More Than 40 Million Consumers in the U.K., France and Germany Used Search Engines in April, According to comScore Networks
comScore qSearch, the Industry Leading Search Measurement Service, Now Available for the European MarketRESTON, Va., June 10, 2004 comScore Networks, the leader in the use of the Internet to measure and understand consumer behavior, today announced the launch of qSearch Europe. comScore qSearch is the only information service to track usage of online search engines by analyzing actual search queries across the top search engines and portals.
With the launch of qSearch Europe, comScore now provides the most granular and accurate insight into search engine usage in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, France and Germany.Were delighted to launch qSearch Europe as part of our ongoing commitment to provide the European media and advertising industries with the most innovative and accurate research and analysis tools, said Peter Daboll, president and CEO of comScore Media Metrix. In the past year, qSearch has become the currency in online search measurement in the United States we look forward to providing the same valuable insight to the leading search engines and marketers in Europe.A multi-country qSearch analysis revealed that the United Kingdom has a more developed online search market than France, Germany, the U.S. and Canada. In April, the average U.K. search engine user conducted 41.8 searches, the highest usage level of the five countries analyzed. Canada was a close second, with just under 40 searches per search engine user, while U.S., French and German users conducted between 31 and 35 searches per month.
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| Search Engine Usage Source: comScore qSearch April 2004 |
| | Searches per Search Engine User |
| United Kingdom | 41.8 |
| Canada | 39.9 |
| United States | 35.2 |
| France | 34.0 |
| Germany | 31.2 |
By comparing the Internet reach and search engine penetration of Google, MSN, Time Warner (AOL) and Yahoo!, comScore found that the major Internet portals have a significant opportunity to convert existing visitors to search engine users. For example, nearly 80 percent of U.K. Internet users visited MSN-Microsoft sites in April, but just 34 percent of search engine users conducted a search at an MSN search engine during the month. Likewise, Yahoo! reaches 43 percent of the French Internet population, but only 23 percent of the countrys search engine users. With the exception of the United States, where Yahoo! leads in search penetration, Google was used by a greater number of people in each of the countries analyzed than any other search engine.
| Internet Reach* and Search Engine Penetration** Source: comScore qSearch April 2004 |
| | Canada | France |
| | Internet Reach | Search Penetration | Internet Reach | Search Penetration |
| Google | 74% | 65% | 53% | 65% |
| MSN-Microsoft | 96% | 46% | 72% | 27% |
| Time Warner (AOL) | 57% | 7% | 39% | 24% |
| Yahoo! | 79% | 41% | 43% | 23% |
| | | | | |
| | United Kingdom | United States |
| | Internet Reach | Search Penetration | Internet Reach | Search Penetration |
| Google | 62% | 69% | 43% | 47% |
| MSN-Microsoft | 79% | 34% | 71% | 40% |
| Time Warner (AOL) | 45% | 12% | 72% | 24% |
| Yahoo! | 59% | 34% | 73% | 51% |
*Internet Reach is defined as the percentage of total Internet users that visited a given property at least once during the month.**Search penetration is defined as the percentage of total search engine users who conducted at least one search at a given property.An analysis of the volume of searches conducted at Google, Yahoo! and MSN reveals that while Google is the top engine in all of the countries analyzed, it leads by a significantly larger margin among non-U.S. searchers. Specifically, Google accounted for more than 70 percent of searches conducted at the top three engines by users in Canada, France and the United Kingdom, versus 44 percent in the United States.
| Share of Searches Among Top Three Engines Canadian, French, U.K. and U.S. Internet Users Source: comScore qSearch April 2004 |
| | Canada | France | United Kingdom | United States |
| Google Sites | 70% | 80% | 77% | 44% |
| Yahoo! Sites | 17% | 10% | 14% | 37% |
| MSN-Microsoft Sites | 13% | 10% | 9% | 19% |
Googles share advantage in Europe and Canada is a result of both the number of users who search at Google (i.e. search penetration) and the number of searches conducted by these users. For example, the average Google user in the U.K. conducted approximately 39 searches at the engine, compared to 15 searches by the average Yahoo! user, and just 9 searches by the average MSN user.
For more information about qSearch Europe, please call +44 20 7734 7282 or e-mail searchsolutions@comscore.com.About comScore NetworkscomScore Networks provides unparalleled insight into consumer behavior and attitudes. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 1.5 million consumers who have given comScore explicit permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. comScore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its patent-pending technology comScore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behavior and attitudes. comScore consultants apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI. comScore services are used by global leaders such as Microsoft, Verizon, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Knight Ridder Digital, Nestl, Wells Fargo & Company, GlaxoSmithKline, and Orbitz.
For more information, please visit
www.comscore.com.
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