Google’s dominance of the search industry is old news, having maintained a staggering share of the global market for years now. However, recent reports have cast a shadow over just how tightly they hold the industry. At the close of 2024, Google’s share of the global search market dropped to 89% - its first dip below the 90% threshold in a decade. Whilst some might consider this nothing more than a ‘blip’, others are suggesting that this might signal something far more significant…
The search market is a huge portion of digital advertising, with IPG’s Magna estimating 2024 global spend on keyword search ads at $330 billion. Google’s dominance of this industry is so longstanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has deemed it unacceptable and has opened a case against Google’s monopoly. As well as this battle with the DOJ, Google must now also adapt to evolving search preferences, which have begun to attack their market share from another angle.
It is no secret that the online hemisphere is rapidly evolving, and the search market is no exception - with AI, social media, and other platforms offering different search experiences that challenge the longstanding approach of basic, text-based queries. For example, users can now research the best products by watching influencers review them on social media, or have a more conversational interaction with AI-powered search assistants - both methods that seem to be gaining traction and fragmenting the market. Simply put, the search industry is changing. Advertisers must ensure they are not left behind, but instead capitalize on the growing list of opportunities for their search investment.
As discussed above, it seems consumers are being lured away from the traditional Google search towards less conventional methods of seeking information - but where are they going?
Bing and other competitors Despite a huge disparity in market share, there are competing search engines hoping to gain a slice of the market from Google. Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, has seen a gradual uptick in market share, reaching just under 4% globally, whilst more privacy-conscious platforms like DuckDuckGo have also seen usage increase - albeit on a much smaller scale.
Amazon: As consumers increasingly turn to Amazon for product research and shopping, the platform has grown into a significant competitor to Google in the retail search space. In fact, many users now begin their product searches on Amazon rather than traditional search engines. Amazon’s growing dominance as a search platform means that the retailer's advertising network is becoming more essential for advertisers, particularly brands in the e-commerce space. Towards the end of 2024, Amazon announced its new AI tool ‘Rufus’, a shopping assistant that makes product recommendations for users - adding Amazon to the list of platforms using AI to enhance the search experience.
TikTok: According to reports, more than 40% of Americans have used TikTok as a search engine, with 1 in 10 Gen Z users preferring it to Google for information retrieval. TikTok's 'show, don't tell' approach to search - where users can see products in action or experience immersive content - has made it an attractive option for advertisers. As a platform once known for entertainment and short-form videos, TikTok has made clear its ambitions to join the search industry with their monetization program - rewarding content matching popular searches. Despite such developments, TikTok search does not come without skepticism - firstly around brand safety when incentivizing search matches, and secondly the more pressing issue of the looming ban in the US. Despite its popularity, TikTok has seen a decline in both marketing spend and usage in the first quarter of 2025, with only 73% of brands and retailers using the platform - down from 88% in Q3 2024 (Digiday). Ultimately, advertisers must weigh up the exciting new opportunities that TikTok provides against the likelihood that the app may soon become unavailable in the US.
AI-powered search tools: The rise of artificial intelligence is another key factor disrupting traditional search. Platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT are changing the search experience by offering more personalized, conversational interfaces that give users quick answers to their queries without having to visit multiple websites. Google has also integrated AI into its search, with AI overviews now appearing at the top of search results. These AI-powered summaries are designed to provide users with direct answers, reducing the need to click through to external websites, which in turn, impacts web traffic and search advertising revenue. For advertisers, this shift may require a rethink of how to position their content in a landscape where AI-generated results dominate the first page.
Search advertising has been one of the most effective ways for businesses to reach potential customers. It allows brands to target consumers who are actively searching for products, services or solutions, making search a highly valuable tool for capturing lower-funnel leads. However, the fragmentation of the search industry is prompting advertisers to reconsider their strategies. Many are diversifying their budgets to include not only Google and Amazon, but also emerging AI tools and social platforms like TikTok and Reddit. The growth of AI-powered search, social media's role in information retrieval, and the competition from alternative search engines like Bing and Amazon all point to a future where search is more decentralized and fragmented than ever before.
As Google's dominance weakens, advertisers must remain agile and responsive to new trends and platforms to stay relevant. Those who embrace this shift and adapt their strategies to the changing search behaviors of consumers will be better positioned to succeed. The stakes are high for brands that fail to diversify their search advertising, as they risk being left behind in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem where new technologies are reshaping how users search, shop and discover information.
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