In an insightful interview with Kommersant, Dmitry Masyuk, director of the Search and Advertising Technologies business group at Yandex, announced a significant milestone for the company. Yandex has officially surpassed Google to become the leader in internet search market share across all platforms in Russia, a feat achieved under what Masyuk describes as “competitive conditions.”
Masyuk highlighted the remarkable achievement in the mobile sector, noting that in 2023, Yandex captured over 50% of the search market share on iPhones, where Google is pre-set as the default search engine. This indicates a strong user preference for Yandex, as more than half of iPhone users in Russia have opted to switch their default search settings.
The overall growth of Yandex’s market share is evident, with the fourth quarter figures showing an average of 63.8%. This growth comes despite the company’s strategic decision to redirect direct visitors from yandex.ru to the Zen page by VK, which is not a part of Yandex. This move was part of broader efforts to diversify the user experience and integrate more content-focused features.
Additionally, Masyuk teased the launch of an upcoming product that integrates search capabilities with generative neural networks. Described as the most radical update in the past two decades, this new development is set to further revolutionize how users interact with information online.
Yandex’s achievement in overtaking Google in Russia signifies a major shift in the digital landscape, reflecting the dynamic nature of the tech industry and the evolving preferences of internet users. This development underscores Yandex’s ongoing commitment to innovation and its ability to adapt to and lead in competitive markets.
