Yahoo’s stagnant showing suggests that Bing may be gaining in market share at the expense of Yahoo!, not Google. Yet, Microsoft doesn’t seem to have a game plan for garnering search market share once it has finished chipping away at Yahoo!.
On the tablet side, recent analysis in Forbes based on data from Frank N. Magid Associates and International Data Corporation, shows that Apple has seven times the market share of Google’s Nexus tablets and nearly 12 times the market share of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Surface.
The real issue for investors looking for Bing to become more competitive, then, may be whether or not Microsoft can capitalize on the tremendous trend in tablets, both directly in tablet sales and by targeting its services to provide an exceptional tablet search experience.
So far, soft sales of Surface have not allowed the company to make inroads with its tablet, which is preloaded with Bing. A recently announced fire sale on Surface signals the company is clearing inventory for the next generation of its device, but severe discounts can spark the wrong kind of buzz.
The rub for investors who understand the impact tablets can have may be that while Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) seems to be doing much internal integration to reinvent itself, there is little concerted effort on tablets or search market share.
Despite losing out to Apple in the tablet arena, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) appears to have enough tricks up its sleeve to continue to attract tech investors as well as hold onto its search market dominance, an assumption supported by the company soaring past $900 last month, a new high. Microsoft remains at just under $35, despite an impressive climb the past few months. Both have seen growth over the past year, though Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been more volatile.
As Business Insider pointed out in a column last month by Jay Yarow, there seems little that can threaten Google’s continued power and plenty to support a bullish case for Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG). Undaunted by Facebook, parent to the wildly popular YouTube, and top of the heap for smart phone operating systems, Google continues to serve up success, despite the occasional stumble, and smart money usually sniffs out innovation.
There seems little to recommend against betting on Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) to continue as the heavy hitter, despite the slow and steady progress of Microsoft.
Lori Weaver has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).
The article Tablet Users Continue to Influence Search Market Share originally appeared on Fool.com.
Lori is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
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