Is Mobile Shaping the Future of Search?

Last month we asked the question and now it would appear that the results of Yahoo! and Bing’s merger are taking effect sooner than anticipated, which could have repercussions for the future of search. AT&T this week (3 March 2010) announced that they will be using Yahoo!’s search engine on their new Android-powered Motorola Backflip.

An interesting choice, especially considering that Android is Google’s mobile operating system. So what persuaded them to shirk tradition and plump for Yahoo! as their mobile search engine on this handset? And could this also affect search in the future?

“Mobile is a key corporate priority”

This move could be AT&T pre-empting a shift in the mobile search market that could gain force when Microsoft release their Windows phones with Bing hardware. One thing is for sure, Yahoo! are excited about the announcement. They told Search Engine Land:

“We are happy that AT&T has chosen Yahoo! Search as the default mobile search service on the Motorola Backflip, AT&T’s first Android device. Mobile is a key corporate priority for Yahoo! and we are focused on making our personally relevant mobile Internet services, like search, available to the broadest audience possible on the widest range of devices.”  

Perhaps the most important part of that statement is the beginning of the second sentence, “mobile is a key corporate priority for Yahoo!” which echoes sentiments of Microsoft’s planned $billion investment.

Changing the Landscape of Search

Mobile search is growing exponentially but, like its desktop-based older sister, has been dominated by Google and continues to be dominated by Google. This announcement by AT&T to shift to Yahoo! may well be the start of search engines competing for connectivity with different smartphone models.

As more smartphones enter the market people’s search habits could be shaped by the search engine that is conveniently already available on their handset. The familiarity with a particular search engine could be transposed onto the desktop. Or, as smartphones garner a greater percentage of our search time, it could create a change in the mobile search landscape.

We wait to see if AT&T’s decision to switch to Yahoo! will have any implications on the market. But the growth of mobile search is likely to alter habits, which could move the goal posts of search.

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