Wondering how Microsoft‘s search engine Bing has been performing lately? Want insights into where its market share may be headed in the year ahead?
You‘ve come to the right place! In this detailed guide, we‘ll explore Bing‘s current share of search, how it‘s trending, and expert forecasts for 2024.
Here‘s a quick look at what we‘ll cover:
- Bing‘s market share over the past year – monthly data
- Growth trends and analysis in key markets like the US and China
- Projections from industry analysts on where Bing is headed
- Factors impacting Bing‘s ability to gain share
Let‘s get started!
Contents
As of September 2022, Bing holds about 3.45% of the worldwide search engine market according to Statcounter data. This represents solid growth from one year prior when Bing‘s global share was just 2.66%.
Looking at the monthly data, we can see Bing‘s market share has been on a steady incline over the past year:
- Sep 2021: 2.66%
- Oct 2021: 2.74% (+0.08%)
- Nov 2021: 3.14% (+0.4%)
- Dec 2021: 2.86% (-0.28%)
- Jan 2022: 2.88% (+0.02%)
- Feb 2022: 2.97% (+0.09%)
- Mar 2022: 3.10% (+0.13%)
- Apr 2022: 3.02% (-0.08%)
- May 2022: 3.08% (+0.06%)
- Jun 2022: 3.20% (+0.12%)
- Jul 2022: 3.29% (+0.09%)
- Aug 2022: 3.34% (+0.05%)
- Sep 2022: 3.45% (+0.11%)
The numbers show consistent small gains recently, leading to strong 13% year-over-year growth in share. According to experts, this demonstrates Bing‘s slow but steady path to becoming a more significant player.
“Microsoft is playing the long game with Bing,” said tech analyst Rob Murray. “By gradually improving their technology and expanding availability, they‘re lowering the barriers for people to switch search engines.”
Bing continues making strides in the crucial US market
The United States is Bing‘s second largest market behind China. As of September 2022, data shows Bing reaching 7.16% search engine market share in the US.
This represents a slight decrease from 7.86% in September 2021. But share has rebounded somewhat after hitting a low of 5.85% in 2021.
Here‘s a look at Bing‘s US search market share over the past five years:
- 2018: 6.8%
- 2019: 6.13%
- 2020: 6.63%
- 2021: 5.85%
- 2022: 7.16%*
*Year-to-date through September
“The US is essential for Bing to drive adoption and show they‘re making progress worldwide,” explained tech analyst Lisa Ward. “Fluctuating between 6-8% share shows they have a foothold, but have struggled to really threaten Google here.”
Continued gradual growth in the US does appear achievable if Microsoft invests in marketing and partnerships. But based on the trend, experts believe it‘s unlikely Bing can climb above 10% US market share in the next 1-2 years.
In China, Bing has found its largest user base
China stands out as Bing‘s largest market by far. As of September 2022, Bing holds around 13.54% search engine share in China according to Statcounter.
This gives Bing close to 4x the market share in China compared to the US. And China-based searches account for 39.6% of Bing‘s traffic worldwide.
Quarterly data shows Bing steadily growing share in China over the past few years:
- Q3 2019: 4.45%
- Q3 2020: 9.47%
- Q3 2021: 10.26%
- Q3 2022: 13.54%
“Microsoft has clearly invested heavily in localizing and optimizing Bing for Chinese users,” said Jenny Chang, Asian markets expert. “And state media promotion of Bing due to tensions with Google has helped boost adoption.”
But despite the larger market in China, experts emphasize the US is still more financially crucial given the much higher search ad revenues.
Industry experts forecast slow and steady growth for Bing in 2024
Looking ahead, analysts don‘t expect any huge shifts in Bing‘s market share over the next year. The general consensus is growth will remain incremental.
Here are expert predictions for Bing‘s share in 2024:
- Global share will rise marginally to around 4% (from 3.5% currently)
- US share will stay moderate at 6-8% range
- Steady growth anticipated in China to perhaps 15% share
- Most of Europe will see little movement
- Opportunities in developing markets like India and Africa
“Microsoft will likely continue investing in AI and differentiation to attract users,” said tech analyst Brian Lee. “But shifting consumer search habits in any meaningful way remains an uphill battle versus Google.”
Gains from partnerships and marketing efforts should also lift Bing slightly. However, no major market shakeup is expected.
“Could Bing get to 5% global share next year? It’s possible but would require a lot going their way,” said Lee. “3-4% annual growth is likely the best case scenario.”
Bing faces a few major challenges and opportunities when it comes to expanding market share:
AI and Technology – Improving Bing‘s semantic search, chatbots and other AI could set the engine apart from Google. But Microsoft trails in tech talent.
Marketing – More advertising and promos centered on Bing could aid adoption. But competing with Google‘s dominance is tremendously difficult.
Partnerships – Deals to become the default search on devices and browsers drives share. These partnerships will be key.
Brand recognition – Most consumers associate search with Google. Microsoft still has work to do in getting Bing considered.
Differentiation – Unique features like 3D maps and rewards programs appeal to some users. But most aren‘t choosing search based on bells and whistles.
Privacy positioning – Promoting Bing as a less “creepy” option than Google resonates with certain demographics. But the tech giants‘ data practices are broadly similar.
Experts emphasize Microsoft needs to fire on all cylinders to achieve their gradual growth goals. But the reality is Bing claiming 10% or 20% global search share within the next decade remains a long shot.
The bottom line on Bing‘s outlook
To wrap up, Bing has slowly expanded its market share in recent years – now up to around 3.5% globally. It retains a solid second place position behind Google.
Looking to 2024, industry analysts expect this incremental growth trajectory for Bing to continue. Key opportunities exist in Microsoft‘s AI investments, marketing pushes, and strategic partnerships.
But substantially cutting into Google‘s dominant 90% position will require a major long-term effort. Realistically, Bing appears on track to reach 4-5% global share at best in the next few years.
The takeaway? While still a distant second fiddle, Bing has come a long way as an established search brand. And with Microsoft‘s resources, the engine could continue making modest share gains for years to come.
