Why Google Dominates the World? A Comparative & Qualitative Study

When talking about search engines, what platform comes to your mind? Most people will immediately think of Google.

Google is a highly successful search engine platform that has become top-of-mind in various parts of the world. Some people even consider Google not just a brand, but rather another term for the concept of "search engine" itself.

As of January 2024, Google continues solidifying its position as an unrivaled market leader with a market share reaching 91.47% (according to Statista) and 91.62% (according to StatCounter).

These percentages demonstrate Google's success as the primary reference for internet users worldwide.

However, with the development of search technology through AI (Artificial Intelligence) approaches and social media search, the future existence of Google has once again become a topic of discussion.

Through this blog, you can learn more about Google's dominance in various countries, the reasons for strengthening its current and future market share and position, as well as the comparative studies we conducted to analyze the validity of statements regarding Google's dominance. Read on for more details.

Search Engines that Challenge Google's Dominance

Based on previous market share statistics, Google indeed appears to dominate the rankings of various search engines worldwide.

However, in reality, some countries show a different trend, where Google is not the primary choice for data and information searches.

Several countries have preferences and specific regulations that sometimes lean towards local search engine platforms or other international alternatives.

At least, there are five search engine platforms that challenge Google's dominance in some countries. Here's a more detailed explanation.

Baidu in China

As of February 2024, Baidu continues to successfully dominate the Chinese and surrounding regions with a market share of up to 60.11%. Do you know why Google cannot dominate the Chinese region?

One reason is the complexity of the Chinese language (e.g. words with the same spelling can have many meanings). In this regard, Baidu is certainly more adept at processing queries as it is specifically designed to operate in Mandarin.

Additionally, Baidu's search algorithm is more focused on contextual relevance for local searches. Google, both in the realm of business and technology, appears to still struggle with displaying search results in Mandarin.

Furthermore, internet censorship policies in China also increasingly make Baidu the top choice as it has been tailored to local regulations and needs.

Yandex in Russia

Yandex is a search engine that challenges Google's dominance in Russia with a market share of up to 71.53%.

Just like Google, Yandex can provide relevant search results and offer many features such as maps and translators.

However, compared to Google, Yandex can present more relevant local search results while also including specific information for each user's region.

Not only that, Yandex also excels in understanding the highly complex Russian language. Its algorithm has been designed to interpret searches in the Russian language even with misspellings. 

In fact, Yandex can also detect search queries in CrazyFont (Russian phonetic spelling in the Latin alphabet), which is essentially difficult for Google to handle.

Naver in South Korea

Based on our research, the market share status of search engines in South Korea varies significantly.

According to StatCounter, Google still dominates the market share in South Korea with a figure reaching 61.31% as of February 2024.

Meanwhile, according to Similarweb, there are 2 search engines dominating in this country with a relatively small difference in numbers.

Although Google appears to dominate, it cannot be denied that the usage of Naver is also significant, accounting for up to 40.99% of the total market share.

The Google statistics above mostly refer to the usage of Google products other than the search engine, considering Google offers more than 200 products and services.

Since Naver was created directly in South Korea, the Naver search engine always manages to maintain its focus on the demographic there.

Additionally, Naver's search algorithm is based on the Korean language, making local search results much more relevant compared to Google.

Is Google Starting to Lose Its Influence?

Recently, CNBC News released a video discussing Google's influence and dominance over recent times. There was one core question being addressed:

Find the full answer in the following discussion.

Google vs. Social Media Search

CNBC News showcased several clips from a popular social media platform, TikTok. In these clips, various content creators expressed that they are increasingly moving away from Google and opting to search through social media platforms

Google's Senior Vice President, Prabhakar Raghavan, at Fortune’s 2022 Brainstorm Tech, also elaborated on their research findings, indicating that nearly 40% of Gen Z individuals no longer open Google Maps or Google Search when looking for restaurants or cafes. Instead, they prefer using TikTok or Instagram.

The reason is simple. They are not just seeking information about restaurants or cafes, but they also want to experience the visual and social aspects accompanying it.

Google vs. AI

Apart from social media, Google's position is also being discussed again with the emergence of many AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based platforms, especially ChatGPT.

However, the fact is, 7 years ago, Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, already declared that Google would undergo a massive shift "from mobile first to AI first" and become the first AI company.

This is evidenced by Google's earlier acquisition of the AI company DeepMind in 2014. However, according to some parties, as explained by CNBC News in their video, ChatGPT is much more agile in leveraging the momentum and implementation of this AI technology.

During the Alphabet Q4 2023 Earnings Call, Justin Post, Managing Director of Bank of America, asked Sundar Pichai if there were significant changes (both negative and positive) in search query volume and how Google could continue to dominate other AI tools.

Responding to the question, Sundar Pichai emphasized that Google has a much longer track record, so the innovations displayed are certainly much stronger and adequate. He also underscored that generative AI is a new tool in the search engine realm.

Google then responded to the development of generative AI by releasing the Search Generative Experience (SGE). Although the majority of mass focus is directed towards AI platforms, believed to surpass Google, SGE still successfully garnered the attention of important investors. Below is a graph showing investor interest in Google SGE.

What Lies Ahead for Google's Market Share?

Although some segments of society are beginning to change their search habits, it is difficult to say that Google's market share can be completely overtaken.

First, let's examine how Google can continue to maintain its existence amid the proliferation of searches through social media.

The presence of social media search can indeed accelerate the conversion of content from text search queries and display search results in image or video formats more efficiently. One social media platform often used as a search engine is TikTok.

However, in some countries, such as India, France, Japan, and Afghanistan, there are strict policies regarding the use of social media, especially TikTok.

For example, India has blocked the social media platform citing reasons such as its algorithm being incomprehensible to them or being considered a threat to user privacy and security.

The Indian Ministry of Technology has asserted that TikTok and other Chinese-made apps can threaten the sovereignty, integrity, defense, and security of the country, as reported by CNBC Indonesia.

Second, how does Google's existence fare amid the popularity of AI-based chatbot platforms?

Not content with just being a search engine platform, Google continues to expand its wings to surpass boundaries in the field of technology by giving birth to 

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