Ask HN: Has Google search become quantitatively worse?

Article summary

The author of the article feels that Google search has become quantitatively worse over time, with struggles to find relevant information and a shift towards requiring full sentences instead of keywords. The author also notes changes in YouTube search, making it harder to find obscure content. The article seeks advice on how to improve search results and whether others have experienced similar issues. The author is looking for alternative search engines and tips on how to use them effectively.

Main themes

• Google search quality
• Alternative search engines
• YouTube search integration
• Algorithm changes
• User experience
• Ad revenue vs user experience
• Search engine optimization
• Browser features and usability

What commenters say

• Google's search quality has declined, with some users experiencing difficulty finding relevant results.
• Alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo and Brave Search may offer better results, but some users find them to be less effective than Google.
• The integration of YouTube search with Google search has made it harder to find obscure content, and some users are looking for alternative ways to search for videos.
• Some users believe that Google's algorithm prioritizes popular results over relevant ones, leading to a decline in search quality.
• Others argue that Bing, the search engine powering DuckDuckGo, has improved significantly and provides good results.
• The 'people also searched for' box and other features can be frustrating and decrease usability.
• Some commenters suggest that browsers should implement a feature to disregard clicks if the area around the click has changed recently, to prevent accidental clicks on ads or other unwanted content.
• Google's search algorithm changes may be intended to increase ad revenue, rather than improve user experience.