Google is by far the dominant player in the search. However, recent data has shown that Microsoft’s Bing is steadily making progress in the search engine market, particularly in comparison to its main rival, Google. According to Similarweb, page visits to Bing have increased by 15.8% since the introduction of its AI-powered version on 7th February. In contrast, Google has experienced a near 1% decline in the same period.
Microsoft previously revealed that one-third of users trying the new Bing preview were entirely new to the platform, and that Bing’s daily active users exceeded 100 million after the preview’s launch. These statistics indicate a growing interest in Bing as a viable alternative to Google Search.
The rise in Bing’s popularity is significant for brands and publishers, as it presents an opportunity for increased organic traffic from this source. Evidence suggests that some have already experienced a boost in traffic from Bing. In turn, this development reduces reliance on Google as the primary source of organic traffic.
Similarweb’s data highlights that Bing’s traffic has risen by 15.4% in the last seven days, while Google’s traffic has dropped by 2.4%. Over the last 28 days, Bing has seen a 13.6% increase, and Google a 2.8% decrease. This shift is likely due to Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI, which has integrated ChatGPT-like functionality into Bing. It’s worth noting that Bing has consistently made incremental gains of up to 10% YoY for the past few years, often at Google’s expense. To compare, ChatGPT’s traffic (chat.openai.com) has grown by a staggering 21.3% week over week more recently.
As comprehensive traffic numbers won’t be available for some time, those with an interest in SEO will need to keep an eye on this developing trend. Nevertheless, the current data offers an interesting insight into the shifting landscape of search engines, with Bing gradually gaining ground on its major competitor, Google. We’ll be keeping tabs over the next few weeks and will be sure to share any important changes with our clients. If you’d like to learn more or if you have any questions, please get in touch.