Nielsen//NetRatings reports a majority of online searchers use more than one search engine, indicating a competitive landscape.

Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Search found that Google Search secures 47 percent of all searches, Yahoo! Search follows with 21 percent, and MSN Search garners 13 percent.

Google's market share is dominant but there is opportunity for its competitors to increase their share.

Fifty-eight percent of Google searchers visited one of the other top two search engines. Nearly 71 percent of Yahoo! searchers and 70 percent of MSN search engine users also tried one or both of the other top search engines.
 
"While it shouldn't surprise anyone that Google is the search engine to beat, it is critical that all of the major search players, including Google, recognize that they exclusively own only a minority of their users," says Ken Cassar, director, strategic analysis, Nielsen//NetRatings.

Cassar also added that Yahoo! and MSN are still viable competitors to Google.

"With more share than its two nearest competitors combined, Google sets the pace in the search business," say Cassar. "However, the opportunities that MSN and Yahoo! enjoy by virtue of their broader media offerings give them an important platform from which to attack the industry leader."