comScore is running an interesting look into the June search data of Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. Overall, the analysis is pointing to the possibility of the combined forces of Microsoft and Yahoo easily catching up with Google’s overall search dominance or at least of becoming more competitive against Google.
Citing June search market data, comScore’s study showed that combining Microsoft and Yahoo’s searcher penetration data will amount to 73.3%, not too far behind Google’s 84.0% searcher penetration.
Overall search market share of Google for June was at 65% while Microsoft and Yahoo’s search market share could only stand at 28%. The discrepancy between the overall market share and search penetration was due to the fact that Google searchers have conducted more searches during the month than those of Microsoft and Yahoo searchers combined.
Now, what does Microsoft and Yahoo need to do then in order to take advantage of the slim discrepancy between their searcher penetration data against that of Google? Try to make their occassional searchers use their search engines as regular as Google searchers are using Google search. To do this, Microsoft and Yahoo must ensure that searcher experience will be compelling enough to make them do their search again on Microsoft and Yahoo’s search engines, and make them do this as regular as possible.
Once they’ve achieved this, advertisers would be more than happy as their inventory needs would be finally met by the combined search market share of Microsoft and Yahoo. This is something which Google has consistently been providing to its search advertisers.
comScore also highlighted another interesting fact – searcher loyalty which according to them is higher in Google than in Microsoft and Yahoo. Google searchers were conducted either on Google’s main search portal or on its various search verticals. 68% of Google’s search market share were conducted on all of Google’s sites. While searchers from the combined Microsoft and Yahoo conducted only 32.6% of their searches on both Microsoft and Yahoo sites but 60.7% of their searches were done on Google sites. In short, searchers are more loyal to Google than they are with Microsoft/Yahoo.
