Which tech giant is Google's biggest search rival? (Hint: It's not Bing or Yahoo)

Which search goliath is Google’s biggest rival? No, not Yahoo or Bing. It’s the amazing Amazon.

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt yesterday admitted that Jeff Bezos’ e-commerce giant is Google’s biggest rival.

“Many people think our main competition is Bing or Yahoo. But, really, our biggest search competitor is Amazon,” he said in a speech in Berlin.

“People don’t think of Amazon as search, but if you are looking for something to buy, you are more often than not looking for it on Amazon,” he said.

“They are obviously more focused on the commerce side of the equation, but, at their roots, they are answering users’ questions and searches, just as we are.”

Speaking about the importance of mobile, Schmidt said: “And the most popular app in the world – including in Europe – is Facebook, a company which now describes itself as the on-ramp to the internet.”

Responding to criticisms that Google is taking away business from travel companies, such as Yelp and TripAdvisor, Schmidt said:  “The reality is that Google works very differently from other companies that have been called gatekeepers and regulated as such . . . No one is stuck using Google.”

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