Google Trounces UK Search Rivals

Google is improving its already dominant position in the UK search engine market, according to data from Hitwise. Google UK powered 63% of all UK Internet searches in the four weeks to 1st October, and Google.com a further 7%. Unlike in the US where Yahoo! clocks nearly half Google's searches, no other UK property gets into double figures.

Adding the UK and .com properties of Ask, Yahoo! Search, and MSN Search, the top four providers account for 94% of UK searches. Hitwise includes 57 search engines in its stats, counting UK and .com properties separately.

Comparing the four weeks ending 1st October 2005 and the four weeks ending 2nd October 2004, the volume of searches powered by the top four companies' has increased by 70%, driven mainly by searches performed on Google UK and MSN.co.uk Search according to Heather Hopkins, Director of Research for Hitwise UK. 'MSN and Google have been extremely successful at promoting their search toolbars' says Hopkins, 'driving up the volume of UK searches they power. MSN has also likely benefited from the default search page on Internet Explorer'.

Google UK's share of searches is higher than its share of visits, indicating that users perform a higher than average number of searches per visit. Average visit time is correspondingly higher than the overall search engine average, at 13 minutes.

Google's closest competitor, MSN.co.uk Search, powered 8% of UK Internet searches in the same four week period ending 1st October 2005. In the US, Yahoo! Search is a stronger competitor, with Google.com powering 60% of all searches, compared to Yahoo! Search at 27% in the four-week period ending 1st October 2005.

Hitwise, which collects Internet usage information via a combination of ISP data partnerships and opt-in panels, is a privately held company, headquartered in New York City. More details of the Hitwise UK Search Insight Report are at www.hitwise.co.uk/info/contact/uk_online_search_report.html.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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