Financial Analysts Release April comScore Search Data

The comScore monthly search data release is now such an anti-climax because it’s “leaked” a day ahead of time by financial analysts and then immediately republished by bloggers who receive the research notes. We’re on that list too.

This month’s data (April) are a bit muddled because of UI changes at Yahoo and Google. Here’s what the data say about share:

• Google: 64.4 percent
• Yahoo: 17.7 percent
• Bing: 11.8 percent
• Ask: 3.7 percent
• AOL: 2.4 percent

Compare March data from comScore:

• Google: 65.1 percent
• Yahoo: 16.9 percent
• Bing: 11.7 percent
• Ask: 3.8 percent
• AOL: 2.5 percent

The otherwise impressive growth in query volume at Yahoo is being widely attributed to a news search slideshow feature that automatically generates additional search queries associated with the progression of the images.

Google’s UI changes had the opposite effect apparently. According to UBS analysts, “Google has made site changes that lower reported query volume – news or video searches conducted after a web search count as just one web search.”

Despite a mild share decline, query volume was up at Google 6 percent year over year.

Postscript: For more analysis on the Yahoo “jump,” see When Losers Are Winners: How Google Can “Lose” Search Share & Still Stomp Yahoo.