Search engine statistics: who searches where in 2026?
Which search engines do people use, and how does Google compare with newcomers such as AI assistants? Here are the key figures for the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and what they mean for your visibility.
Search engine market share in the Netherlands
Google is by far the largest search engine in the Netherlands. According to StatCounter data for September 2026, around 89 percent of all searches in the country go through Google.
| Search engine | Market share, Netherlands (Sept 2026) |
|---|---|
| 89.1% | |
| Bing | 4.6% |
| Yandex | 2.6% |
| Yahoo! | 1.5% |
| DuckDuckGo | 1.5% |
| Ecosia | 0.5% |
Source: StatCounter Global Stats, all devices, September 2026.
What these figures mean for you
For most businesses, Google remains the main channel to optimise for, in the Netherlands as in most of Europe. Don't ignore Bing, though: Bing also powers results for other services, including Microsoft Copilot and several AI tools. A site that performs well on Google usually does reasonably well on Bing, but it's worth registering your site in Bing Webmaster Tools too.
Mobile search is the norm
Most searches happen on a smartphone. Google therefore evaluates websites based on their mobile version, known as mobile-first indexing. A site that loads slowly or is awkward to use on mobile loses visibility, including in desktop results.
The rise of AI search
The big change compared with a few years ago is that search no longer happens only in a search engine. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide use AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity every week to research topics and compare products. Google itself also shows an AI summary at the top of a growing share of results. Traditional market share figures therefore no longer tell the whole story, which is why I also look at visibility in AI answers for every client.
Key takeaways
- Google dominates in the Netherlands with around 89% market share.
- Bing is small but important as a source for AI services.
- Mobile determines how Google evaluates your website.
- AI assistants are becoming a search channel in their own right.
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