Maybe Google isn't invincible after all.
The tech behemoth that revolutionized the Internet with its search engine is actually slipping when it comes to the mobile search market, falling from 82.8 percent in 2012 to 68.5 percent last year, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The mobile search advertising market is worth $2.24 billion in the U.S., and the new report from EMarketer predicts that Google's share of the industry will fall to 64.2 percent by 2016.
The Mountain View, Calif.-headquartered company may still rule on desktop search, but it's losing ground on mobile as competing search engines and apps push it back.
"Even though browser-based search is a common behavior among mobile owners, search engines are not necessarily the first place smartphone and tablet users turn," Cathy Boyle, senior analyst for mobile at EMarketer, said in a statement. "The explosion of mobile app development and usage means mobile users have more--and more specialized--alternatives for finding information."
Users have been turning to Google rivals including Microsoft's Bing and Yahoo. They have also been using apps like Yelp to find specific places like restaurants.
Apple recently announced that iOS 8 software will use Bing instead of Google for embedded searches, according to Bloomberg.
"App-based searching is a new phenomenon that pales in comparison with the longstanding practice of querying a search engine, and the degree to which mobile users rely on both methods for finding information is unclear," Boyle said in a statement.
"Still, in light of the growing popularity and time spent with apps, search marketers that recognize this behavior and focus on increasing visibility within apps aligned to their industry and business objectives will be best positioned to connect with the largest number of mobile users."
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?
