Google Search Share Slips To Lowest Ever, Yahoo on Rise. Credits to Mozilla?

By Kamal Nayan - 09 Jan '15 00:06AM

Google search share has slipped to lowest ever in U.S. - 75.2 percent from 79.3 percent last year, according to an independent analytics firm. On the other hand, Yahoo Search has managed to score its highest share in five years - 10.4 percent, up by 3 percent from last year.

The report by Analytics firm StatCounter said Google share in the U.S. market is lowest since 2008, when it started tracking the data.

However, Google is still the leader in U.S. online search, followed by Bing 12.5 percent and Yahoo at 10.4 percent.

StatCounter underscored the fact that Yahoo's gain in search market coincides with its partnership with Mozilla, that has made Yahoo its default search engine on the Firefox browser. Reportedly, Yahoo usage on Firefox has tripped after the partnership.

"The move by Mozilla has had a definite impact on US search," said StatCounter chief executive Aodhan Cullen. Firefox is the third most used web browser in the world followed by Google's Chrome and Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

However, according to experts, Yahoo's market share has gone as far as it will. "I doubt Google needs to worry. For one, that's probably the high water mark...Unless Firefox suddenly grows share, everyone who likely could get switched has been now. And Google might claw back even the small share gone," says Search Engine Lands Danny Sullivan.

For sure, Google needs not worry, but it is definitely encouraging news for Yahoo.