I switched to DuckDuckGo as my default last year, and after about a month, I got used to the slight changes. All that stuff you listed above is either not there or removable. Never going back.
The old web search didn’t do that. They didn’t even have your location data, so how would they be able to know which locations were near to you? I think that was something added when they added google maps. You used to have to go to burger king’s location page and put in a postal code on their site to figure out locations.
So it doesn’t seem like it’s a problem with google adding things to the search results, it’s just they recently added something you don’t like. And yeah the results aren’t as good as they used to be, but that’s a separate problem.
They really should just give an option to disable gemini in the results. It really should’ve been added as a separate tab like images and maps.
Now you just gotta go past the AI overview, the sponsored results which aren’t relevant, go through a few menus to get their website…
I remember my doctor showing me google and its “no nonsense” search when I was younger and it was brand new. Man how the mighty have fallen.
I switched to DuckDuckGo as my default last year, and after about a month, I got used to the slight changes. All that stuff you listed above is either not there or removable. Never going back.
Google web search still exists, add &udm=14 to query something like: https://www.google.com/search?q=whatever&udm=14
It exists but it still sucks terribly.
If I search on “Burger King locations near me” I get a list of KFCs. And one Burger King approximately a thousand kilometres away.
The correct answer is that there’s two Burger Kings within walking distance of me, and that KFC isn’t Burger King.
The old web search didn’t do that. They didn’t even have your location data, so how would they be able to know which locations were near to you? I think that was something added when they added google maps. You used to have to go to burger king’s location page and put in a postal code on their site to figure out locations.
So it doesn’t seem like it’s a problem with google adding things to the search results, it’s just they recently added something you don’t like. And yeah the results aren’t as good as they used to be, but that’s a separate problem.
They really should just give an option to disable gemini in the results. It really should’ve been added as a separate tab like images and maps.
I just use Google Maps for that.
Google Maps has very spotty coverage where I live.
Bugger. It’s pretty much replaced the Yellow Pages for me, but I have the ‘advantage’ of living in a major city.