Getting paid to search online might seem like a “too good to be true” kind of scenario, but it is 100% legit!
There are actually search engines and websites that pay
you for performing your searches through them.
Searching has become a normal part of our life. And
obviously, Google is the dominant search engine. From being a made-up word in
1998, Google, has gone on to become a verb in the Merriam-Webster
dictionary.
These days most people just say, Google it!” instead of
“search for it”.
Wanna learn how to make money online? Google it!
Wanna know how to boil eggs? Google it!
Wanna learn how to tie a tie? Google it!
And that’s one of the reasons search engines like Bing will
actually pay you to use their search engines. To compete with Google, they have
to offer incentives to internet users and what better incentive than cash,
right?
There are also GPT and rewards sites that pay you to
surf online and search through their site. And in this post, we’ll
cover all of them.
Get paid to search on Google. Can you?
So, seeing that it’s the most used search engine on the
planet, a lot of people wonder whether you can actually earn money by searching
Google.
Unfortunately, you can’t!
Google doesn’t have any reward programs like the one
Microsoft has. Although there are many ways to make
money with Google, like legit Google work at home jobs. There is also an
indirect way to make money from Google search by fixing its mistakes. More on
that later!
For now, let’s start with search sites and Get Paid To
programs that do reward you for searching.
Sites that Pay You to Search Online
Here are a few examples of legit websites and programs that
reward you simply for using their search engine:
1. Microsoft Rewards – $0.001 per search
Bing, from Microsoft, likes to think of itself as the major
competitor to Google.
In fact, it has about 20% of all search volume, compared to
Google’s 60% plus, but that still makes it number 2 in the industry.
Advertisements
To encourage users it has created a reward program known as
Microsoft Rewards (formerly known as Bing Rewards) which is very simple to use.
To start earning, sign up for a free Microsoft
Rewards account. Then do your searches through Bing. For every search
you perform, you earn points that can be redeemed for rewards like gift cards,
sweepstakes entries, nonprofit donations, and more.
How much can you make with Microsoft Rewards?
I earn 5 points per search when I use Microsoft Rewards, but
I am a level two member.
When you first sign up for Microsoft Rewards, you’ll be a
level one member. At level one you can earn up to 5 points a day or 150 points
a month. As you search, you’ll earn points and progress to Level 2.
At Level two, you can earn up to 20 points a day or 600
points a month.
To get a $5 gift card, you need about 5,000 points. This
means that one Microsoft point is worth $0.001.
How do you get paid?
Your credits can be paid out in 3 different ways.
- The
main one is as gift cards, which you can choose for Amazon, Starbucks,
Burger King, and other places.
- Secondly,
there are a limited number of subscriptions you can get for credits, for
example, Skype or Hulu.
- Or
third, if you fancy your chances you can use your credits to enter
sweepstakes. Bing runs sweepstakes for various things such as a Surface
Pro or Xbox, charging a different number of credits for the different
entries.
Pro tip: To make sure you never miss any earning
opportunity, change
your default search engine to Bing on your web browser so that you do
not have to remember to go to Bing for your searches.
Or you can install the Bing search as a browser toolbar. You
can even link in your smartphone, so you get credits from using that too.
2. Swagbucks – $0.03 – $0.39 per search.
I recently wrote about making money
with Swagbucks and shared a few ways to make an easy $758,25 a year
with it.
This is one of the major rewards sites, rewarding you for
doing many things that you already do online, such as playing games, completing
surveys, as well as searches. You can check out the whole list online.
You get rewarded with SwagBucks, which is just another term
for points, as SwagBucks are nowhere near worth a buck! But over time, they
build up, and you can use them to get free gift
cards, cash from PayPal, or to enter contests.
1 SB is worth about $0.01. So to redeem a $5 gift card or
PayPal payment, you’d need 500 Swag Bucks.
Here’s where you can get the Swagbucks app:
3. InboxDollars – Earn $0.05 to $0.25 for searches per day
Inbox Dollars is a more comprehensive program, which allows
you to gain points or credits in other ways, as well as searching.
For instance, you might take a survey for additional points.
Each day, you can earn about 2 to 3 scratch cards for using
InboxDollars Search. This works out at $0.05 to $0.25 in earnings or an extra
$1.50 to $7.50 a month.
And once you have earned $30, you can request to be paid.
You can get your earnings through:
- PayPal
- Check
- Gift
cards for places like Amazon
Here’s where you can get the InboxDollars app:
By the way, they are currently giving a free $5 sign up
bonus for new users.
4. Qmee – Earn $0.05 – $1 per search with Qmee.
Qmee is one of several other search reward programs listed
here. It is a browser extension and allows you to search with other search
engines.
It simply provides additional results on a sidebar. Each
result has a value shown, and if you click on the result, your account is
credited with the value.
Qmee has no minimum cash-out amount either so you can
withdraw your earnings at any time.
You can get your earnings sent to your PayPal account within
minutes. Or you can get an Amazon gift card.
Here’s where you can get the Qmee app:
- Download
Qmee for Android devices here.
- Download
Qmee for iOS devices here.
- Download
the Qmee Chrome Extension here.
5. iRazoo – earns you $0.0016 – $0.04 per search.
Irazoo.com pays you for doing searches.
You’ll earn 1 to 25 points for each search you make using
the site’s search engine, iRazoo Search.
Earnings are capped at 25 points a day.
To qualify for any $5 reward, you’ll need to have 3,000
points in your account.
3,000 iRazoo points is worth $5. So one point is worth about
$0.0016.
You can withdraw your earnings to your PayPal account.
Or you can get your money on a gift card for retailers,
like:
- Amazon
- Best
Buy
- AMC
Theatres
- Xbox
One
- Target
- GameStop
- PlayStation
- Walmart
- Barnes
& Noble
A quick note, iRazoo.com has long been a popular site. And
when you look up anything about getting paid to search the internet, iRazoo is
mentioned. I reviewed iRazoo recently, and it seems that the site may not be as
good as it used to be. Please do read my iRazoo review to learn
more.
6. PCH Search & Win – Earn prizes for searching
In case you don’t recognize it, PCH stands for Publishers
Clearing House, which runs a regular huge sweepstakes for millions of dollars.
But with PCH Search, you can earn points to enter other
contests, and you automatically get entered in a daily sweepstakes every day
you log in.
While it’s worth checking in to be entered, the points can’t
be translated into cash but only buy contest entries, so you can’t look at this
one for a regular income.
7. instaGC – Pay per search varies.
Get paid to search the internet with InstaGC. It’s like
Swagbucks where you can get paid for doing lots of different tasks online.
In addition to getting paid to search the internet, you can
also get paid for:
- Completing
surveys
- Watching
videos
- Shopping
online
Redeem your earnings for a gift card. There are more than
340 options to choose from.
You can get gift cards for places, like:
- Amazon
- Olive
Garden
- Petco
- Pizza
Hut
- iTunes
- Kohl’s
- Marriot
- Marshalls
- Walmart
- Target
- Netflix
So there are plenty of rewards available.
Get Paid for Browsing the Internet
Okay, so the sites above pay you for using their search
engine. It’s super simple. But, searching online isn’t the only way we spend
time searching the web.
We surf the internet while shopping, checking out the app
store or playing games.
And there are websites out there that’ll pay you for doing
all of that!
Here are even more websites that pay you for surfing the
web.
8. Zap Surveys
Do you often share your opinion on the products and services
you use on social media or in reviews?
Well, why not get paid for your opinion?
Yes, with survey sites you can make money sharing your
opinion on a range of topics.
One survey site to check out is Zap Surveys. This site will
pay you for taking surveys. But that’s not all. It also pays you for shopping.
You can get up to 40% cashback when you shop with more than 50 retailers that
the site’s partnered with.
There are a few ways to redeem your earnings:
- Money
to your PayPal account.
- Amazon
eGift cards.
- Visa
eGift cards
Here’s where you can get the Zap Surveys app:
9. 1Q
Get paid just for answering questions with 1Q. You get $0.25
each time you answer a simple question. You get your money to your PayPal
account or you can donate it to charity if you want.
Here’s where you can get the app:
10. Wikibuy
While you’re searching the internet for that new TV or
looking to buy some clothes, Wikibuy works in the background to earn you free
gift cards!
Awesome, right?
It’s a browser extension that finds coupon codes and applies
the best ones at the checkout. This means you save money automatically.
And when you buy stuff online, you’ll earn Wikibuy credits
that you can redeem for gift cards!
Here’s where you can get the Wikibuy app:
- You
can get the browser extension here.
- Download
Wikibuy for iOS devices here.
- Download
Wikibuy for Android devices here.
11. Honey
Like Wikibuy, Honey will find you coupon codes and apply
them at the checkout. So while you’re shopping online, the browser extension
finds you all the best deals, promo codes and savings, even helping you to get
discounts for Amazon!
12. Rakuten (Formerly Ebates)
Make money right to your PayPal account just for shopping
online as you normally would with Rakuten. This site gives you up to 40%
cashback at more than 2,500 stores.
There are even coupons, promo codes, and daily deals
available. Aside from PayPal payments, Rakuten also allows you to get your
money by check or on a gift card to retailers like Walmart.
In fact, just for signing up for the site, you’ll get a $10
bonus!
Here’s where you can get the app:
- Download
Rakuten for Android devices here.
13. Extrabux
Extrabux is another awesome browser extension that’ll pay
you for shopping online – something you do already, right?
You can get up to 30% cashback at more than 9,000 stores!
Here’s where you can get the app:
- Get
the browser extension here.
14. FeaturePoints
FeaturePoints gives you money for doing activities, like
trying out free apps and shopping online. So stuff you likely do already when
you surf the web.
You can earn points for taking surveys as well. You can
redeem points for money right to your PayPal account or get a gift card for
places like
- Amazon
- Xbox
- GameStop
- Target
- Walmart
Here’s where you can get the FeaturePoints app:
15. Dabbl
Dabbl pays you for your opinion, for playing fun games and
quizzes and for watching videos.
You can get your earnings on a gift card for places, like:
- Walmart
- Amazon
- Disney
- Target
- Spotify
- Best
Buy
- Marshalls
Here’s where you can get the app:
16. AppTrailers
You probably see a lot of trailers online anyway, so why not
get paid for watching them?
With AppTrailers you earn money when you watch video
trailers of apps, celebrity gossip, DIY videos and more. You can even make
money playing trivia games.
You can redeem your money to your PayPal account or get gift
cards for places like Amazon and Target.
Here’s where you can get the AppTrailers app:
17. MobileXpression
Market research app MobileXpression gives you credits just
for having it installed. So basically you’re paid to use your phone and search
the internet as you normally would.
It’s simple! Join the panel and you’ll earn rewards.
The panel is designed to study the trends and behaviors of
people who’re using the mobile internet. You can earn cash, gift cards, and
merch.
Here’s where you can get the app:
18. ZoomBucks
ZoomBucks gives you cash for doing things like completing
offers, watching videos and taking surveys. You can redeem your earnings for
money to your PayPal account.
Or you can get a gift card for places like:
- Amazon
- Steam
wallet (get even more free steam wallet codes here.)
- Robux
19. TopCashBack
TopCashback gives you money just for shopping online! You
get cashback at more than 4,400 stores!
You can get your cash sent to your PayPal account or get an
Amazon gift card.
Here’s where you can get the app:
20. GrabPoints
GrabPoints pays you for doing things you probably already
do, like:
- Watching
videos
- Downloading
apps
- Completing
offers
- Taking
surveys
You’ll get your earnings sent to your PayPal account. Or you
can get a gift card for places like Amazon.
The best part is that you get $5 just for signing up!
21. Mistplay
Mistplay will give you points for playing games! Yes, if you
like playing games online anyway, you may as well get paid for it!
Select the game you want and start playing to earn points.
The more you play, the more points you’ll earn.
You can redeem your points for gift cards like:
- Visa
- Amazon
- Google
Play
- iTunes
- PlayStation
Here’s where you can get the app:
- Download
Mistplay for Android devices here.
22. ShopAtHome
Again, if you’re shopping online you may as well get paid
for it! So why not give ShopAtHome a try?
This app gives you cashback at more than 2,000 stores.
You can have your money sent to your PayPal account. Or get
a gift card to retailers like Amazon.
Just for signing up you’ll get a $10 welcome bonus! You can
get this as PayPal cash or as an Amazon gift card.
Here’s where you can get the app:
23. Paribus
When you buy something online and it later goes on sale, you
miss out on some great savings. But with Paribus, you don’t have to!
Paribus will scour your inbox for receipts and if it finds
an item there that’s recently dropped in price, it will get you a refund for
the difference!
It monitors prices of a lot of different stores, and when
prices drop, you get a rebate. It’s so simple.
Here’s where you can get the browser extension:
- Download
Paribus for your device here.
Making Money as a Search Engine Evaluator
As you can see, these sites are great for you can use these
sites to earn
extra money without working an actual job.
But they can’t replace your 9-5 job. But there are a few
options if you are looking for full time jobs that are related to searching and
search engines.
How?
By becoming a search engine evaluator!
You know it’s incredible the way search engines work, giving
you results from the billions of web pages that are available.
And to stay on top of it, the search companies have to
continually improve, trying to give the user the best possible results so that
they are happy to use that particular search engine.
This is where the job opportunity comes in.
You can become what is called a Search Engine
Evaluator.
The position involves user-testing the search engines and
providing feedback for improvements.
It’s a proper job, and reportedly you can earn between $12
and $15 per hour though some fast operators claim to earn up to $20 per hour.
You are employed as an independent contractor and can expect
to be given a 1099 tax form at the end of the year for declaring your earnings.
The basic job involves looking at search results and
reporting back which are the better ones, based on criteria that you are given.
The company knows what it wants to see, and will give you clear guidelines so
you can assess the results.
Although there is no real training for a job like this, the
company that employs you will want to know that you can do a decent job, so you
will go through some testing before they accept you. They may also want to
interview you, although as it is an online job this doesn’t happen often.
Where to find Search Engine Evaluator jobs
The following companies are all involved with the Universal
Human Relevance System (UHRS) service, which is what being a Search Engine
Evaluator comes under.
They are micro-task sites, which means they have many
different small tasks available for freelancers, with the UHRS work being one
of them.
Update on a Few Other Paid Search Engines
When I originally wrote this post a few years back, there
were many sites that paid you to search as well. Unfortunately, since then,
some of those sites have shut down.
I’m going to add them here in case you were wondering “what happened to
CashCrate” or other sites like it.
They include:
- Google
Screenwise (Now it seems to be a survey panel)
- SendEarnings
(exiting members can transfer their earnings to SE’s sister site,
InboxDollars)
- Scour.com
- GiftHulk
- CashCrate
As you can see from this post, the good news is that now
there are many other search engines that pay to search and surf the web. So you
still have a lot of options for making a little extra cash on the side for
something you already do online anyway.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for make money
from home online, working as a Search Engine Evaluator (or indeed some of
the other micro tasks that these sites offer) can give you an interesting and
satisfying job.
It’s also exciting to know that you are helping to
continually improve the user experience.
Even if you’re not open to a full or part-time job in the
field, you might want to try one or more of the other rewards programs and get
paid for searching the web. Something that you probably already do every day
anyway.