DUCKDUCKGO
DuckDuckGo Adds Quick Answers to Search Results
DuckDuckGo has been spotted serving quick answers in search results, which are largely similar to Google’s featured snippets.
Ross Hudgens shared a screenshot on Twitter which shows a quick answer being served on the right-hand side of desktop search results (also works on mobile).
DuckDuckGo recently added quick answers. This is a better experience for users, and kudos to them for putting the website URL at the top unlike Google.
They have one ad, prioritize credit to the publisher, and their product is getting better. We’re rooting for you DDG! pic.twitter.com/vcLVukjrjr
— Ross Hudgens (@RossHudgens) January 25, 2020
Results may vary for each user. For example, I can replicate this quick answer, but it shows up immediately below the search bar. I did some further testing to learn more about this addition to DuckDuckGo’s search results and here’s what I found.
Quick answers come from WikiHow only
DuckDuckGo’s quick answers now show up fairly regularly for “how to” searches, but the information all comes from a single source. WikiHow must have some kind of arrangement with DuckDuckGo to serve these snippets exclusively. Information in Google’s quick answers, on the other hand, can be pulled from any website.
DuckDuckGo’s quick answers show up more often than Google’s
Based on the few dozen “how to” searches I conducted, I discovered that DuckDuckGo serves quick answers more often than Google. Here’s what happens when you take the same “how to tie a tie” query, as shown above, and search for it in Google.
Of course, this could vary for each user as well, but I found Google would more often serve instructional YouTube videos than step-by-step quick answers.
Related: DuckDuckGo vs. Google: An In-Depth Search Engine Comparison
DuckDuckGo’s quick answers are fully expandable
When a quick answer is served in DuckDuckGo’s search results it can be expanded to reveal the content in full. Here’s an example of a lengthy step-by-step quick answer:
Google receives a lot of criticism for serving a generous portion of content in featured snippets, but it doesn’t serve entire articles. Google searchers still have to visit a publisher’s site to read an article in full.
All in all, this is a useful addition to DuckDuckGo’s search results and shows it’s committed to continually improving its product.
Related: DuckDuckGo SEO: What You Should Know
