A title search involves WAY more than merely a chain of deeds. While there ARE deeds, a title company is tracking all interests backwards and making certian that prior interests and partial interests have been discharged. They are tracking backwards through land splits and combinations. They are tracking mortgages, full and partial releases, whether parties had the authority to act (as in LLCs, Trusts, Bankrupcies, Probates, Guardianships), they are tracking when parties were in title, and what liens and judgements may have attached to their interests. They are reviewing all sorts of records to determines easements and restrictions that affect the property. Many of which used to merely be added as extra language on a deed. So the documents themselves must be copied and reviewed.
Just because a document was recorded does NOT mean it is correct. Example: I've seen deeds recorded that were not properly executed. I've seen mortgages and mortgage releases somehow get recorded in the wrong county. Or posted to the wrong property (inverted lot and block numbers). There are title defects that are hidden and the best searcher would not know by reviewing the document. Examples: Deed executed by a Minor, Deed by a person who was mentally incompetent, Fraudulant Deed.
And many don't realize that a person need not have a fee simple ownership to sign a Quit Claim deed. So if one has recieved a Quit Claim, it does not necessarilly mean they own now it. One has to first know what interest the person quit claiming had, and so on.
Unless one is trained in reading legal descriptions, and sometimes mapping them, knowledgeable about what makes a document valid, knowledgeble about probate law, bankrupcy law, divorce law, etc as it purtains to RE, they would be an utter fool to rely on the very limited bit of info available on the internet as a substitute for actually obtaining title insurance.