I suspect that this is the direct result of AI generated content just overwhelming any real content.
I tried ddg, google, bing, quant, and none of them really help me find information I want these days.
Perplexity seems to work but I don’t like the idea of AI giving me “facts” since they are mostly based on other AI posts
ETA: someone suggested SearXNG and after using it a bit it seems to be much better compared to ddg and the rest.
Wikipedia has its own problems, especially now since it’s an excepted fast source, companies and vips often will hire a team to manage their Wikipedia presence, specifically to eliminate controversial and problematic history. If you know anything exciting about the Kellogg family or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or, heck of J. P. Morgan (who was a walking human atrocity) you’ll find their Wikipedia pages scant of details, and sometimes almost hagiographic.