Google Holds 65% Search Share in Pre-Microsoft Bing Rankings

Americans conducted 14.3 billion searches at the five core search engines in May 2009, with nearly two-thirds (65%) of searches performed on Google (GOOG), 20% on Yahoo and 8.2% on Microsoft Sites, according to comScore qSearch data.

Though the total number of searches was down 3.8% over April 2009, Google’s share of searches rose eight tenths of a percentage point, up from 64.2% in April. The shares for Yahoo (YHOO), Microsoft (MSFT) and AOL declined slightly. Ask Network (IACI) (3.9% of searches) was up one-tenth of a percentage point, while and AOL LLC (3.1% of searches) declined two-tenths of a point.

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May search data did not include figures for Microsoft’s new search engine Bing, which was launched June 1. Bing figures will be included in comScore’s June search analysis. Separate comScore research from the first two weeks of Bing’s launch showed that it had gained enough traction in the search market to rattle Google.

Total Core Searches

Google Sites accounted for 9.3 billion core searches in May, followed by Yahoo Sites with 2.9 billion and Microsoft Sites with 1.1 billion.

The total number of searches was down across the top engines overall, with AOL experiencing a 12% drop in the number of searches, and Google experiencing a 3% drop. Ask Network had the smallest percentage decrease, down 1%.

Expanded Search Rankings

In the comScore May 2009 analysis of the top properties where search activity is observed, Google Sites led with 13 billion searches. Yahoo Sites ranked second with 3 billion searches, followed by Microsoft Sites (1.2 billion) and AOL LLC (721 million).

Nielsen Online also recently released May search data, which put the total number of searches at 9.9 billion and Google holding a 63.2% share. Nielsen’s figures showed that the number of searches between April and May 2009 increased, in part because Nielsen data also tracks a number of smaller players that have experienced recent growth.

Comments

[whidbey:]

I suspect this data more revealing that we know. MSFT is in more trouble than it is aware of - yet. Its rough and unsuccessful handling of the individual user and the corporate customers is the trap that it will fall into and perish. The rule is MSFT introduced a common language that made communications universal, but that is not the issue today.

When the Cloud arrives Msft goes into the shadows.MSFT is a desk top phase company and its phase has come and gone.

Jun 26 10:31 PM

[jay fredric...:]

I wouldn't want to bet against MSFT, not with this new BING search program. It will continue to gain market share from Google or at least from AOL.

Jun 27 09:15 AM

[TrezRek500:]

I really don't understand MSFT's obsession with the internet(ie the courting of Yahoo and now Bing.)

To me, MSFT should focus on the cloud. Selling SaaS versions of Outlook/Exchange or Great Plains would be a good start. All the other tech companies are solidly either a consumer company(apple, yahoo, google) or a b2b company(HP, Oracle, IBM). Msft tries to ride this line down the middle, and I'm not so sure it is working.

Jun 27 11:28 AM

[BlueOkie:]

This is a little scary. If they know how many searches, then they know what each person searched for and when. "Big Brother" 1984

Jun 28 08:28 AM