Mar 06th 2015

Search Engine Market Share

Google continues to dominate U.S./global market shares.

If you’re wondering for which search engines you should optimize your content, then you should take a look at the recent market share reports, both in the United States and on a global level. These reports indicate which search engines are being used the most on desktop or mobile devices, and the information can prove to be critical for the success of your eCommerce business or PPC advertisement campaign.

Search Engine Market Shares: U.S. Market

In the United States, Google has a firm hold on the market share for search queries performed on desktop computers. In fact, Google, Yahoo and Bing are the top search engines in the United States, but they aren’t the only search engines. Consumers are using DuckDuckGo, AOL, Blekko and Ask, too. According to comScore, Google has a firm hold on the U.S. search engine market share for desktop usage at 67 percent.

Here are the U.S. desktop numbers as of October 2014:

  • 67%, Google
  • 19.5%, Bing
  • 10.3%, Yahoo
  • 1.9%, Ask
  • 1.2%, AOL

U.S. Search Engine Market Shares: Mobile Devices & Tablets

In the United States, Google still holds the lead for usage on mobile devices and tablets. StatCounter’s data shows that for January 2015, Google led with a huge margin, with Yahoo placing second and Bing in third place.

  • 84.17%, Google
  • 9.65%, Yahoo
  • 5.58%, Bing
  • 0.2%, DuckDuckGo
  • 0.15%, Ask
  • 0.25%, Other

Search Engine Market Shares: Global Market

According to Net Market Share, Google dominates the global desktop market, with Baidu in a distant -- but important -- second place. Bing and Yahoo trail globally, with AOL, Ask and Excite making a minimal dent in the market shares.

Here are the global desktop numbers:

  • 62.74%, Google
  • 18.68%, Baidu
  • 8.70%, Bing
  • 7.79%, Yahoo
  • 0.36%, AOL
  • 0.19%, Ask
  • 0.01%, Excite

For anyone who hasn’t heard of Baidu, it is a Chinese web service company located in Beijing. In the United States, it is often referred to as “China’s Google” due to its popularity there. During the Q4 in 2010, China estimates there were 4.02 billion search queries in the country, and during that time, Baidu had a 56.6% market share. That market share percentage increased nearly 50% in the second quarter of 2011. As you can see, it’s has quickly gained popularity since its 2000 inception and shows no signs of slowing down.

Baidu isn’t the only international search engine that is used globally as well as in the United States. In a search engine study, users reported having tried Baidu as well as Naver and Yandex, although the last two were used much less.

Search Engine Market Shares: Mobile Devices & Tablets

On a global scale, Google still ranks No. 1 for mobile devices and tablets, but the margin increases significantly. And Yahoo overtakes Bing for second place on the global scale, despite the service being powered by Bing, and Ask moves ahead of AOL.

Here are the global mobile+tablet numbers:

  • 92.21%, Google
  • 5.3%, Yahoo
  • 2.05%, Bing
  • 0.11%, Baidu
  • 0.21%, Other
  • 0.1%, Ask
  • 0.02%, AOL

Why Do Search Engine Market Shares Matter?

If you’re wondering why it matters whether Google, Baidu or Bing is ahead, and how Yahoo overtaking Bing on mobile devices can affect your company, then keep reading.

Market share studies are completed several times a year, but individual and daily fluctuations are not calculated. Individual market share reports might have different findings than, say, comScore’s findings. So what can you take away from all of this?

Business owners should focus on Google rankings, but other search engines should not be ignored. In-depth demographics studies are not generally included in market share research, so its best to optimize content for Google and any search engines that your consumers use the most. This means that if your target audience is older than 65, and those people primarily use Bing on a desktop, than the fact that Yahoo overtakes Bing on mobile devices might not affect your business.

At Gainesville Marketing, we monitor market shares not only to look for industry trends, but to keep an eye on possible upticks in search engine popularity. Yahoo will probably never overtake Google’s position, on desktop or mobile devices, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore the service. We use all the information as our disposal so that we can find an SEO, PPC or other eCommerce strategy that will help your business grow.