News
Google leads mobile search usage
Stuart O'Brien Sep 15 2008, 1:35pm
Web giant dominates US and European mobile search markets, which have grown by 68 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively.
ComScore M:Metrics says 20.8 million US mobile subscribers used mobile search in June, up 68 per cent from 12 months earlier. In Europe, the figure hit 4.5 million - up 38 per from June 2007.
The UK had the highest penetration of mobile subscribers using search at 9.5 per cent, followed closely by the US at 9.2 per cent.
Google is the preferred brand for browser-based searches, with a 60 per cent share of mobile searchers in all countries measured by comScore M:Metrics.
Yahoo! ranks second in Germany, Italy, UK and the US. In the latter, Yahoo’s mobile search penetration is 34.6 per cent, more than double its share in most other countries.
ComScore analyst Alistair Hill said: “It is interesting to note that as we see the number of mobile search users increase, the frequency of activity is also growing. The number of people accessing mobile search at least once a week grew 50 per cent in Europe, with France and Spain leading at a rate of 69 and 63 per cent, respectively.
"Meanwhile, the number of US users accessing mobile search has more than doubled as a result of expanded 3G penetration and smartphone adoption, as well as the proliferation of flat-rate data plans. We have also seen a substantial improvement to the mobile search offerings in the US market.”
