Yahoo Inc. has received a better rating from users than Google, for the first time, according to a University of Michigan American Consumer Satisfaction Index, released today.
The consumer satisfaction report indicates a 3.9% increase in the past year, with a score of 79 out of 100 points, while Google's rating fell 3.7%, down to 78 points out of 100. That closes the gap on consumer satisfaction for Yahoo and Google, marking an important milestone for Yahoo. The improved ratings have been attributed to Yahoo's slow change in the past year, regarding modifications made to its user interface, and better use of its numerous peripheral services. Yahoo has always been rather dominant when it comes to being an online portal, and while Google still has the stronghold over search, Google hasn't established or marketed its other services, like Gmail.
Despite these high consumer ratings, Yahoo is still facing trouble on Wall St. and is also rumored to be thinking of letting Google handle its paid search services.