Google Edges Closer to 70 Percent: A Look Back, and Where Its Share Stands Now
"Google edges closer to 70 percent" was a real search-market-share storyline in the U.S. around 2008 and 2009. That milestone is old news now, mostly because Google's share has moved so far past it since. Here's the history, and an honest look at where things actually stand today.
Around 2008 to 2009, different research firms tracked Google's U.S. search market share climbing steadily, with some measurement methodologies (like Hitwise) putting it in the high 60s percent, edging toward 70. Google's share has grown considerably since then: more recent independent data puts Google's U.S. share at roughly three-quarters of desktop search and around nine-tenths of mobile search. In August 2024, a U.S. federal court found Google's conduct in search violated antitrust law.
The Background
In the years following its rise to prominence, Google's share of the U.S. search market grew steadily, drawing regular coverage from search-industry outlets and research firms tracking the trend month over month. Headlines describing Google as "edging closer to 70 percent" reflected this period, a stretch of years where Google's dominance kept expanding while competitors like Yahoo and Microsoft's search products struggled to hold their ground.
Why Different Reports Showed Different Numbers
Anyone digging into search-share history quickly runs into a confusing detail: different research firms reported meaningfully different numbers for the same period, because they used different measurement methodologies. During 2008 and 2009, comScore generally reported Google's U.S. share in the low-to-mid 60s percent, while Hitwise reported figures in the high 60s for the same general period, with its UK measurements showing Google's share well above 85 percent.
A Rough Timeline
Why Google's Share Kept Climbing
Perceived result quality
Google built a reputation for relevant search results that kept users returning and helped it win users away from competitors over time.
Default placement deals
Google secured default search engine status across major browsers and devices, a position later scrutinised directly in antitrust proceedings.
Mobile growth
As mobile search grew explosively, Google's position on mobile devices, including through Android and default browser agreements, extended its lead further.
Competitor struggles
Yahoo and Microsoft's search products struggled to gain sustained traction during this period, even after combining forces through their search partnership.
Where Things Stand Today
The "70 percent" milestone that made headlines around 2008 and 2009 looks modest compared to Google's more recent position. Independent data covering 2023 to 2024 puts Google's U.S. market share at roughly three-quarters of desktop search and around nine-tenths of mobile search, a considerably larger lead than the one being tracked as newsworthy back then.
The 2024 Antitrust Ruling
In August 2024, a U.S. federal court found that Google's conduct in the search market violated antitrust law, following a case originally brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and a group of states in 2020. This is a significant, well-documented legal development connected to the same underlying dominance this article traces historically.
Why This History Still Matters
For anyone doing SEO or search-driven affiliate marketing, this history is a reminder of just how consolidated search traffic has become around one platform over the past two decades, and how that consolidation has drawn direct legal scrutiny. It's also a useful caution against treating any single reported statistic as a fixed, permanent fact. Market share is a moving number, methodology matters, and the picture from any one point in time is just one snapshot of a much longer trend.
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Join MarketHealthFrequently Asked Questions
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A Note on This Article
This article traces the general history of Google's U.S. search market share climbing toward and past the roughly 70 percent range that made headlines around 2008 and 2009, through to more recent, independently reported figures and the August 2024 antitrust ruling. Specific historical percentages vary by measurement source and methodology, and this page does not attribute the original headline to one specific outlet or exact figure it cannot verify. It is presented as historical and factual context, not legal analysis; verify current market-share data and the status of any related legal proceedings against current, dated sources.