Ask Jeeves and AOL Search Engines Grow in Popularity in 2005

Ask Jeeves and AOL Search Engines Grow in Popularity in 2005

Ask Jeeves and AOL’s search volume share rose substancially over the first 6 months of 2005 while Google and Yahoo grew abit slower. Nielsen NetRatings reported that out of Q1 and Q2 search growth for the top five search engines, AOL and Ask Jeeves rose 15 and 16 percent. Respectively, in the number of searches conducted, while Google and Yahoo! maintained single digit growth. Overall, search as a category saw a five percent increase in the number of searches conducted from Q1 to Q2 during 2005.

“While growth in searches was modest among the ‘Big Three’ search engines, the fourth and fifth biggest search engines, AOL and Ask Jeeves, grew three times as fast,” said Ken Cassar, director of strategic analysis, Nielsen//NetRatings. “While it’s far too early to say that Google needs to watch its back, a resurgent AOL makes the game a lot more interesting.”

The newly released June 2005 MegaView Search report ranks Google No. 1 with 47 percent of all searches conducted online, Yahoo! at 22 percent and MSN at 12 percent. AOL Search held five percent of all searches, and for the first time, My Way (owned by Ask Jeeves) made its way into the top five rankings, garnering two percent of all searches.

“My Way’s unique anti-advertising value proposition resonates with a small, but growing market niche,” said Cassar. “As online publishers enjoy the growing demand for advertising inventory and continue to create more ad slots within a finite number of Web pages, this disaffected minority may become a force that the major players need to contend with.”