Mojeek is a British search engine that runs its own index of web pages, without relying on Google or Bing results. It was started in 2004 by Marc Smith in the UK as a personal project and has remained a small independent company. It stands out for two stated choices: an index built in-house and no tracking of users’ searches.
In the SEO context, Mojeek has a very small search share, but its independent index makes it useful as a check: it shows how an independent crawler sees a site and whether pages are reachable outside the Google and Microsoft ecosystem. Results come from its own collection of content, not from agreements with other engines, so visibility on Mojeek depends on its own factors.
How Mojeek was born and what infrastructure it runs on
Mojeek was founded in the UK in 2004 by Marc Smith, who developed its crawling and indexing software. From the earliest versions, the project focused on its own infrastructure. Over the years the service has remained lean, without expanding into complex advertising ecosystems like those of the major competitors.
This approach has allowed Mojeek to maintain a degree of technological independence, but it has also limited its ability to compete at the scale of the big players. The engine has stayed true to a philosophy of simplicity, with a minimal interface and fewer extra features than general-purpose engines.
An index built in-house, without external providers
Unlike many metasearch engines, which aggregate results from other sources, Mojeek uses its own index. This means pages are crawled, analyzed and stored directly by the engine’s systems, without going through external providers. The main advantage of this approach is autonomy: rankings are not influenced by other engines’ algorithms and reflect criteria developed internally.
Why it is not a metasearch engine
A metasearch engine simply forwards the query to multiple engines and combines the responses, while Mojeek processes the search on its own collection of documents. This distinction matters for SEO professionals because it means a site can be present on Mojeek even without appearing in the results of the engines that metasearch engines draw from.
What changes for SEO work
Because the index is independent, the factors that determine ranking can differ from those of the big engines. Elements like textual relevance, page structure and content quality remain central, but the relative weight of each factor can vary. For this reason, it is best to treat Mojeek as an additional channel, not as a simple extension of strategies designed for other engines.
No tracking of individual searches
Mojeek emphasizes user privacy. The engine states that it does not track individual searches and does not build behavioral profiles for advertising purposes. This stance has made it a popular choice for those seeking alternatives to engines whose business model is based on massive data collection.
The privacy policy is also reflected in the interface, which does not require creating an account to perform searches. However, the lack of heavy personalization means results are less tailored than those offered by competitors that use user history and location.
Mojeek and other engines: the main differences
The table compares Mojeek with other engines by source of results and handling of search data. It does not report market shares, which vary by country and over time.
| Engine | Source of results | Search data |
|---|---|---|
| Mojeek | Own index | States it does not track searches |
| Own index | Collects search data for personalization and advertising | |
| Bing | Own index | Collects search data for personalization and advertising |
| DuckDuckGo | Mixed: Bing, other sources and its own crawler | States it does not profile users |
| Startpage | Google results, anonymized | States it does not track users |
One more channel for organic visibility
Including Mojeek in an SEO strategy means treating it as a marginal channel and a monitoring tool, not a traffic source to plan for. Volume is limited compared to major engines; the check is mainly to see whether the site is reachable and readable for an independent crawler.
Indexing check
To see if a site is in Mojeek’s index, you can use the site: search operator followed by the domain. If many pages are missing, check that robots.txt does not block MojeekBot, the engine’s crawler, and that pages are linked by internal links.
Take care of texts, titles and internal links
Since the index is independent, it is worth ensuring clarity of texts, heading structure and consistency of internal links. There are no guarantees of ranking, but well-organized content is more likely to be understood and valued by the system.
The check step by step
- Go to the Mojeek website and check the search interface.
- Type the site: operator followed by your domain.
- Observe the number and quality of pages listed in the results.
- Compare the results with those obtained on other engines.
- Identify missing pages and assess possible causes.
- Check the relevance of the titles and descriptions shown.
- Repeat the check over time to notice changes.
- Note your observations to integrate them into the overall strategy.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mojeek?
It is a British search engine that uses its own independent index, with a particular focus on user privacy.
Does Mojeek use Google’s index?
No, Mojeek maintains its own index of web pages and does not rely on Google or other engines’ results.
Why is Mojeek relevant for SEO?
Because it represents an independent source of organic traffic, useful for diversifying visibility and reducing dependence on dominant engines.
How do you check if a site is on Mojeek?
You can use the site: operator followed by the domain in the engine’s search bar.
Does Mojeek track users’ searches?
The engine states that it does not track individual searches and does not build behavioral profiles for advertising purposes.
Can Mojeek replace Google in an SEO strategy?
Hardly, given its small market share; it is more realistic to consider it a complementary channel.
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