Live Search's High Dive
|
For the second consecutive month, Microsoft's search market share declined by 1 percent. September losses erase gains from a May marketing gimmick. |
Earlier today, ComScore released search share numbers for September. As usual, Google and Yahoo topped the rankings, with Microsoft taking third place.
But following a second month of a 1 percent search share decline, Microsoft returned to levels of market share held in May: 10.3 percent. Between May and June, Microsoft's search share jumped 2.9 percent.
ComScore largely attributed Microsoft's earlier gains to its Live Search Club, which lets end users play games using Windows Live search. For a time, the gaming generated Live Search queries. But the pay-to-play-and-search strategy brought short-term benefits.
The search declines do not reflect Live Search 2.0, which Microsoft launched last month. Microsoft made many promising changes to Windows Live Search. But the company is looking more to increase searches among regular users rather than gain overall market share.
Microsoft's August and September declines clearly show that gimmicks aren't enough to gain and maintain relevant search market share.
Microsoft should take another look at marketing and the return from advertising. I see Ask.com commercials almost every night that I watch TV. In September, all major search engines but one saw modest to hefty declines, in part because of the summer holidays. Ask.com searches increased 10.2 percent, according to ComScore. Is there a connection to advertising? Oh yeah.
Related Posts:
- Blodget Bludgeons Windows Live to Death, Microsoft Watch, Oct. 8, 2007
- Microsoft Searches for Signs of Live, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 27, 2007
- Search: What Microsoft Should Do Next, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 24, 2007
- Microsoft Clubs Its Way to Search Gains, Microsoft Watch, July 16, 2007
- Google Complaint Targets Vista Search, Microsoft Watch, June 9, 2007
- One Redmond Way | Razorfish, Microsoft Watch, May 21, 2007
- Why Microsoft Wrote aQuantive a Big Check, Microsoft Watch, May 18, 2007
- The Google Quandary, Microsoft Watch, April 24, 2007
- Microsoft Reorganizes Search, Microsoft Watch, March 21, 2007
- Live Search to Begin 'Incentive' Enterprise Search Trial, Microsoft Watch, March 16, 2007
- Wanted: Dead or Live, Microsoft Watch, March 2, 2007
- Why Google Matters to Microsoft, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 22, 2007
- Microsoft Seeks More Mobile Relevance, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 12, 2007
- Sorry, but Live Isn't Dead, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 12, 2006
- It's a Shame About Ray, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 6, 2006
Comments (10)
Joe, you just plainly read out the numbers . An easy job ..eehhh....?!@
You do not comment and analyse critically the numbers
Some of us read these figures somewhere.
You merely a broadcaster , not an analyst
This entry does not provoke any thinking
Posted by Paul | October 19, 2007 1:20 AM
Joe, old habit die hard.
Your habit is stay too long on the same topic.
Blodget Bludgeons Windows Live to Death, Microsoft Watch, Oct. 8, 2007
Microsoft Searches for Signs of Live, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 27, 2007
Search: What Microsoft Should Do Next, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 24, 2007
Microsoft Clubs Its Way to Search Gains, Microsoft Watch, July 16, 2007
Google Complaint Targets Vista Search, Microsoft Watch, June 9, 2007
One Redmond Way | Razorfish, Microsoft Watch, May 21, 2007
Why Microsoft Wrote aQuantive a Big Check, Microsoft Watch, May 18, 2007
The Google Quandary, Microsoft Watch, April 24, 2007
Microsoft Reorganizes Search, Microsoft Watch, March 21, 2007
Live Search to Begin 'Incentive' Enterprise Search Trial, Microsoft Watch, March 16, 2007
Wanted: Dead or Live, Microsoft Watch, March 2, 2007
Why Google Matters to Microsoft, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 22, 2007
Microsoft Seeks More Mobile Relevance, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 12, 2007
Based on the entries above , you have blogged Live Search every month averagely
Posted by Mary | October 19, 2007 2:10 AM
Paul, I think Joe's last paragraph *IS* analysis. Same with the paragraph before it. This blog post is short so you cannot expect the analysis you would find in a dissertation. Lighten up. If you're going to complain, make sure your complaint is a valid one.
Posted by Maddog | October 19, 2007 4:11 AM
Maddog , my complaint is absolutely valid.
Joe is just presenting the figures without his own interpretation and comment
Most of his sentences include " ..according to Comscore.." , which reflect that he shows no committment and confidence to his own statements
Tell me is this what an ex-Jupiter Researcher can do ?
Posted by Paul | October 19, 2007 5:21 AM
Joe did little work on facts and figures . He used to take some figures from other sources, without even checking its credibility.
The next thing he would write is " ...according to the sources ..." to disclaim his responsibility .
His style of writing manifest that every Tom , Tick and Harry could be an instant columnist
Posted by John | October 19, 2007 6:10 AM
Maddog, you wrote : This blog post is short so you cannot expect the analysis you would find in a dissertation
Is Joe rushing for sweet weekend , therefore he choose a short entry without much quality ?
I really don't expect Joe to produce a quality disseration based on his "short" entry
Posted by Eder | October 19, 2007 6:15 AM
For those of you interested:
http://ajaxamine.tripod.com/index.blog/1755541/the-purloined-credibility/
Posted by I-Man | October 19, 2007 11:15 AM
I fits right in with Steve Ballmer's business strategy: "We may be in a deep hole right now, but more digging and your equity (money) will get us out -- shareholders need to be more patient!"
Posted by Ed T | October 19, 2007 1:14 PM
To Paul and Mary:
Definitely the post is shorter than usual. Moving cross country creates time constraints. The post is atypical, so why fuss?
To John:
You make an unsubstantiated, and false, accusation. Let's see some evidence. Sources are attributed here. I take full responsibility for the posts.
Joe
Posted by Joe | October 19, 2007 1:22 PM
Why respond to Paul, Mary and John as though they were not all the same person? Toss Eder in there and you still have only one blithering pain in the ass!
Posted by Laughing | October 22, 2007 2:21 PM