: These work best on Google Scholar, academic databases, and legal search engines like LexisNexis.

How Search Engines Filter & Manipulate Results

Algorithmic Filtering

Search engines don’t just show you the “best” results. Instead, they show you what they think you want to see. Factors that influence results:

Your location: Google prioritizes local results.
Your past searches: personalized filtering.
The popularity of a page: more clicks = higher ranking.
Paid ads: sponsored results appear first.

Why Algorithmic Filtering Creates a Problem:

If search engines filter results based on your past behavior, you may get stuck in an “echo chamber,” seeing the same viewpoints repeatedly.

Solution: Use incognito mode, VPNs, and multiple search engines to avoid biased results.

Discover more in our article, How Algorithmic Mislabeling Hides Helpful Content and What We Can Do About It.

Special Search Engines for Research & Privacy

Want deeper knowledge, academic research, or uncensored results? Try these:

Purpose Search
Academic Papers Google Scholar, PubMed, arXiv
Government Info USA.gov, Regulations.gov
Legal Research LexisNexis, Justia
Uncensored News AllSides, The Intercept
Tor-Based (Dark Web) Ahmia.fi, DuckDuckGo on Tor

Pro Tip: If you’re researching a topic with censorship concerns, cross-check results from different sources.

Take Control of Your Search Habits

Most people blindly trust search engines, but knowing how to manipulate them back puts you in control.

Use multiple search engines (Google + DuckDuckGo + SearX).
Master search operators to refine results.
Be aware of algorithmic filtering and use privacy tools.
Go beyond Google. Use databases, Tor, and metasearch engines.

The internet is deeper than you think. Start searching like an expert today.

Glossary

Algorithm: A formula that search engines use to rank and display results.

Boolean Search: A method using AND, OR, and NOT to refine searches.

Cache: A stored version of a webpage that may no longer be live.

Echo Chamber: When search engines or social media reinforce your existing beliefs by filtering content.

Incognito Mode: A private browsing mode that doesn’t save cookies or history.

Metasearch Engine: A search tool that pulls results from multiple search engines (e.g., SearX).

Tor: A browser that enables anonymous web browsing, often used to access hidden services.

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