Every month we get new numbers from ComScore and Hitwise concerning the direction and momentum of Google, Bing, Yahoo, and all of the other major search engines. Well the new numbers are in, and it seems that in February Bing made steady gains while Yahoo slipped. Depending on whether you depend upon ComScore or Hitwise’s numbers, Google either gained slightly or held steady.

Hitwise’s data should give Google execs plenty to ponder. Microsoft’s massive marketing push for Bing appears to be paying off. There’s no reason to assume that Bing’s advance will stall, particularly if Redmond succeeds in its aggressive foray into mobile search.

This could have a massive effect on the brand reputation management industry, which may have to start contending with more than one dominant search engine. If Bing becomes competitive with Google, and uses formulas which are very different for determining search rankings, the job will be made that much more difficult for those in the industry.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/191237/bing_gains_again_should_google_worry.html