Microsoft Bing reaches 12% of search market

Bing: gaining market share
Bing: gaining market share

In its first year Microsoft's Bing search engine has claimed 12.7 per cent of the internet search market, according to figures released by ComScore.

Market leader Google fell slightly through June, dropping one per cent to 62.7, while Yahoo was up to 18.9 per cent.

ComScore said about its findings: "Both Yahoo! Sites and Microsoft Sites have experienced gains due in part to the continued utilisation of contextual search approaches that tie content and related search results together."

Satya Nadello of Microsoft told BBC News: "There is something that we are doing that is clearly resonating but that said we are a low share player"

Greg Sterling from Search Engine Land also told the BBC that: "Google is very entrenched in the culture and in people's behaviour and that is a tough nut to crack.

"If Bing takes a long-term view they can make greater inroads than they have but I don't know if they can get beyond 30-40 per cent. If they get to 20 per cent plus that would be a big win for them."

Bing while you go

Microsoft is keen to take Bing mobile, and launched an iPhone application in December which has seen been downloaded 4.3 million times in the US.In the future, Microsoft is hoping to use location to deliver better search results.

Senior vice-president for mobile Erik Jorgensen told the BBC: "Location is key," and that Microsoft is focused on helping users "type less and do more".

Bing – branded as a decision engine – was launched just 12 months ago and here at TechRadar we liked the quality of its search results.

Via BBC

Alistair Charlton

Alistair Charlton is a freelance technology and automotive journalist based in London. His career began with a stint of work experience at TechRadar back in 2010, before gaining a journalism degree and working in the industry ever since. A lifelong car and tech enthusiast, Alistair writes for a wide range of publications across the consumer technology and automotive sectors. As well as reviewing dash cams for TechRadar, he also has bylines at Wired, T3, Forbes, Stuff, The Independent, SlashGear and Grand Designs Magazine, among others.