Giant's first head-on confrontation, mobile search is more difficult to a single

BAT3, known as China's internet giants, has not been in the same market head-on. Now, the battlefield has finally been chosen.

Mobile search players should be anxious because new giant players are joining. This afternoon, Alibaba curve into the mobile search market, the striker is the new ally of UC. The form of cooperation between the two sides is the establishment of joint ventures, the joint launch of mobile search-god horse. The name is very air, advertising words have ready-made: God horse know.

At present, in the mobile search market, Baidu a single large, Tencent Sogou is launching a new round of attacks, 360 low-key layout mobile end of the three-class rocket mode. Ali UC join, will become the mobile search market, the four powerful forces. This is BAT3 first time in the same market short soldier meet.

The controversy over access and information

BAT3 for the first time in front of the battlefield why selected in the mobile search market? The answer is from the entrance.

The traditional internet has three recognized entrance: one is the network, grasps in the operator hand, second is the browser, three is the search engine. To the mobile Internet, the entrance adds two, one is the hardware in front of the network, the other is the hyper-polar app that is parallel with the browser, such as micro-mail. The purpose of the user's Internet access is to obtain information. In these portals, the hardware is closest to the user, and the search is closest to the information. Search favorite information Decentralization, the more dispersed information, the more valuable search. The competition of search, in the final analysis, is the competition of information.

Compared to the PC side, there are many different information on the mobile end: One is more information based on mobile phones more and more, this information has more new features, such as geographical location and local services, and the other is compared with traditional PC Internet, mobile Internet is more uneven, hardware, operating system, The diversity of network and application services leads to great changes in the way information is produced and organized--information is deeply fragmented. In addition to the traditional PC Internet extension of information, there are a lot of information hidden in the app, distribution channels control the app. Based on this structure, mobile search based on traditional PC Internet content is limited to the traditional PC Internet information, breaking the distribution channels and even the information content "island State" between the app. Mobile search becomes more important.

Speaking of which, we have to mention the biggest debate on mobile internet portal--app and the Web, which is the future trend? This problem will be answered in mobile search. Because mobile search has the basic service attribute, it can provide more open service through the way of realizing diversification. Diverse approaches include page search, app search, and application search. App-based search is a good solution for app search and application search problems, but how to host search content and page search is not a particularly good form. Web based search can be integrated into the three, not only can directly search the traditional PC-side extension of information, as well as light applications and native More importantly, as the app continues to evolve, the app's long tail effect will highlight the cost and construction costs of a long tail app to users, and the web will be a better choice for every long tail app. In fact, whether Baidu, Sogou or other search vendors, web search is still the mainstream, and browsers are the most important carrier. Two years ago 360 launched a PC-side search, and achieved more than 20% share, the core advantage is to bind the search through the client, closed traffic, the same strategy on the mobile internet will inevitably repeat.

In the final analysis, the essence of mobile search is the contention of information and entrance, the players win over the "information source", and begin to control the "end".

BAT3 's new game

Today's mobile search market is lively, and other manufacturers, whether BAT3 or pea pods, want to rely on their own channels to drive the market. But now the search market, because the heavyweight giants have joined, manpower, channel and equipment costs, the market is destined to be the giants of the game. The future mobile search market pattern how unpredictable? From the above two angles--"information source" and "end" of the control force, we can see BAT3 subversive force.

1, Baidu: A single big situation will end

In the mobile search market, Baidu by technology base, brand effect and first-mover advantage, already has the moat. According to Analysys data, Baidu's mobile search market share reached 71.8% in 2013, others lagged behind, only to eat the remaining few markets.

This is Baidu's current biggest advantage, but its "information source" and "end" of the lack of control, will be left after the opportunity to catch up.

The first is the control of the information source. This will be from Baidu mobile search hair history. With the 2004 China Mobile Internet, the first batch of market Explorer, such as the appropriate search, easy to check, Wukong, Soso have entered the mobile search. Early mobile search information more than 90% or from the traditional Internet, the so-called mobile search is only an extension of the PC, do a good job of interaction, adaptation, grab the entrance level of the client can be. As such, the shadow of the PC Giant's shark remains. 2009 Baidu with its PC-side brand effect and technology base into mobile search, none of these early explorers became "heroes carved on the monument of the Martyrs". In early 2010, easy to run to Japan, Wu empty transformation, Soso mind not wireless, adhere to the mobile search on the road to go down only the appropriate search, But the market share is pitifully low. After 2010, mobile search officially entered Baidu a single big period. Such a development process let Baidu mobile search deeply branded PC, one performance is more from the traditional PC Internet Information source, another manifestation is the business model of migration. Search on the PC side of the classic business model is the CPC, but unfortunately, copied to the phone, the ad placement is too small, the connection rate is too low, customer pay will be poor ... The result is that the mobile end is only about 1/5 of the PC's income.

Second, the lack of strong client. Baidu Mobile Search This weakness is also extended from the PC side. and PC-side similar, when Baidu in mobile search Siege Shing, is to use and strong client cooperation in the way of market expansion, such as UC and QQ browser, and they have not established a strong client. Until 2012, 360 through the browser binding to achieve more than 20% of the PC search market share, Baidu was aware of the client, especially the browser to the search market impact, and began to consciously layout the mobile client market, including browsers, mobile phone assistants. In the field of mobile phone assistant, Baidu won a lot of shares, but in the mobile search the most important mobile browser market, UC Browser share of more than 65%, and Baidu share is always difficult to break through single-digit digits. According to Baidu's data, mobile phone browser is its mobile search traffic contribution of the big Head, UC Browser contribution rate of more than 30%, QQ browser contribution rate is lower, but also a lot. Considering Ali UC, Tencent Sogou has aggressively attacked mobile search market, Baidu based on UC browser and QQ browser traffic will become uncertain market.

Baidu is also the existence of these two weaknesses, to the mobile search market later left a chance. Even so, Baidu still cannot be underestimated. Last year, 1.9 billion of billions of dollars to the 91 assistants under the command, and to become China's largest application distribution channels, together with the traditional page information, Baidu has a certain voice on the Mobile information source. Although the crisis has been treacherous, but the thin dead camel than the horse, at the mobile end, Baidu will not like the PC end has an absolute monopoly position, but in the short term can still maintain market share first position.

2, Ali +uc: With the mobile phone browser to rush second?

Ali after UC, the two sides will have what cooperation, has been the focus of the industry. Half a month ago, UC push both sides to build a PC browser, I think, just this thing? Sure enough, the focus is still behind, the two sides are plotting a more fiery mobile search market. Previous sources said Alibaba plans to make big adjustments to Taobao, improve Taobao's navigation, add more interactivity to its mobile apps, and reduce Taobao's higher reliance on external search traffic, as Ali competes with search giant Baidu in multiple markets, which could become an increasing risk for Ali. Having a strong search is critical to Ali. Lenovo to the previous delay to submit F-1 listed documents, I do not know whether it is to wait for God horse mobile search out, improve the capital market to Ali's attitude.

Of course, the premise of the improvement of the capital market attitude is that God horse can indeed occupy a certain market share in the mobile search market, and the largest variable comes from UC. Currently UC Mobile browser global users more than 500 million, the domestic market share of more than 65%. Its advantages in the browser is not available to other three forces According to Baidu data, UC browser to Baidu mobile search traffic contribution up to 31%. If UC and Ali can convert this part of the flow into their own flow, then will be able to gain more than 20% of the market share. From the 360 success experience on the PC side, this is entirely possible. If God horse can achieve 20% market share, or will become the mobile search market dick.

What is Ali's contribution to God's horse? Talent, information sources and business model resources. Talent, Ali contributed to the original search of the team and products; In the information source, Taobao's electric platform information will be opened to God horse, God horse is the only comprehensive search engine with deep cooperation with Taobao, the business model, with the help of Ali, God Horse's commercial model is more biased in favor of the electricity quotient, payment and so on.

This combination also has weaknesses. And Baidu, Tencent Sogou, 360 in the PC-side roll over years of experience compared to the combination of Ali UC is the search market is the least accumulation and experience. Ali on the PC side had "a search", but that is the legacy of Yahoo, Ali has not been vigorously developed. UC is a browser to make a start, and then expand its business to the application of distribution, games and other fields, four years ago launched the Search encyclopedia, which is the combination of the prototype mobile search. Ali and UC apparently also see this insufficient, heard last year God horse not only integrated Alibaba's "a search" technical team and business, but also the original Baidu's technical team digested, and absorbed from Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, 360 and other companies search engine product technology experts. See, Ali UC in mobile search to spare no effort.

But today UC Yu in an interview to define this disadvantage as an advantage. In Yu's words, in terms of experience, companies that succeed on the PC side are often stuck on the mobile side because the original PC mentality limits their development on the mobile side. Mobile search on the importance of Ali needless to tell, choose UC to bear this task, in addition to its 500 million users, its pure mobile advantage is Ali fancy?

3, Tencent Sogou: The fate of thousands of years old

PC Search market More than 10 years, Sogou entered not late, but never get rid of the millennium old position. Yahoo did not fail Mai before, the Chinese search market ranking is Yahoo, Baidu, Sogou, and then Yahoo decline, Google came in, the market ranking evolved into Baidu, Google and Sogou; Google left after 360来, Sogou is still old. And in the mobile end, Sogou's ranking more. In wartime, Wang Xiaoquan always thought spring was short. When you want to enter, there is no dog in this market.

When Sogou in the PC end of the search "three rockets" mode is actually very imaginative. Through the input method with the browser, and then drive the search, and finally in the search. However, the "three rockets" in the hands of Sogou did not succeed, but in 360 hands practiced. Look from the product, although the Sogou method has 300 million users, but the input method is light, after all, unable to divert traffic to the browser. Now do mobile search, Sogou changed a saying-"Three arrows Qi", in fact, is the traditional input method, browser and search of the wireless. Why is it called three arrows? Because in the mobile end, Sogou only input method, and gradually build a three-stage rocket too slow, so changed the move, three-level at the same time. However, at the mobile end, the input method becomes lighter, the user perception is too low, simply can not support the browser, which results in Sogou browser has not been improved. The browser is not finished, mobile search is not to mention.

If on the previous sogou, almost can be concluded that mobile search without it anything, you can wash and sleep. But now different, Sogou hug Tencent thigh, not only QQ browser, mobile phone QQ, as well as micro-letter. Although the market share of QQ browser than UC 65%, but also more than 20%. Only rely on QQ browser, Sogou gained a lot of mobile search market share.

Based on the QQ browser Control "End", based on micro-letter through the "information source", which is the most likely to attack Sogou strategy. For Sogou, the biggest problem is that, relying on Tencent, market share should be able to go up, but may not escape the fate of old.

4, 360: Continue to replicate the three-stage rocket mode

Did three times search all tragic end of the old week, did not expect to rely on security success. However, despite the safety of fame, search is still old week's complex, rely on security guards, bundled browser, and then on the browser to carry the search, the final curve completed the search dream. Today, 360 of the search on the PC side of the share has been more than 20%, largely by its browser channel advantage. Internet Data Research Institute Hitwise released June 2013 's Search market share data show that 360 of the search has 82% traffic from its navigation and browser products, 360 search if remove its navigation and browser traffic, the user's active demand share accounted for only about 2%, channel advantage glance.

But on the handset side, 360 of the security products can no longer like the PC side has the monopoly advantage. 360 Mobile-Phone assistants and 360-mobile-phone guards two big mobile-end product help 360 for the second largest application distribution channel, but currently for its mobile search to lift up a little. Earnings in the fourth quarter of last year showed that 360 of the revenue from mobile-end searches remained zero.

As a then, we see old weeks that have never paid much attention to mobile browsers, and a lot of resources are being rolled out to mobile browsers, and a new version of the mobile browser was launched half a month ago. 360 Mobile phone browser is not difficult to understand, it needs to be on the mobile side to rebuild its "safe browser search" of the level three rocket mode. What it does now is create a new concept--China's safest mobile browser--and build China's safest mobile search on that basis.

However, the mobile browser channel and the PC side is completely different, can not be bundled with the security product installation. Old Zhou's "China's safest mobile browser" is hard to get a decent market in the short term. Now the mobile search war, the old weeks are ready to fire, gunpowder is not ready how to do? So the old week in the internal death task, mobile browser must be done. Heard 360 Mobile browser people complain about the pressure, the former boss too much attention, now the boss too much attention. The old week will not wait until the mobile browser is done. It is said that 360 is in the process of negotiating with mainstream app, hoping to capture the data inside the app, hoping to form an open platform for app calls and a combination of 360 mobile phone guards and cell phone assistants. This is actually the previous Baidu proposed application search, but Baidu has not been put forward after the push. Prior to the old week on the PC side of the successful practice of the "three-level rocket" proposed by Sogou. If this is the successful implementation of Baidu's "Application Search", 360 mobile search opportunities are still available.

From the above analysis, BAT3 challenges and opportunities. However, many times the advantage does not guarantee that the enterprise will become the final winner, the advantage is sometimes a burden and tie, search does not change the shape of products, cooperation, innovation in the business model, it is difficult to have a future. Mobile search is not yet stereotyped, and everything is possible. Predictably, as the Giants are ready, the mobile search market will be a big one.

(Responsible editor: Lvguang)