Google is just better, the interface is cleaner and just looks better. Its all about user perception - if the users think the results are good then it doesn't matter whether they actually are good or not. Every time I use Yahoo and MSN I am amazed that they don't just copy the google UI.
MSN's UI is so stupid, first time I got there I could not even find the search bar. It's blended in so well it's impossible to find even for web savvy people like myself. http://search.msn.co.uk/ Just look at it, it's not there! White on white with no border, how stupid is that?!
It looks a bit better in IE. Also the focus doesn't transfer to the search box onload in FF like it does in IE. Thats a big mistake. Having the search bit as a subdomain also makes me think msn isn't all about search (which of course it isn't) and you need to have search as the only thing on your homepage to succeed.
I've always thought that as well. I think if MSN and Yahoo are serious about search they'd be better off transfering all of their services off of the index page and gettingrid of the 'clutter' people like Google as it's clean and simple.
yahoo.com and msn.com are portals, not limited to search. I don't understand why people say clean up the interface to be like google. They are different business models.
They don't become any less of a portal by cleaning up the interface and making it more user friendly.
Google is pretty much a portal nowadays, in fact they offer more services the Yahoo and MSN do now, they just don't have them all over the first page.
The question is why such divergence betwen the USA and UK? It would be understandable difference between the USA and France for example, but I did not expect such difference between the USA and UK.
The difference is in branding. Google was probably the first to launch to launch a UK based search engine
People in the UK have never heard of Yahoo. However the main factor is that google.co.uk doesn't redirect to search.uk.google.com or some other non-specific subdomain.
Yahoo hate me, right now I am sleeping with the right person with G. Just have to remember that she's fickle n all and that I need to keep my piligamist views, has anyone seen Big Love, I kinda like that series. G accounts for around 95% of my SE traffic, thankfully I aint reliant on it, just used to it! Edit: Hate(yahoo) is a strong word, Yahoo still make me a few G's but I can't work them out