Experian reveals latest UK search engine analysis
82 million more visits to search engines made in May than April
Google increases market share of UK search for third consecutive month
London, 15 June 2012 – UK Internet users made 2.3 billion visits to search engines in May 2012, up by 82 million visits compared to April 2012, according to the latest analysis from Experian Marketing Services using its online competitive intelligence tool, Experian Hitwise The rise in visits represents a 3.7 per cent monthly increase in search activity and a 3.6 per cent year-on-year increase. Google increased its market share of searches for the third consecutive month whilst rival search engines bing, Yahoo! and Ask all lost market share.
In total, Google Sites accounted for 91.17 per cent of all searches conducted in the UK in May 2012, up by 0.15 per cent from April 2012. Year-on-year Google also saw positive growth with a 0.65 per cent increase in market share of searches compared to May 2011.
Microsoft Sites led by bing lost market share of searches this month, down by 0.03 per cent with an overall market share of 3.84 per cent. Yahoo! Sites also decreased in market share by 0.06 per cent. The most severe decline of the month was for Ask Sites which dropped 0.08 per cent in the last month. Other search engines monitored by Experian Marketing Services showed marginal gains as their market share increased by 0.01 per cent.
James Murray, Digital Insight Manager for Experian Marketing Services commented: “Google continues to dominate the UK search market as we’ve witnessed three consecutive months of growth in market share for the UK’s most popular search engine. However, we keep stressing it’s not all about Google. There are niche audiences and opportunities that exist by working with some of the other top search engines, and understanding who your audience is and how they convert can make a crucial difference to your digital strategy and your ROI.”
ENDS
Alexandra Banks
Digital PR Manager, Experian Marketing Services
+44 (0) 7966102823
alexandra.banks@uk.experian.com
About Experian Marketing Services
Experian Marketing Services delivers best-in-breed customer data and insight, digital-marketing technologies and data management services into multiple regions around the globe. By helping marketers more effectively target and engage their best customers with meaningful communications across both traditional and digital media, Experian Marketing Services enables organisations to encourage brand advocacy while creating measurable return on marketing investment.
For more information, visit http://www.experian.co.uk/business-services/marketing-services.html
About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2012 was US$4.5 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 44 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.
For more information, visit
http://www.experianplc.com
.