DALLAS, Jul 24, 2006 / --- Google once again is the top search provider, answering over 2.7 billion queries for June, garnering 49.4% of the internet searches in the U.S., and year over year growth of 31% according to a report by Nielsen//Net Ratings.

Yahoo and MSN ranked second and third with 1.2 billion and 56 million queries answered, garnering 23% and 10.3% of the market, respectively.

As the internet matures and it becomes a part of our lifestyle, search engines become tools in our everyday life. In the eyes of the search providers, the bigger the chunk of the market they have means a higher market presence that can be monetized.

Below is the Top Ten Search Providers as reported by Nielsen//Net Ratings:

Table 1: Top 10 Search Providers for June 2006, Ranked by Searches (U.S.)