To be clear, this is not about being anti-Google; it’s about encouraging people to explore the choice of alternative search engines available to them. Last count there were some 1,500 alternative search engines – ranging from FAROO, which enables peer-to-peer Internet search, to Kosmix, a new twist on old meta search that delivers search results across a multitude of categories, including opinions from Omgili, video from Truveo, social search results from Mahalo, and the basics from sources such as eBay, YouTube, and Wikipedia. And the list goes on…

Charles tells me his annual call to action was as popular as ever this year, resulting in posts, tweets, and emails from readers sharing their experiences as they went through a day without Google. For just one day, I would like you to use an alternative to Google when you perform searches on your mobile phone.

I know from my own work researching mobile search and compiling a comprehensive directory of mobile search providers, that the choice in mobile search engines is impressive. If you want to know results that really resonate with real people, then you might consider Taptu. If you want downloadable content that you are likely to appreciate, then you might try abphone. If you are searching for shops and offers, then you might give Slifter a spin.

And if you are conducting a search with your cameraphone, then you can pick from over a dozen visual search providers including Thrrum MMS Search (provided by 23half Inc. and available to T-Mobile and Verizon subscribers in the U.S.), and TinEye Mobile, an iPhone app from Idée that lets you get pricing info, reviews and more on a specific music track by taking a picture of the CD cover.

(I count 15 types of mobile search and 60+ providers, all of whom I intend to profile on MSG in the coming weeks/months. If you are a mobile search provider that I haven’t yet covered on MSG, or if you would like to be included in the directory, then please contact me directly. I am eager to hear your story! )

But it’s not just about more choice. I also know from my own road tests and analysis that made-for-mobile alternative mobile search engines excel where universal Internet search engines such as Google have been known to fall short.

Additional independent confirmation of this view comes from a number of sources quoted on MSG over the last months, including Mobile Commerce (which revealed data during a recent Mobile Search Masterclass that proves Google mobile search results tend to be less than satisfactory) and a recent report from Bernstein Research, which points out Google may have brand recognition, but stresses Yahoo delivers a potentially better quality and more holistic user experience. (I’ll have more on Yahoo after Chloe Graf confirms a date for my upcoming podcast interview. My personal thanks to Chloe for her extra effort and hard work in making this possible.)

And there are other good reasons to explore alternative search services. In fact, I’ll have more concrete data soon when my associate Peggy Albright (founder of Albright Communications) and I release our evaluation of voice search on an iPhone later this month. What started out as a basic services road test has developed into a 25+ page comprehensive analysis of leading voice search providers. It has taken a little longer than we planned, but the research stands out as the only work of its kind in the industry today.

I encourage you to explore the wealth of search services available on mobile and circle back to share your experiences. How was YOUR day without Google?

Disclaimer: Taptu and abphone have collaborated with MSG on white papers and research projects.