DuckDuckGo, the one-full-time-employee search engine that has somewhat aggressively challenged Google on privacy issues, picked up a nice pat-on-the-back this week: It made a TIME magazine list of the 50 Best Websites of 2011.

In its short profile, the magazine calls DuckDuckGo “one of the most appealing Google alternatives to date” and has high praise for its search results.

It doesn’t involve e-mail, maps, real-time results or social networking. It’s just a simple, straightforward search engine that’s reminiscent of early Google, with a no-nonsense privacy policy (it will not store any information that could tie you to your searches). Best of all, the results are dependably relevant and devoid of spam.

Google’s search engine didn’t make the grade, but its new social network site, Google+, is on TIME’s list. The magazine says that Google+ “feels a lot like Facebook and a little like Twitter” and “the quality of the conversation remains high.”

Quora also made TIME’s list — it’s a “terrific way to find … savvy folk and benefit from their knowledge” — as did Techmeme, which TIME praises as “a little like a tech-only Google News, only a whole lot faster, with a more eclectic list of sources.”

Related Topics: DuckDuckGo | Google: Google+ | Quora

About The Author: Matt McGee is Search Engine Land's Executive News Editor, responsible for overseeing our daily news coverage. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. His web career continues to include a small number of SEO and social media consulting clients, as well as regular speaking engagements at marketing events around the U.S. He blogs at Small Business Search Marketing and can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee and/or on Google Plus. See more articles by Matt McGee

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