New York — Market analysis firm Hitwise reported that Internet search giant Google Inc., even with the recession in economic scenario around the globe, it still continues to increase its U.S. search shares of the U.S. Internet search market rose to 71.7% in October from 71.16% in September and 64.49% a year ago, widening its lead over Yahoo and Microsoft, according the research firm Hitwise.
Among the other players losing the market shares are:
It is no wonder that Google is the major player in the online search industry, and the lead is primarily achieved at the expense of rival Yahoo, which say it share drop from 18.1 percent in September to 17.7 percent in October, and 21.7 percent a year ago.
Microsoft — which has been assiduously working to expand its share of the search market at first by attempting to acquire Yahoo and more recently through a series of partnerships and promotions — slightly manage to increase its in October to 5.4 percent from 5.36 percent in September. But a year ago, Microsoft accounted for 7.4 percent of the search market.
While Microsoft widely distributed many promotions to encourage users to try out its Live Search services, the company claims its Live Search cashback offering, rolled out back in May, is “showing traction” with consumers and advertisers, announcing that the program is now offering 30 percent more offers and is giving advertisers a good return on their investments.
Microsoft also released a new SearchPerks program last month that enables Live Search users collect rewards points for using Live Search that can be exchanged for prizes and merchandise.
Similarly, IAC’s Ask.com saw its overall share decline from 3.6 percent in September to 3.5 percent in October; and last year, Ask.com accounted for 4.8 percent of online search.
“These figures nicely elaborate why the Justice Department was not willing to let Google and Yahoo team up in search related advertising.”
Based on the HitWise report, it seems like Google is on its way to becoming a search monopoly. At least the Google/Yahoo partnership would have produced enough money for Yahoo to keep them in the search game.