For years many wondered why Microsoft appeared to ignore the world of search while Google ran roughshod over the industry. But the company has embraced search in recent years - a move that CEO Steve Ballmer says is panning out, which is good news for online marketers looking to use search engines other than Google.

For years many wondered why Microsoft appeared to ignore the world of search while Google ran roughshod over the industry. But the company has embraced search in recent years – a move that CEO Steve Ballmer says is panning out, which is good news for online marketers looking to use search engines other than Google.

As the keynote speaker at the IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates energy conference in Houston, Texas, this week, Ballmer said that Microsoft's partnership with Yahoo has resulted in Bing providing 30 percent of searches in the U.S., according to MarketWatch.

Still, Ballmer noted that Bing is still well behind the curve when it comes to international search. The news organization cites the Microsoft CEO as saying Bing's worldwide market share is “well below 10 percent.”

Ballmer's numbers seem to match those from comScore. In its January 2011 U.S. Search Engine Rankings, the internet marketing research company reported that Yahoo accounted for 16.1 percent of searches in the U.S. while Microsoft Sites made up 13.1 percent. Combined, this would give Bing, which powers Yahoo's search, a 29.2 percent market share in the U.S.

By contrast, Google maintained 65.6 percent of the market in January, according to comScore.