For the first time in almost 10 years, Google’s once unshakable grip on the global search engine market has weakened.
Data from Statcounter reveals that Google’s market share fell to 89.34% in October, 89.99% in November, and dropped even further to 89.73% in December, marking the first time in nearly a decade that it has dipped below the 90% mark.
The last instance of such a fall was observed in 2015 when Google’s market share hovered just above 89%.
Rivals are gradually chipping away at Google’s dominance, with new contenders offering fresh alternatives. Search engines like DuckDuckGo, known for its privacy-focused approach, and Microsoft’s Bing are increasingly challenging Google’s once near monopoly.
However, what might be most concerning for Google is the growing influence of AI-powered models. Platforms such as ChatGPT, xAI, and Perplexity are beginning to reshape how users conduct searches.
While Google’s overall usage remained consistent across most regions, a notable decline was observed in Asia, which played a significant role in the company’s dip below the 90% mark.
The United States, traditionally one of Google’s strongest markets, experienced fluctuations with Google’s share peaking at 90.37% in November before falling to 87.39% in December.
Despite these shifts, Google remains the dominant player in the search engine market, with a towering market share. Other search engines like Microsoft’s Bing and Yandex are still far behind, with Bing’s share consistently hovering around just under 4% for the last five months of 2024.