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Googling Majority
Another milestone for Google, according to Nielsen//NetRatings - the search engine passed fifty per cent of all US Internet searches for the first time in April. Yahoo! and MSN searches made up 22 and 11% of the total, respectively.
Compared with a year ago, Google has gained 3% while Yahoo!'s share stayed the same and MSN's dipped slightly. Michael Lanz, VP, Search Industry Solutions at the agency comments: 'We can continue to expect new features, improved functionality and rewards programs from the top search providers as they compete to win consumers' loyalty. There is also opportunity for smaller providers to fulfill targeted search needs.'
Table 1: Search Share among Top 3 Search Providers, April 2006 (U.S.)
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Source: Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Search, May 2006
All three engines grew their traffic, but MSN considerably less than the other two.
Table 2: Search Growth among Top 3 Search Providers, April 2006 (U.S.)
[table]
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Search, May 2006
Lanz says the search engines are increasingly used to connect with big name companies that established their reputation offline. 'These companies have each built a strong Web presence designed to encourage consumers to buy immediately online, or give them the tools they need to do preliminary research before making an in-store purchase.'
Table 3: Top 5 Shopping Search Terms, April 2006 (U.S.)
[table]
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Search, May 2006
Nielsen//NetRatings is online at www.nielsen-netratings.com .
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