CMOs, Don’t Underestimate Google’s Search Engine Share

Posted by Craig Maloney | November 10, 2017 | Filed under: CMO Articles

Google is so prevalent—and so dominant among search engine users—that its very name has become part of the American vernacular. Most people don’t say they are going to search for something; they just say they are going to Google it.

Google’s ubiquity has become so pronounced that there has been a little pushback from marketing professionals who caution us all to pay Bing and Yahoo some heed—and that’s not a bad point. Those search engines do exist, and there can be merit to engaging them.

But just how much do Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines really matter—and to what extent is Google the only real game in town? For CMOs and marketing decision makers, this is an important question to consider, as it may determine whether you want to sink all of your search dollars into Google or else spread it across the other engines.

Google Accounts for 85 Percent of All Organic Search

To answer the question, we looked at some data compiled by Conductor, and what we found was that Google, though not exactly the only game in town, is the clear favorite among search engine users. In fact, 85 percent of all organic search activity takes place on Google. Meanwhile, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines are all grouped together in the remaining 15 percent.

Note that there was no statistically significant distinction found between B2B and B2C sites.

Most Websites Get the Overwhelming Majority of Their Traffic from Google

Another key finding from the Conductor data: The majority of websites see most of their traffic come via Google searches. Specifically, 73 percent of all websites surveyed (that’s about three quarters) get more than 80 percent of their traffic by way of Google. The clear takeaway: If you want to know how to generate website traffic, Google is far and away the main player.

Google Matters Most for CMOs—So What About Bing, Yahoo, Etc.?

The implication of all this is that, when it comes to search engine shares, Google is way out ahead of the pack. Saying that Google is dominant may be a bit of an understatement; it’s not the only search engine around, but it’s the commanding favorite among users, and the top traffic channel among websites of all types.

So does that mean CMOs and other marketing decision makers should effectively ignore the other search engines? Not necessarily. For one, it depends on your budget; those with major limitations may want to focus everything on Google, while larger marketing budgets may have some room for Bing ads, etc.

More to the point, though, we emphasize that this data is general. What matters most for your own marketing decisions is your internal analytics. You should always look to see where your search engine shares come from before making these decisions; for all you know, you may be in the minority of brands for whom Bing is the primary referrer.

Basing effective marketing strategies on compelling data is our bread and butter here at EverythingOnline. We’d love to help you develop a plan that’s rooted in real analytics. For Orange County SEO or PPC guidance, reach out to EverythingOnline today!