Take a blind test and change your searching habits

I use Google out of habit and because I have always thought it is the best search engine. I've never objectively tried to compare major search engines and as a result I haven't changed.

Blind Search allows you to compare the results of Google, Bing and Yahoo. You search for a term in it, and it brings up all 3 results side-by-side, but you are not told which site is which. You then say which you think is better, and the names are then revealed!

After using the site a dozen or so times, a clear image of what is the best search engine for you forms.

I was surprised that Google was only best for me in about a third of searches; I found Bing's results much more relevant. (The creator of the site works for Microsoft though; although it isn't affiliated to them!)

They also offer an OpenSearch plug-in (so it can be added to Firefox's search bar, for example) and a plugin IE8. It also works for image search. Unfortunately, the site currently only works in US localizations, so one can't use it to search google.co.uk etc.

Update: The blind search engine test is still available and working as it has before. The last update dates back to 2011 though, which is when Bing for the first time overtook Google Search in user favor.

To use the search engine simply enter a search term into the form at the top, select whether you want to search the web or images, and hit the search button afterwards. Results are then displayed next to each other and it us up to you to vote for the search engine that is delivering th better results. Once you do, you see which search engine you have voted for.

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