SAN FRANCISCO: Internet giant Yahoo has confirmed it is testing using Google’s search results, something that’s allowed under its recently renegotiated deal with Microsoft.
Until recently, Yahoo depended on Microsoft’s Bing for its search results. However, when Yahoo renegotiated the deal this past April, they opened up the possibility to try other search partners.
The pioneering Silicon Valley Internet firm was looking at whether having a mix of players handling search results or search ad placement at its websites would benefit Yahoo and its users.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Google is the world’s most popular search engine, with nearly 71 percent market share worldwide, according to data from NetMarketShare.
Yahoo, lead by former Google executive Marissa Mayer, is a distant third at 9.6 percent share.
Microsoft’s Bing search engine is stuck between the two with a 10 percent share. In the US, Google has a 64.4 percent share of the search market, followed by Microsoft with a 20.1 percent and Yahoo with 12.7 percent, according to research firm ComScore.
