Web search statistics show Bing stagnant, Google growing
Following a press release from ComScore indicating that Microsoft has approached 10% market share with Bing, more comprehensive search statistics indicate that Bing's growth and share of web search is being wildly overstated.
ComScore's October "US Core Search" rankings made headlines in suggesting that Microsoft's Bing, combined with the company's other search properties, have incrementally amassed a significant share of US search, now at 9.9%.
However, ComScore's press release points out in small type that "searches for mapping, local directory, and user-generated video sites that are not on the core domain of the five search engines are not included in the core search numbers."
Microsoft doesn't have a big share of the mapping, local directory, and user generated search market. By removing this from its "core" rankings, ComScore greatly inflates Bing's importance, because the vast majority search related to maps, local search, and "user generated video" (why not just say "YouTube") are all owned by Google. Microsoft's own "Soapbox" effort to match Google's YouTube failed and was shut down in August after a three year run.
When looking at more neutral statistics that don't gerrymander figures to arrive at a desired conclusion, the facts are very different.
Net Application's search engine market share figures have been tracking the industry since at least 2000. For October 2009, the latest full month recorded, it gave Microsoft Bing just a 3.49% share of all search globally, along with 0.08% share for MSN Search and 0.01% share for Microsoft Live Search. Yahoo Search took second place with 6.68%, leaving the lion's share for Google at 84.53%.
This establishes the trend AppleInsider reported this summer that despite glowing press releases for Bing, Google keeps eating away more and more of the web search market globally, while Microsoft and Yahoo continue to remain stagnant.
As the chart below shows, in the four years between 2004 and 2008, Google incrementally shifted from having almost 60% share to having a dominating +75% share, while Yahoo fell from 18.5% to 12.7% and Microsoft fell from 14% to 6.3%.
Over the last two years since, Google has continued to gain share while Yahoo's dropped to the current figure of 6.7% and Microsoft's Bing, MSN and Live Search combined amounted to just 3.5% of the global web search market.
ComScore's October "US Core Search" rankings made headlines in suggesting that Microsoft's Bing, combined with the company's other search properties, have incrementally amassed a significant share of US search, now at 9.9%.
However, ComScore's press release points out in small type that "searches for mapping, local directory, and user-generated video sites that are not on the core domain of the five search engines are not included in the core search numbers."
Microsoft doesn't have a big share of the mapping, local directory, and user generated search market. By removing this from its "core" rankings, ComScore greatly inflates Bing's importance, because the vast majority search related to maps, local search, and "user generated video" (why not just say "YouTube") are all owned by Google. Microsoft's own "Soapbox" effort to match Google's YouTube failed and was shut down in August after a three year run.
When looking at more neutral statistics that don't gerrymander figures to arrive at a desired conclusion, the facts are very different.
Net Application's search engine market share figures have been tracking the industry since at least 2000. For October 2009, the latest full month recorded, it gave Microsoft Bing just a 3.49% share of all search globally, along with 0.08% share for MSN Search and 0.01% share for Microsoft Live Search. Yahoo Search took second place with 6.68%, leaving the lion's share for Google at 84.53%.
This establishes the trend AppleInsider reported this summer that despite glowing press releases for Bing, Google keeps eating away more and more of the web search market globally, while Microsoft and Yahoo continue to remain stagnant.
As the chart below shows, in the four years between 2004 and 2008, Google incrementally shifted from having almost 60% share to having a dominating +75% share, while Yahoo fell from 18.5% to 12.7% and Microsoft fell from 14% to 6.3%.
Over the last two years since, Google has continued to gain share while Yahoo's dropped to the current figure of 6.7% and Microsoft's Bing, MSN and Live Search combined amounted to just 3.5% of the global web search market.
Comments
I thought after all these years of competition the search services would know each other's tricks and it wouldn't matter which I used, but Bing really is crappier than Google.
Anyhow, I gave Bing a go once. Took me on average 5 clicks and one re-wording to get to what I wanted. Google it was usually in the first 3 results of the first page. Bing and decide... to not use Bing!
I like competition, but sadly Bing (One syllable is easier to pronounce than two? Binging instead of Googling? I think that was part of the marketing idea.) didn't bring any competition from what I saw. M$ shouldn't try to enter into all these different markets. They should stick with OSs and Office and Servers. If they focus their resources on one good area, instead of trying to get into all these different markets, then their products will benefit. I feel they are stretching themselves too thin. Both Apple and Google need to be wary of this too as they both are oozing into other markets.
Both Apple and Google need to be wary of this too as they both are oozing into other markets.
Difference is, when Apple oozes into other markets, it's mostly a win. When Microsoft oozes into other markets they're mostly collossal failures and/or bottomless billion dollar money pits. So the same advice is not applicable to both.
I know this sounds like a broken record, but Bing has no Bang... How many times have you typed in a search and it's taken way longer than if using Safari or Google to find what you are looking for? Click after freaking click. Not good...
I tried Bing Maps once and was impressed. I like the 'angled' view and the fact that I could view a street from both sides as it were.
Seriously, why the hell is this here? So everyone can join in on bashing MS some more? That's getting old. It's like listening to the AMD vs Intel guys or the NVidia vs ATI guys. It's just plain stupid.
If this was a technology news site it would be different. This is a site focused on Apple, not it's competitors. Saying something like "It's here because Microsoft's success has an effect on Apple" is completely vague and means you could post a number of articles on many different companies.
To be fair I do think you need to easy off on the Microsoft posts however. This is Apple Insider after all, or am I wrong?
Difference is, when Apple oozes into other markets, it's mostly a win. When Microsoft oozes into other markets they're mostly collossal failures and/or bottomless billion dollar money pits. So the same advice is not applicable to both.
Yes, it has mostly been wins for Apple. I'm just saying for in the future if the decide to continue the ooze, they could end up being stretched too thin. The viscosity of Apple is much higher than Microsoft, but still, there could be a point when the surface tension breaks if they ooze out too far. (Then again, maybe I'm taking the ooze analogy too far.)
I get all my Microsoft news from apple insider!
Seriously, why the hell is this here? So everyone can join in on bashing MS some more? That's getting old. It's like listening to the AMD vs Intel guys or the NVidia vs ATI guys. It's just plain stupid.
If this was a technology news site it would be different. This is a site focused on Apple, not it's competitors. Saying something like "It's here because Microsoft's success has an effect on Apple" is completely vague and means you could post a number of articles on many different companies.
Thank you. I'm sick of it too.
I was thinking someone should tell Steve Ballmer that Bing is a "rounding error" in the search engine market.
Isn't Microsoft-bashing the flip side of Apple-loving?
For "the Prince" it's the other half of the same side of the same coin.
Personally I never liked Microsoft bashing. What I don't like I try to ignore. At least MS can make a friggin' mouse.
I get all my Microsoft news from apple insider!
Seriously, why the hell is this here? So everyone can join in on bashing MS some more? That's getting old. It's like listening to the AMD vs Intel guys or the NVidia vs ATI guys. It's just plain stupid.
If this was a technology news site it would be different. This is a site focused on Apple, not it's competitors. Saying something like "It's here because Microsoft's success has an effect on Apple" is completely vague and means you could post a number of articles on many different companies.
Where's the "Like" button?
I like competition, but sadly Bing (One syllable is easier to pronounce than two? Binging instead of Googling? I think that was part of the marketing idea.) didn't bring any competition from what I saw.
Once again, MS was off and in this case, by one individual letter - "a"!
Had "Bing" been called "Bang", then the act of "Binging" becomes "Banging" and MS would have at least secured the male search demographic age of 15 - 199!
Once again, MS was off and in this case, by one individual letter - "a"!
Had "Bing" been called "Bang", then the act of "Binging" becomes "Banging" and MS would have at least secured the male search demographic age of 15 - 199!