Google US market share drops below 80%, lowest since 2009 as Bing AI usage spikes

According to the latest data from web analytics firm StatCounter, Google’s share of the North American search market has fallen to its lowest point since 2009, with Bing and Yahoo making notable gains. As of April 2024, Google’s share is 79.89%, while Bing and Yahoo have captured 11.86% and 6.33% of the market, respectively.

The shift in market conditions comes as Microsoft has been aggressively integrating advanced artificial intelligence technology into its Bing search engine. In early 2023, Microsoft incorporated the powerful GPT-4 language model into Bing, enabling it to provide more intelligent and conversational search results. This move has helped drive increased usage and market share gains for Bing, which has seen over 1 billion chats in the six months since launching its AI-powered search.

As reported by StatCounter, Bing’s gains have been particularly pronounced on desktop devices, where it now holds a 10.17% share compared to just 4.96% on tablets and 0.51% on mobile as of April 2024. Yahoo, powered by Bing’s search technology, has also benefited from the AI enhancements, capturing a 2.60% share of the desktop search market.

The impact of Bing’s AI capabilities was evident early on. Microsoft announced in March 2023, just a month after launching the new features, that Bing had crossed 100 million daily active users for the first time. The AI-driven search experience allows users to engage in more natural, conversational interactions when seeking information online.

As of May 2023, Bing made its AI-powered search available to all users following an initial limited preview period. The expanded rollout included new features such as visual search elements, the ability to upload images to ask questions, and a refreshed interface for the Edge browser.

While Google remains the dominant force in search both in North America and globally, with an 86.99% worldwide market share, the company has seen its grip on the market loosen over the past year. Google’s global share has dipped from over 93% a year ago, while Bing has increased its presence from around 2.8% to 3.37% during the same period.

As Bing and Yahoo continue to leverage AI to enhance the search experience and attract more users, Google is working on its own AI search technology to counter the growing competition. However, with Google’s vast lead, particularly on mobile devices, it remains to be seen whether the AI-driven gains by Bing and Yahoo will significantly reshape the search landscape in the long run.

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