Report: Google search share down globally, up in U.S.
Updated at 4:15 p.m. PDT with no word from ComScore on global figures.
Google's share of the worldwide Web search market fell slightly in February--to 62.8 percent from 63.1 percent the month before--along with a dip at Yahoo, according to ComScore figures reported by Reuters on Wednesday.
Yahoo's global market share was down to 11.9 percent from 12.2 percent; China's Baidu dropped to 4.5 percent from 4.6 percent, and Microsoft's share was flat at 3.1 percent, according to figures Reuters got from an unnamed Wall Street analyst.
In the U.S., meanwhile, Google's search share rose to 59.2 percent in February from 58.5 percent in January, according to ComScore figures for the U.S. that were released later on Wednesday.
Yahoo's U.S. share slipped to 21.6 percent from 22.2 percent and Microsoft's share was down to 9.6 percent from 9.8 percent in January. AOL remained flat at 4.9 percent and Ask.com went from 4.5 percent to 4.6 percent.
Update: Several readers wondered who was gaining in global search market share if the top three were losing and Microsoft was flat. I left a message with ComScore asking about that and have not heard back, probably because they are waiting until they release the global figures. I will update or write a separate blog on that when I find out.
(Credit:
ComScore)
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press. E-mail Elinor. 
