AlL this means that search is turning into the internet’s next big battleground as Google defends itself against challenges from Yahoo! and Microsoft.
The raw numbers tell only partof the story. According to America’s Department of Commerce, online retail sales in the world’s biggest market last year rose by 26%, to $55 billion. That sounds a lot ofmoney, but it amounts to only 1.6% of total retail sales. The vast majority of people still buy most things in the good old “bricks-and-mortar” world.
For many users, a search site is now their point of entry to the internet. The bestknown search engine has already entered the lexicon: people say they have “Ggled” a companya product or their plumber. The search business has also developed one of the most effective forms of advertising on the internet. And it is already the best way to reach some consumers: teenagers and young men spend more time online than watching televiion. All this means that search is turning into the internet’s next big battleground as Google defends itself against challenges from Yahoo! and Microsoft.