Is it conceivable that there would ever be an alternative to Google’s search engine? For most of us that seems unthinkable. In the Netherlands, Google has a share of more than 95% for all searches. Only Bing (Microsoft) still achieves some volume with a share of 2.5%, but never succeeded in realizing their ambitions. Google has all the trump cards and who is not found well online does not exist.
In addition, Google also has the undisputed No. 1 in the field of Video. YouTube is also the market leader and has no less than 2.4 million daily users. Both platforms are important for Google’s earnings model that uses smart algorithms to provide advertisements for everything you do on the platforms.
Google’s Achilles heel
Most searches are done on smartphones. Since Google is often the default search engine on your smartphone, Google still has a trump card in its hands (this is the reason that Bing still has some volume if it is set as default). Apple, Samsung, Huawei (but that will change), Xiaomi and Oppo deliver the Google suite (pre-installed) as standard when you purchase a new smartphone. Obviously you can hear the Pixel (Google Smartphone) but lacks volume and is not available everywhere.
Huawei is now under the spell of the US and Google. The Chinese manufacturer has now developed its own search engine, just like a Maps application and an Office suite. No more Google for new Huawei smartphones. For Google, this is a sensitive blow if you assume that you are always the primary choice for search on mobile devices. And now Apple comes in.
Apple Search
Apple has been working hard on its own search engine for years and that is more than understandable. As a device manufacturer with a share of 35% worldwide (iOS) you have a lot to say and you are perhaps Google’s most important customer ever. The 65% Android users are divided among all other brands.
For the deal with Apple’s iPhone, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, pays Apple between $ 10 billion and $ 12 billion (this would be 20% of actual revenue through Apple) annually to be the preferred search engine on Apple devices . However, it appears to be over and closing for this deal which is about to expire. This is partly due to an antitrust case against Google (because of their monopoly position) by the US Department of Justice. If the government wins this, there will certainly not be an extension.
