According to impulse.guru, the #Russian search engine market saw significant changes in 2023. #Yandex's market share increased from 49% in 2022 to 61% in 2023, while #Google's share dropped from 47.5% to 37%. This shift occurred against the backdrop of mandatory pre-installation of the Yandex Browser on mobile devices and desktops, strengthening the position of the Russian company.

Global trends and dynamics on the #Russian market

While Google maintains its leadership globally, it faces increasing competition from search engines like Bing and Baidu. In Russia, Bing took third place with a 1.1% share, followed by #Yahoo! at 0.3% and Mail.ru at 0.2%. On mobile devices, Yandex's share increased from 42.9% to 57.7%, while Google's share fell from 55.5% to 41%.

The interest in Bing is supported by the inclusion of AI chatbots, despite the need for a VPN to access it in Russia. Yahoo! has ceased its operations in Russia, and Mail.ru has integrated Yandex's search bar into its services, also contributing to Yandex's share growth.

Research Methodology

The analysis used data from StatCounter and user surveys. This allowed for a detailed understanding of user preferences and market dynamics for search engines.

Implications for Publishers

The report's conclusions, while not particularly novel, suggest that to grow Russian traffic, special attention should be paid to optimization for Yandex, considering its dominant position. This includes adapting content, meta tags, and site structure to Yandex's algorithms. For international audiences, focus should be on optimization for Google, given its widespread popularity outside of Russia.

Mobile optimization should also be considered as the share of mobile users continues to grow. Understanding current trends will help website owners adapt to changes in user preferences and enhance their sites' visibility in search engines.