Yahoo Trumps Google

Although it seems like Google has been receiving buckets of praise while rival Yahoo has been struggling in their game of catch up, the tables may be turning.

Yahoo recently beat out Google for bragging rights in customer satisfaction, receiving a rating of 79 by the University of Michigan's American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Although Google scored a respectable 78 on the 100-point scale, the two companies' changes in scores from the previous quarter is more telling than the raw scores themselves. Last time, Google received a score of 82, meaning that the company's tally decreased 4 per cent this quarter. Meanwhile, Yahoo has been able to increase its score by 4 per cent. (Source: betanews.com)

So why has Google fallen out of favour? ACSI says that Google's lower score stems from the fact that the Google home page looks almost identical to the way it looked a year ago. Users simply aren't seeing Google's new features, such as Google Maps and increased storage options. (Source: arstechnica.com)

The report describes how Google's simplistic style seems to be hurting the company in the long term. "Some users say it looks stale compared to Ask.com, which has a very different display of search results." (Source: arstechnica.com)

On the PR front, Google has remained optimistic and confident about the study's results. "We are continually working to provide the best online experience for our users and welcome strong competition that helps drive market innovation," a Google representative said in a statement. (Source: mercurynews.com)

Since ACSI reports are usually a good indication of financial performance, the report has led many to anticipate a positive turnaround for Yahoo in the future. And while the report may indeed mean good news for one company, it doesn't necessarily mean devastation for another: Google still holds the title as the most popular search engine.