Is Google always the best search engine?

Quick: what do you think of when I say the words "search engine"? Chances are, you probably think of Google, arguably the most popular search engine on the Web today.

But is Google always the best choice for your search needs? Can it find what you're looking for every single time? Of course not. Every search engine is different, and every search engine serves a very different need and audience. Consider the following:

• Scientific information can be found a lot easier with specific science search engines, such as Scirus.
• You can find a job a lot quicker with job search engines like Indeed.
• Need to find someone? Sure, you can do it with Google, but there are a lot of very specific people search engines that make your task even easier.
• Do you need an answer quickly? Try a search directory, such as Answers.com, Mahalo, or Yahoo.
• Movies? You'll never get tired of the Internet Movie Database.
• Travelocity or Expedia are travel search engines that can help you plan that next fabulous vacation.
• You'll find a ton of government information not easily accessible in Google at USA.gov.
• Need to find a good blog? Try Technorati, a blog search engine.

See what I mean? Google is just not the only game in town. Experiment a little bit, try some other search engines and search tools, and make your searches more efficient.