Mumbai: Yahoo Inc. has beaten internet search giant Google Inc to second place in consumer satisfaction, according to a recent study.

For the first time users gave Yahoo''s services overall a better rating than what Google Inc received, according to the study by the University of Michigan American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

The study showed Yahoo had seen its customer satisfaction score rise 3.9 per cent from a year ago to 79 out of 100 points, while Google''s rating fell about 3.7 per cent to 78 points.

While Google remains the dominant web search engine, Yahoo''s internet presence is gaining user approval for its network of web sites, e-mail, social networks and other features, according to the survey.

While Google has developed its own e-mail, desktop office and chat applications, among other features, they have not drawn enough attention to them among regular users, it said.

Time Warner Inc.''s AOL, which has moved its focus from internet access services to become an ad-supported source of e-mail and entertainment, slipped more than 9 per cent to a score of 67 points.