Whenever people ask me what is going to be the next great search engine I always tell them… it’s over… Google has won and has made sure they stay on top.
How did they do it?
1) They built an amazing product that was so much better than anything else out there.
2) They bought market share by cutting deals with anyone that would let them be the default search engine. Deals were made with AOL, Apple (mobile and desktop browsers), Firefox and many others to be the default search engine.
Microsoft’s Steve Balmer has always referred to Google as a one trick pony, pointing out that almost all of Google’s revenue comes from blending in ads in its search listings and on people’s websites (Google AdSense).
Mr. Balmer is right about Google’s revenue stream and I have written many times about how interesting it would be if someone were to step in and outbid Google for some of those properties. I just thought that company was going to be Yahoo!
But it appears as if Microsoft is that company. This is going to be very interesting. I just finished reading an article in Business week claiming that Microsoft has come to terms with Apple and Bing will become the search engine on the iPhone (most likely OS 4.0 release). A deal with Verizon last summer made Bing the default search engine on most Verizon (non-Android) phones. In my opinion this is HUGE and a clear signal of Microsoft’s intentions.
Microsoft is a lion and they are relentless. They are the only company who have any shot at dethroning Google’s massive market share. They have the patients, money, and resources to do it.
Before you think I am too crazy follow me for a minute.
First of all Microsoft’s Bing is a really good search engine. I have started using it more and more… ironically the same way I started using Google. I was not getting the results I was looking for in Google so I tried it… and it worked. Then I started using it as my default search engine. It’s actually a good search engine.
Honestly I am not big fan of all the clutter Google has put in the results. I don’t like the real time twitter crap, images, news, blog posts in my search results. Maybe you like it? I just want what I am looking for. I started and continued using Google because it was amazingly lightweight and fast. Now it’s bloated with crap and its turning me off.
Maybe I am way off base but I think this is all the perfect storm for Microsoft to jump in with Bing and really make a run at it.
Can you imagine if Microsoft outbid Google to become the default search engine for Firefox, AOL, and Safari?
If you average out most places that keep track of such stats on browser marketshare you will find that Firefox, AOL and Safari account for about 45% of the browser market share…. THAT’S HUGE! If Microsoft can lock down deals with these companies then its fricking on.
Ok so how does Google fend off an attack like this? Well… imagine if they drop support for all browsers BUT Chrome…. Now wouldn’t that be something.
Imagine if you went to use your GMail, Google Docs, Google Maps, or any of the countless other “services I can’t live without” that Google produces and it only worked on the Chrome browser….
It’s going to be interesting how this pans out.
February 16, 2010 at 5:51 am
The Apple/Bing alliance is just speculation right now, and I hope it never happens. I am an Apple fanboy, for sure (you Windows folk have been conned all along the line, and you just can’t see it). I’m also a Google fan, and unfortunately I can see why Apple could be squaring up to Google in a (futile) struggle for power. Perhaps nobody has noticed that we are watching the birth pangs of the future – the future of personal communications, and amegoworld.com will be at the heart of that. Check it out, and make your own Amego.
February 13, 2010 at 9:44 pm
There is a reason that BING is called BING – because its “Because Its Not Google.” There you have it folks – what BING stands for!
According to the SharePoint Experts at MSFT, SharePoints social network code base is the same code base as Facebook (hence their 10%+ stake), MSFT is clearly trying to scoop in and buy the social space where Google has floundered. Buzz is roadkill as it will help everyone but Google! MSFT is a real threat no doubt.
February 9, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Nothing is over or forever with the Internet. Things change really fast and we never know what will happen next.
Google is today search engine, like Yahoo once was.
A&P was the Wal-Mart of 50 years ago, where are they now?
Change is the only constant.
Cheers,
Mukul
February 9, 2010 at 8:56 am
i think jeremy is high
February 8, 2010 at 10:00 pm
It would be a big joke if someone says bing is better search engine than google! i tried bing and found it nowhere near google.
February 8, 2010 at 9:57 pm
All the market share that Bing has grabbed has been at the expense of 3rd party search engines like Yahoo.
Google has increased market share at the same time Bing has increased market share.
Microsoft is as much a one trick pony as Google: Desktop software. Office and windows are the only profitable thing they do. Everything else loses money, including Bing.
Windows and Office are in greater danger of going away than search is.
February 8, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Your quote here “Imagine if you went to use your GMail, Google Docs, Google Maps, or any of the countless other “services I can’t live without” that Google produces and it only worked on the Chrome browser” is interesting!
Another thing interesting is that you work with both Microsoft and Google as an advisor (I believe that’s right), so what are you advising them to do? *wink
February 8, 2010 at 11:32 am
Bing on iPhone is BIG. You never know who’s having lunch together working out some huge earth-shattering deal over their salads. Thanks for the info.
February 7, 2010 at 1:56 pm
It’s going to be a fun battle to watch play out, that’s for sure. There is clearly enough room for multiple big dogs in the space, but both want to be THE big dog. Interesting to hear your change in search behavior recently.
February 6, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Sometimes Google can’t get the job done, and I often move onto Bing.
February 6, 2010 at 6:45 am
I wish Bing would get a bigger market share. Normally if I can’t find what I want in Google, I high-tail it over to Bing and most of the time I find what I want. I also like how there are related searches in the sidebar, whereas in Google I have to scroll to the bottom of the page.
-Gillian
February 6, 2010 at 1:35 am
There is nothing to keep people from using Chrome like they would Outlook and sticking with Firefox for everything else.
It might be as easy, but Chrome is lightweight enough to be easily run at the same time as Firefox with minimal negative impact.
February 5, 2010 at 5:53 pm
I don’t think Bing will have this enormous success Google had in the past. When Google started to build their search engine, there wasn’t really good competition. You had to chose between a bad search engine and a good one (=Google). The decision was easy…
Now the situation is different. We have Google, which is still one of the best search engines and we have a slightly better one (Bing). The search results of Google are sufficient for many people. They will only switch their search engine if the competition is much better (or provides features that enhance the search results)
“imagine if they drop support for all browsers BUT Chrome…. Now wouldn’t that be something.”
I think IF this happens, new addons for firefox would be developed that simulate the chrome browser, so you can continue using the services.
February 5, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Bing is not a better search engine, I’ve tried it and simply don’t like it.
February 5, 2010 at 1:52 pm
I actually like all the “crap” Google puts in my search results. In fact, 60% of the time I use Google, the “crap”–as you call it–is actually want I want back as a result. It’s not often that I do a traditional search. It’s typically number crunching using Google’s calculator, an image search, an address search, a new search, etc. There’s a reason why MS calls Bing a “decision engine”. We want answers, not results. Eventually, that “crap” will be the main search result type.
February 5, 2010 at 10:12 am
I really can’t contemplate my life without Google, after years studying SEO and getting firefox configured just how I like it. The thought of having to go through it all again with another search engine terrifies me. A partnership between microsoft and apple seems unlikely, but who knows. I just hope it never happens.
February 5, 2010 at 1:26 pm
I agree, a partnership with Apple seems absurd. I don’t see it happening. Especially since Jobs can’t even get a deal done with Adobe for Flash support on the iPhone.
Jobs won’t partner up with someone unless he gets to set the tone for discussion and I don’t see that happening with the company that has dominated him for decades.
As for a Microsoft / FF partnership I don’t know again. Why would FF partner with it’s largest competitor. I would think MS would have to make a pretty sweet deal. It seems to me that Google and FF have done a pretty good job sticking it to MS in the browser war and that it would be a tough relationship to break.
February 5, 2010 at 3:42 pm
I think you are confused on many levels.
1) Apple and Microsoft have been in partnerships for over 20 years. Why would it seem absurd they do another deal together?
2) Steve Jobs has stated many times he does not want flash support on the iPhone because of its security flaws and speed issues. Both of which are very well founded. If you have ever seen a flash video run on a hacked iPhone its like 2 frames per second. What kind of possible value would this bring to iphone users?
3) Microsoft does not view firefox as a competitor. They make no direct money from internet explorer. I am sure they would rather the entire world use firefox and bing for their default search engine then use internet explorer and google.
February 5, 2010 at 8:15 am
I find this really interesting as when Bing first appeared I dismissed it completely. But I’ve notice a steady rise in people coming to my websites via Bing with a knock on effect in a decline from those coming via Google rather than any other search engine. These results haven’t convinced me yet about switching allegiances to Bing, but all it would take is for Google to do something which annoys me and I can see a potential switch taking place.
From my perception Google need to get back to basics rather than trying to add a new element every month as it was when the were clutter free, so to speak, that they delivered what everyone wanted.
February 5, 2010 at 8:06 am
totally agree. I am hoping they put some pressure on google, the real time stuff is mostly garbage and they have totally stuffed to much into their search results….Its hard to imagine apple & mircorsoft partnering on anything…but this would be a huge lift if they integrated onto the iphone…
February 5, 2010 at 8:05 am
I just checked out bing, it shows close to 1000 results on one page, freaking awesome
February 5, 2010 at 6:24 am
Maybe it is time for Google to go into a full producing a full fledge OS and word processor.
In the Sun Tze art of war, the attacker always win. In this case, Microsoft is attacking Google with their full fledge search engine, whereas Google is attacking Microsoft with their half baked OS and word processor
February 5, 2010 at 3:03 am
I agree with everything you said but one thing. CONTENT is King. The big secret nobody knows is that Google has content partner deal with Examiner.com Why do you think they rank so well?
February 4, 2010 at 10:55 pm
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February 4, 2010 at 10:06 pm
I’m at the top of page 1 on Google and the top of page 7 on Bing. WTF? I know competition is good but that’s gonna suck to try to figure out Bing’s SEO. Anyone have a good source on that yet? Thx.
February 5, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Hehe, same story for new sites here. They are pretty slow to index… There are some things that bing gives more % to… such as domain name is of more importance in bing than google – if you have keyword.com, you are more likely to be #1 in bing than in google, even if it is a crappy site with minimal backlinks… there are some changes, but overall, if you keep on optimizing your site in all of the aspects, you can be #1 in both. Don’t focus on bing, focus on overall SEO, still works the same way for the most part.
February 4, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Yeah, its a good time for MS to start since Apple is pissed of at Google.
Bing’s quality indeed became better, but it’s still a long way to beat google. Depending on what you are searching for of course. I didn’t even want to look at bing until I did a local movie search – amazing results. Same for pictures and videos. Bing did take over Google in some of the searches but still a long way from other ones. Looks like they are becoming more serious and indeed have a good chance take a big % of users in the future. As for now, bing is still slow to index new content. A lot of people seem to be pissed off at google, especially affiliate marketers… You are not pissed at google, are you? 
February 4, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Step 1. Nothing gets people talking about you like a business model that makes other people money. MS needs a serious AdSense competitor.
Step 2. There’s a nifty little plugin for Firefox that lets you see Google ads, but when you click on them, it’s not recorded by Google … roll that little slice of code into an IE auto-update and watch Googs revenue drop by 20-30-40%.
Step 3. Prepare a few words to say at Google’s funeral.
Bottom line is, Google wasn’t the first SE and they won’t be the last. The one-trick pony thing has got to go if they want to survive for the long haul.
February 4, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Wow, that’s some serious stuff you’re talking about there. I have never felt comfortable using Microsoft products but had to because there really was not a better product out there but after switching over from them to something that works and then to go ahead and return? I don’t know, even if Bing does become all big and mighty I doubt a lot of people would just switch over just like that.
Also on the flip side, if Google does what you said and turn off support for other browsers, I think, and a lot of people might agree with me, it would be sort of suicide, maybe not complete but they would definitely lose a huge chunk of their “loyal” users, even with their “services I can’t live without”. That would piss me off and I’d be out the door on them.
Anyway, thanks for a great post Jeremy!
February 4, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Bing looks like it’s doing well. Microsoft pretty much mimicked Google with the simple design.
February 4, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Firefox has already announced that google won’t be their default browser anymore. I think this is good news. I just hope that adwords prices go a little bit down as well
February 4, 2010 at 5:51 pm
I don’t agree with you, I have tried the bing and i still cannot compare it with Google moreover they are not indexing the content as much fast as Google does to provide the timely information.
Check this post
http://searchengineland.com/some-seo-advice-for-bill-gates-34303
to know more about there indexing speed.
Microsoft do have the resources to compete with Google and may be the beat it but not in near future for sure.
Also, I really get amazed when you said that you don’t like social search, tweets, blogs results etc because it made Google slow.
Google is providing this result to show in-depth data and i think Google has become more fast due to some caffeine technology they have implemented or soon going to implement( i might be wrong in it)
http://mashable.com/2009/08/10/google-caffeine/
Anyways i think Google is doing good and really working hard to improve its user experience.
February 4, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Bing is def a good search engine. I just hope that they steal yahoos market share. So lets leave google at the top and then bing stealing yahoo and my SEO will be killing it!!!!!
February 4, 2010 at 4:17 pm
I really like Bing.com it’s my default search engine. I’m just getting concerned with the amount of data the near monopoly Google is collecting on virtually everything. I think the Internet needs a balance of great companies not one culture dominating and determining the rules for everyone. I think we should worry in a one party dominated Internet world just as everyone worried about a one party Microsoft operating system.
February 4, 2010 at 3:40 pm
I think if microsoft was to start cutting deals with browsers, then it would be close to game over.
I worked for an ISP years back on the helpdesk, and people dont know what a search engine is, they just type stuff into the address bar and it goes there OR there is the flipside and their homepages is google, and they type URL’s in there, then just click the top result (No joke).
Personally i never go manually to a search engine, always just type it either in the address bar of Firefox which takes you direct to the number 1 site (Most of the time), or use the inbuild search to the right of it. And i think pretty much everyone i know does the same thing.
February 4, 2010 at 3:13 pm
I feel like this will have a drastic affect on advertising as well.
Even if Bing takes a small bite out of Google, it could mean we see a shift in ad revenue being used in the Microsoft adcenter vs adSense… more competition means a better product for the average consumer, so other then confusion over which engine to chose… I really can only see this as a plus for the web.
February 4, 2010 at 1:32 pm
2 things that stand out to me.
#1 Apple and google used to co-operate to beat microsoft.
#2 Google is now taking on Apple – anderoid vs iphone, chrome vs safari, applications.
So it makes sense for apple to put bing as the default search engine and make people jump through hoops to install google.
End result should be greater competition and more advertising revenue for all 3 companies.
February 4, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Great post, Jeremy. The same thing happened back in 2003 in the jobs space. CareerBuilder, who had always run a distant 2nd or 3rd to Monster, suddenly vaulted into the #1 traffic spot when they took the AOL and MSN deals away from Monster. Now Monster is buying HotJobs and suddenly vaulting themselves back into (or close to) the lead.
Neither time did the lead switch hands because of better technology. The technology only had to be good enough that when new traffic was bought, the users stuck around.
I can totally see Microsoft being successful here if their results are good enough.
February 4, 2010 at 11:49 am
What do you think about ebay? It’s like the Google of Auction sites
February 4, 2010 at 11:10 am
I love the idea of someone taking on Google. I have for years thought they were arrogant and the playground bully of the internet.
The only drawback is that the only other company in my opinion that is close to being an arrogant take it or leave monster is Microsoft.
For me its like a Notre Dame vs. USC football game…..
Who cares, they’re both filled with obnoxious arrogance.
I just wish the Corn Huskers could kick both their asses!
February 4, 2010 at 10:52 am
” imagine if they drop support for all browsers BUT Chrome…. Now wouldn’t that be something.”
REALLY?? Do you really know what you are saying? I was with you until that line… now I just think you don’t know what the hell you are talking about.
February 4, 2010 at 11:30 am
Well its not fact…. I just said imagine IF that happened… Stranger things have happened and Google has pulled similar stunts with eBay and other companies who peed in their cheerios. This would just be on the next level.
February 4, 2010 at 11:59 am
The question is whether they have enough people committed to Google Apps that they would switch. I’m betting they do.
Interesting times
February 4, 2010 at 12:06 pm
I think a lot of people would because of the hassles of finding replacements for all of the services Google provides. On the other hand, I think many people would just use Chrome for Google’s services, and another browser for other things.
Plus, if it ever came to that, they would get slapped with an antitrust lawsuit PDQ, in my non-lawyer opinion
February 4, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Google would be shooting themselves in the head if they required Chrome to access their apps. Are IT departments world wide going to roll out chrome just so their employees can goof off on gmail?
February 4, 2010 at 10:50 am
This is what google has been working on and trying to compete with in the near future: http://gizmodo.com/5424928/google-demonstrates-quantum-algorithm-promising-superfast-search
I hear they also believe that they can index the web faster using similar technology.
February 4, 2010 at 10:14 am
Google won;t ever drop its services in other browsers. But if Bing did take over those browsers new downloads, you would see a lot loyal googlers switch over to chrome browser as opposed to putting up with Bing being the default search (or manually changing it).
I personally think Bing spits out some pretty crappy results on specific searches. They definitely need to improve their formula, but I like their set up and aesthetics a lot more than google. I think google realizes its weakness in the aesthetics category, and that’s why they did that recent looks update.
February 4, 2010 at 10:11 am
Great analysis of the upcoming situation jeremy. I don’t like news, twitter updates, images in simple google search either. Simplicity and to the point search was only thing that made google different and stylish.
One thing i don’t agree though, thats inclusion of blogs (blog posts) thing you said. I find blogs are getting more resourceful and authority day by day (some of them) and as Google keeps on changing, they have to accommodate blogs (real time twitter things and images in simple search should not be accommodated i think, caz i will search images when i want them )
February 4, 2010 at 10:00 am
It has taken Google a very long time to build up the trust with consumers that they have. A move like not supporting GMAIL for non-chrome browsers would instantly destroy that trust with anybody that uses GMAIL and not chrome.
For me and probably a lot of users, Google would be dead to them. Their search results have been lacking afterall as Shoemoney said.
February 4, 2010 at 9:33 am
Agreed,
the clutter in Google is a real bind. Bing is much cleaner and the results are good.
And more importantly, Google are hacking off large numbers of opinion formers on the web. That could be trouble for them.
February 4, 2010 at 9:25 am
It shows how much the world has changed that Microsoft is the “only hope” to overthrow a market leader and that you are getting comments from readers rooting for them to do it!
February 4, 2010 at 9:20 am
I wish Bing would get a bigger market share. Hardly any of my income comes from Adsense so that no worry, more importantly probably 75% of my pages are ranked in the top few spots on Bing where as it’s probably only 15% with Google. More market share = more traffic for me
February 4, 2010 at 9:01 am
Google should just allow us to disable certain features (like twitter in the search results).
Same could be said for bing, I don’t like their background gradient and if they just allowed me to have a white background I might use it more.. OK that sounded really superficial
Still using google though as it finds whatever I throw at it and I like that I can search just forums or limit by time.
February 4, 2010 at 8:51 am
Maybe this would keep people from obsessing over their google page rank.
February 4, 2010 at 8:41 am
> they have the patients, money, and resources to do it.
patients? i’m no spelling nazi but cmon
February 4, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Haven’t you heard? Microsoft is moving into the health care sector.
February 4, 2010 at 8:32 am
That IS the way to start off a real search war. Personally, when I can’t find it on Google, I go to Yahoo.
2nd, you’re right again. I haven’t changed my default search engine, it’s because I use GMAIL religiously, Google Reader, Google Voice (on my Palm Pre), Google News and Chrome.
They are mainly a 1 trick pony but were smart enough to know they couldn’t stay on top forever.
Tangent: I HEART Bing’s Image Search.
February 4, 2010 at 7:31 am
For Microsoft there is Windows, after a while Office, and then a big hole. There fight to get some relevance in the search market is so far a big fail. Google maybe a one trick pony, but they don´t try so hard to be anything else. And that is a good strategy for such a big company. Diversion is often a big fail. Yahoo had some toolbar-deals and deal with pc manufacturers. They ended this deals and lost market share and probably gaines profitability. It seems like it is not that easy to buy market share and hold it.
And who is really using the browser search boxes?
I am sure that Google will be the numer 1 for a very long time.
February 4, 2010 at 10:47 am
I use chrome’s browser search box all the time, just slightly quicker than going to another website, be it bing or google, first.
February 4, 2010 at 6:22 pm
The browser search feature is almost exclusively what I use. Hard to beat the efficiency of CTRL-K, type, enter.
February 4, 2010 at 7:24 am
Main Message of this Post:
If your doing SEO and only focus on google start focusing on Bing as well.
-Holla At a Dolla
February 4, 2010 at 6:38 am
Brilliant post! I have seen great results with bing! I heard some negative thoughts about the google caffeine. Microsoft is powerful and most of us dont even realize that because google has taken the lead for decade. I cant draw a curve between bing, yahoo and google users. You made a great point in the last paragraph. If chrome was the only browser for certain google tools then its never going to work. I dont know who is going to suffer– the market or consumers who cant live without the tools.
It is definitely going to be interesting to see how this sorts out..
February 4, 2010 at 6:24 am
I like where you are going with it but think that chrome being the only supported browser would backfire with people not wanting to be forced to switch.
The reason my dad refuses to try Bing is that at some point MSN made Bing their homepage for a day.. he was wanting to read some articles and they were giving him a default search in Bing.
Also keep in mind Google’s “Do no evil” philosophy.
I do like the basic idea though, if they only support newer tools in chrome. They could even only disable a few features for some of the current tools or any new versions will only work in chrome.. something along those lines.
February 4, 2010 at 6:23 am
wow i thought i was the only one getting pissed off at google new search pattern. well at this rate i really think microsoft’s bing is going to out wit google.
But the copetition will be really tight….well folks lets relax and watch the lion and tiger struggle to rule th Jungle…lol
February 4, 2010 at 6:22 am
Provocative piece.
The most interesting factor is if Microsoft can give up wanting total market share in exchange all sectors vs. good market share in many sectors.
So, if they’re willing to play with Firefox (and give up total market share in the browser sector) they could have a shot at getting a significant percent of the search market.
By the way, although Firefox has 25% or so, does AOL still have a separate browser that they make available for download?
Still, the non-IE browsers account for 35% of the market:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers
So, MS could still make this race interesting.
February 4, 2010 at 6:22 am
Great article! Personally I’d love to see some real competition for Google.
As for using Gmail etc, I’d probably use Chrome if I really had to, just to access those services if I thought they were indespensible but I don’t believe that would lock me into using Google as a search engine.
Personally I love Firefox for all its add-on features and I agree Bing is a great search engine, in some circumstances a better one.
February 4, 2010 at 6:16 am
I would like nothing better than to watch this joust if it could only happen!
February 4, 2010 at 5:56 am
That IS interesting to think about… And, what hit me was your last paragraph or so… if Chrome was the only browser I could use with all my Google tools – I’d be in a bind because I LOVE me some FireFox browser.Eventually Chrome will have FireFTP, ScribeFIRE, FireShot, SpeedDial and other FF add-on essentials… but until then I think I’d have to go without checking my Google adsense, adwords, webmaster tools, Analytics, etc… Might be a good reason to stop too – I check in entirely too much.
Great post.
February 4, 2010 at 5:16 pm
hey great post jeremy, I think its the wave of the future.