Nielsen//NetRatings gives Google more of search market

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 22 August 2006 02:58

IT Industry - Strategy

The latest US search statistics from Nielsen//NetRatings give Google 49.2 percent of all searches conducted in the US in July,  well above the 43.7 percent figure released by comScore Networks.
Most of Google's gains in the Nielsen//NetRatings rankings came from number two player Yahoo!, given a 28.8 percent share by comScore Networks but only 23.8 percent by Nielsen//NetRatings. Other rankings were as follows (comScore ratings in parentheses): MSN 9.6 (12.8); AOL 6.3 (5.9); ask.com 2.6 (5.4).

comScore says its statistics are based on a "massive, global cross-section of more than two million consumers who have given comScore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behaviour, including online and offline purchasing."

Nielsen//NetRatings figures are compiled using its MegaView methodology, but iTWire was unable to locate a comparable explanation of this on the company's web site.