Microsoft Search Hits Dead End

Microsoft's search services - representing the combined results from MSN and Live Search - have hit a dead end according to statistics provided by Internet metrics companies comScore, Nielsen//NetRatings and Hitwise. In search limbo, both MSN and Live Search are stagnating and delivering a mediocre performance in comparison with direct rivals Google and Yahoo. In terms of Internet search, Microsoft has become a traditional bronze competitor in a three horse race.

For May 2007, Nielsen//NetRatings is the only Internet audience measurement firm crediting Microsoft with a consistent erosion of its share on the search market. Nielsen//NetRatings has Microsoft at 8.4% in May down from 9% in April. The percentage drop translates in the audience loss experienced by MSN and Live Search, from 612 million searches in April to just 605 in the past month. The fact of the matter is that the Redmond Company's search is still young, and the Live Search still a gambit that has yet to pay off. This is of course reflecting in search engine market share, however stagnation is never a good sign. Nielsen//NetRatings is crediting Google with 56.3% of the search market and Yahoo with 21.5%.

And both Hitwise and comScore are reporting that MSN and Live Search have hit a wall. Microsoft is struggling to build its Internet search backbone, expanding textual based search for images, video, maps, books etc., following the generalized trend of the search market. Google and Yahoo are implementing similar strategies, and at least as far as Google is concerned, with even more success. For Hitwise, Microsoft only went down from 8.46% in April to 8.4% in May, while Yahoo is almost as 21% and Google has gone over the 65% milestone.

comScore has the most enthusiastic representation of Microsoft's search performance in the past month. Statistics made public by comScore indicate that MSN and Live Search are in fact stagnating. Microsoft search is stuck on a market share of 10.3% since April 2007. By comparison, Google is approximately at 51% while Yahoo is over 26%.