With every online search you leave an ecological footprint. At green search engine Ecosia, this is compensated. Because, while you search, new trees are planted. How does this work? And why should you choose Ecosia? You’ll read about it in this article.
Why are search engines polluting?
The Internet in 2024 is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Especially since the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT. But even a simple search on Google emits about 7 grams of CO2. By comparison, boiling water for a cup of tea is equivalent to about 15 grams of CO2. So every time you look something up on the Internet, it takes as much energy as making half a glass of tea.
That’s not nearly as much as an AI tool, ChatGPT even consumes 25 times as much as Google. So shove aside that ChatGPT for simple searches and better opt for a regular search engine like Google or Ecosia. To be clear, with Ecosia you also have emissions, but you compensate for them because new trees are planted.
As a sustainable web designer and photographer, I signed the Sustainable Web Manifesto. Here you can read what that is and how web designers can make the Internet more sustainable.
How does Ecosia work?
“You search, we plant trees.” Under this motto, Ecosia enticed new users in September 2024. The idea sounds very nice, but how does it actually work? In fact, Ecosia’s revenue model is simple: the company generates revenue through ads, and a significant portion of the profit is used to plant trees.
Furthermore, Ecosia uses Bing’s technology, not Google’s. As a result, you sometimes get different search results in Ecosia than in Google. Or they are the same, but they are in a different order.
Why should you use Ecosia? 5 reasons
1. A more sustainable alternative on Google
At Ecosia, trees are planted in searches, but not at Google. While Google is doing its best to increasingly run its data centers on renewable energy, Ecosia is taking tree planting a step further.
There is also an alternative to Google Analytics called Burst. Read why Burst is the sustainable and privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics here.
2. A transparent company
Transparency is one of Ecosia’s core values. On the website, you can see per month how much money came in and where the profits went.
3. Climate conscious workplace
Unlike Google, Ecosia is a relatively small company with only 150 to 200 employees. The company not only considers a good work-life balance important, but also invests in good bicycle parking in its Berlin office. Employees can also participate in climate strikes in the German capital during working hours.
4. Privacy-friendly
Ecosia is a German company and therefore must comply with European privacy laws. Again, the search engine goes a step further: it says it is only interested in trees, not personal data. Searches are not permanently stored and no personal profiles based on search history are created. Data are not resold to outside parties.
So in terms of privacy, you’re in the right place with Ecosia. Want to know more about Ecosia’s privacy policy? Then listen the company’s podcast here.
5. Other product: eco-friendly browser
In addition to its own search engine, Ecosia also features the Ecosia browser. By browsing, Ecosia generates solar energy. Also, this browser is said to be very privacy-friendly and shows mostly climate-conscious ads.
Why shouldn’t you use Ecosia? 2 reason
Despite all the advantages, there are also two minor drawbacks to Ecosia:
1. Less accurate search results than in Google
This is because of Bing’s technology: it shows different search results than Google. Therefore, because Google may be better trained than Bing, Google would show better results.
2. Ecosia shows ads
Although the ads are from green parties, they are still advertising. Some people may find that distracting. In Google Chrome you can have the ads in Google search results hidden with an ad blocker, with Ecosia this does not work.
As a web designer and photographer, how do I use Ecosia?
I have Ecosia installed in my browsers as my default search engine. I use this sustainable search engine for simple, everyday searches. That could be about a WordPress plugin or the review of a Canon lens.
But when I work on SEO for a website, I really rely on Google. This is because 92% of global Internet users chose Google in 2023! Also, tools like Google Search Console and Google Trends are really based on Google anyway.
Want to know more about how to rank higher in Google? Then read here how to rank higher in Google!
Conclusion
For people, who value sustainability, Ecosia is a great search engine: you plant trees while you search. It is also a very sympathetic sustainable company that is transparent, climate-conscious and treats your privacy correctly. The only downside is that the search results can be less accurate than Google. It’s up to you to decide whether or not to choose Ecosia.