Comscore says Google Lost Market Share - but the data is jiggered! - Google Search and SEO forum at WebmasterWorld

Forum Moderators: Robert Charlton & goodroi

Message Too Old, No Replies

Comscore says Google Lost Market Share - but the data is jiggered!

tedster

9:50 pm on Jun 11, 2010 (gmt 0)

We've detailed how Yahoo has boosted its search market share with these 'tricks' last month.

When adjusted, backing out Yahoo and Bing/MSN’s use of contextual shortcuts and image slide-shows from both May and April, Broadpoint.AmTech estimates that Yahoo's share actually declined roughly 30 bps month over month in May to 16.6%, while Microsoft Sites' share was flat at approximately 10.8%.

Google, after a small data collection adjustment to the April data (namely a change in how Google handles searches with typos), appears to have gained roughly 30 bps of share in May to 66.4%, says Broadpoint.AmTech

[techcrunch.com...]

Sgt_Kickaxe

12:32 am on Jun 12, 2010 (gmt 0)

Yahoo boosting it's search share with tricks and Bing/MSN using contextual shortcuts and slide shows to boost the appearance of gaining ground on Google when in fact they stayed flat or fell off?

If your name wasn't tedster you'd be lynched for posting such things, regardless of the fact it's true.

Are there any "reports" worth trusting anymore?

tedster

5:27 am on Jun 12, 2010 (gmt 0)

Not on face value, that's for sure. Heck, I don't even believe my own analytics package at face value. That's the way all data is - you've got to luck at the underbelly.

What I'd like to see from the search engines is data like this -- how many free clicks did your organic results send to to other websites?

Yes, I know, I'm digging for dirt a bit. But not really. Even as a potential advertiser on Google, that's a good number to know. Free clicks and paid clicks driven to other properties.

When it comes to search engines right now, a somewhat better idea is to look at each one's numbers over their own numbers last month:

Google: 10.158 billion (up 152 million)
Yahoo: 2.908 billion (up 156 million)
Bing: (up 101 million)

source - Danny Sullivan's "Time To End The Bull#*$! Search Engine Share Figures?" [searchengineland.com]

But then, we've got remember that May had one more day than April, don't we?