I will happily switch from Google when a search engine provides really good local results ^. It seems DDG and Startpage are mainly tailored for US. ^ Random suburb in random state in AU

Google has a near monopoly on web search, and they are very aggressively doing everything they can to keep it that way, both by tightly integrating it in their products (browser, browser engine, and OSs, mainly) and funding competitors (Safari and Firefox main revenue source are contracts with Google, under the condition of making Google the default search engine).

Sure, you're free to use DDG and find a workflow, but people are less likely to remember it, especially as they overwhelmingly use Google.

These days, the question rather is, why anyone on this site is not using Kagi? I understand perhaps the general populace simply doesn't know but here?

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/04/teach-me-how-to-shruggie/

> I hadn't even heard of Kagi, but the Nielsen Haydens are among the most effective researchers I know – both in their professional editorial lives and in their many obsessive hobbies. If it was good enough for them…

> I tried it. It was magic.

...

> That was before I started playing with Kagi's lenses and other bells and whistles, which elevated the search experience from "magic" to sorcerous.

> The catch is that Kagi costs money – after 100 queries, they want you to cough up $10/month ($14 for a couple or $20 for a family with up to six accounts, and some kid-specific features)

> I immediately bought a family plan. I've been using it for a month. I've basically stopped using Google search altogether.