search engine of choice that isn't google?

i find google doesn't give me what im looking for more often than it used to

Kagi (paid) or Brave (free)

I have the feeling that Google shows me more and more commercial results as years go by, so DDG all the way

I suspect search engines and algorithms are getting worse on purpose. If they were good, people would find what they want and need quite quickly, no time to get distracted and watch a lot of adverts on sites that turn out to be irrelevant.

Also if people were able to find what they need why should they go for second best and consume what Google's customers want them to consume? Same for most other Silicon Valley (style) company. Same for YouTube, Spotify, Instatgram, anything.

Another reason: priorities and cutting costs. Companies like Google/Alphabet and Meta did massive layoffs. Algorithms and "AI" (machine learning) has to replace human engineers. Quality will suffer. Sales margins: try to deliver inferior products and see how long the customers will still accept them. They will, until the next disruptive startup will eventually challenge them.

Google is getting worse and more irrelevant and that's no coincidence.