Despite which one you favor, you are probably familiar with all three of these search engines, but each have updates that are increasing the competition between them multi-fold. The common assumption is that Google dominates in search competition. While they are leading in the American Customer Satisfaction Index, their competitors are closer on their heels than you may think.
Neck And Neck?
The scores look like this:
- Google: 82 points
- Bing: 81 points
- Yahoo: 78 points
However the search engine rankings for December 2011, according to comScore, were:
- Google rose to 65.9 percent (up from 65.4 percent in November).
- Bing rose to 15.1 percent (up from 15 percent in November).
- Yahoo dropped to 14.5 percent (down from 15.1 percent).
While the numbers for customer satisfaction are relatively equal for each, the numbers for search engine rankings still show work needs to be done for the trailing two, and Bing and Yahoo are doing just that. Marissa Mayer just signed on as Yahoo’s CEO and is eager to evolve Yahoo into a sleeker and more streamlined firm. This change, while projected to be a positive for Yahoo may push Google in ways as well, forcing them to innovate and focus on user needs.
Mayer: Out With Google, In With Yahoo
Mayer, a former Google employee (began in 1999 as their first female engineer), has developed an expertise in artificial intelligence and search which could have a huge impact on Yahoo’s speed and strength and potentially turn the company around.
For both companies, Mayer’s 13 years at Google will be both a blessing and a curse. No guessing may be required on Google’s end as they can most likely project where she will move and paths she may take, and Yahoo will benefit from her insight and knowledge gained from the top search engine. It’s hard to say whether Mayer will be the hand that rocks Yahoo out of it’s slump, but its safe to say a ripple effect may occur for both Google and Yahoo.
Bing With a Bang?
Bing, the Microsoft search engine, powers Yahoo! search. Currently Bing trails Google in customer satisfaction by only one point. This may be attributable to their new redesign which introduced “Sidebar,” a feature that creates a more user tailored experience through integrated social networks in order to deliver results tailored to visitors’ search needs and desires. Many variables are at play, so credit to the re-design may not be warranted. Bing’s score did drop a point from last year, however Google’s did as well, which could be the result of their redesigned search page that many users find complex.