Brave Search: Utilize Bing Search Results and Improve Your SEO
Brave Search No Longer Utilizes Bing Search Results: A Shift Towards Independence and Privacy
In a significant move to enhance user privacy and independence, Brave Search has completely severed its reliance on Microsoft's Bing search engine. This decision follows Microsoft's recent announcement of substantial price increases for the use of its search API, which Brave described as "unprecedented" and a potential threat to the continuity of services relying on Bing.
The End of Bing Integration
Brave Search, which was launched in June 2021, initially relied on Bing for a portion of its search queries. However, over time, this reliance has been gradually reduced. As of the latest update, Brave Search now serves 100% of its web search results from its own index, eliminating all API calls to Bing.
Reasons Behind the Change
The primary driver behind this change is the significant increase in API pricing by Microsoft. Brave feared that this price hike would create undue pressure on search engines that depend on the Bing Search API, potentially disrupting their services. By transitioning to its own index, Brave aims to ensure the long-term sustainability and independence of its search engine.
Enhanced Privacy and Quality
Brave's decision to move away from Bing aligns with its commitment to user privacy. The company has long criticized Bing and other major search engines for their biased and censored results, as well as their lack of privacy-oriented practices. By using its own index, Brave can better guarantee that search results are not influenced by external factors and are more aligned with user preferences.
Temporary Workarounds for Image and Video Searches
While Brave Search now handles all web search results independently, there is a temporary exception for image and video searches. Due to the current limitations of Brave's index in these areas, users may be redirected to either Bing or Google for image and video searches. This is a temporary measure until Brave can fully integrate these features into its own index.
Future Developments
Brave is actively working to improve its search capabilities, particularly for nuanced and long-tail queries. The company has announced plans to release the Brave Search API, which will allow other search applications to use Brave's index. This move is expected to foster competition in the search engine market and provide developers with an alternative to the dominant players like Google and Bing.
User Options and Participation
For users who may not find the results from Brave's index satisfactory, there is an option to integrate Google search results as a fallback. Additionally, users can participate in Brave's Web Discovery Project, which helps the browser build and improve its index. This community-driven approach ensures that the search engine is continually enhanced based on user feedback and contributions.
In summary, Brave Search's transition away from Bing marks a significant step towards independence, privacy, and improved search quality. As the company continues to develop and expand its capabilities, users can expect a more robust and user-centric search experience.