Hitwise: Google Gained Search Market Share in May

In the search market, Google is either losing share or gaining it, and the direction it’s going depends on whose data you believe. According to comScore’s (SCOR) May search market report, Microsoft’s Bing and Yahoo gained share, ostensibly at Google’s expense.

Not according to Experian Hitwise, though, which reports that Google (GOOG) gained share in May, and Microsoft’s (MSFT) Bing and Yahoo (YHOO) lost it. In a report issued today (see table above; click to enlarge), Hitwise said Google increased its share of the U.S. Internet search market to 72.2 percent in May from 71.4 percent in April, while Yahoo’s share declined to 14.4 percent from 15 percent and Bing’s to 9.2 percent from 9.4 percent.