• January 13, 2009

Google accounted for 72.07% of all U.S. searches conducted in the four weeks ending Dec. 27, 2008, according to Hitwise.

Yahoo Search, MSN Search and Ask.com received 17.79%, 5.56% and 3.15%, respectively, Hitwise found. The remaining 44 search engines in the Hitwise Search Engine Analysis Tool accounted for 1.42% of U.S. searches.

Both MSN Search and Yahoo Search saw increases of 2% and 1%, respectively, in December compared with November. MSN Search has increased five months in a row now, Hitwise found.

For 2008 overall, Google accounted for 69.48% of all U.S searches, representing an 8% increase over 2007. Ask.com increased 1% in 2008 compared with 2007.--Gavin O'Malley