WEST PALM BEACH, FL – AOL Search has undergone significant transformations since its inception, evolving through various partnerships to deliver search results to its users. Initially, AOL’s search functionality was powered by Google, leveraging Google’s robust search algorithms to provide comprehensive and relevant search outcomes. This partnership enabled AOL to offer users a reliable search experience, capitalizing on Google’s extensive indexing and search capabilities.
However, the dynamics of AOL Search changed over time. As of recent updates, AOL Search is now powered by Bing, Microsoft’s search engine. This transition is evident on the AOL Search homepage, where it is explicitly stated that the service is “Powered by Bing.”
AOL’s journey in the internet space is marked by impressive subscriber growth in its early years and a gradual decline as technology evolved. Starting with fewer than 200,000 subscribers in 1992, AOL grew exponentially to reach 18 million by 1998. By 1999, AOL had become the largest internet service provider in the United States, and in 2000, it surpassed 25 million subscribers. However, the 2001 merger with Time Warner, forming AOL Time Warner, coincided with the rise of broadband and the decline of dial-up internet, leading to a decrease in AOL’s prominence. By 2012, AOL had pivoted to its email service with 24 million AOL Mail users, and by 2021, it retained 1.5 million paying users. As of 2023, AOL still had 1.5 million active users, highlighting its enduring, albeit niche, presence in the digital world.
In June 2015, Bing and AOL announced a long-term partnership that marked a significant shift in AOL’s search operations. Starting January 1, 2016, Bing began providing both organic search results and paid search ads for AOL’s websites, mobile apps, and tablets, replacing Google as AOL’s search provider. This partnership brought Bing global reach through AOL’s platforms and created additional opportunities for advertisers and marketers to connect with AOL’s audience. Bing now powers all sponsored results and organic search content across AOL’s properties, reinforcing the collaboration’s importance for both companies.
With this in mind, it is safe to assume that AOL users who rely on the AOL desktop client, sign-on processes, or AOL’s built-in browser are using the default search engine integrated into those platforms. Since Bing has powered AOL’s search engine since January 1, 2016, users performing searches within these AOL environments are served search results and sponsored ads generated by Microsoft’s Bing platform. This includes both organic search results and Microsoft-powered advertisements.
For advertisers and marketers, this partnership means that targeting AOL’s audience essentially involves using Microsoft’s advertising tools, as Bing handles all ad placements and keyword targeting within AOL’s ecosystem.
