• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, March 1, 2006

Search activity in the United States continues to increase, but the rate of growth has fallen substantially, comScore Networks reported Tuesday. Consumers conducted 5.48 billion searches online in January of this year--up 11 percent from January 2005--but that figure pales in comparison to the 42 percent increase from between January of 2004 and January of 2005, according to new data from comScore Networks.

Google controlled a 41.4 percent share of all U.S. searches submitted--or 2.3 billion searches--up more than six share points compared to a year prior, according to comScore. Yahoo maintained the number two spot in the ranking with a 28.7 percent share of all searches--1.6 billion--while MSN ranked third, capturing 13.7 percent, or 752.5 million searches.

"This report provides evidence that the growth in the U.S. Search market is slowing," Magid Abraham, president and CEO of comScore Networks, said in the analysis report. "The good news for search companies is that the utilization of search queries for advertising purposes continues to increase."

Indeed, in December 2005, 57.2 percent of search query results included a sponsored ad, up from 49.1 percent a year earlier, according to Abraham.

Separately, Google Chief Financial Officer George Reyes said Tuesday that the company's growth was slowing. Reyes' remarks, made at a Merrill Lynch conference, were interpreted badly by investors, who sent Google stock down about 13 percent.