Google Reaches 78 Percent of Americans

The most recent numbers released by comScore Media Metrix show that Google reaches 78 percent of Americans using the Internet and that online retail sites saw growth despite poor holiday sales.

Google finished 2008 as the top Web property in the U.S. during the month of December. Its sites drew 149.0 million unique visitors during the last month of the year.

This reflects year-over-year growth of 12.1 percent. Last year, Google attracted 133.0 million unique visitors to its sites during December 2007, when it finished second to Yahoo!.

Speaking of Yahoo!, its sites drew a unique audience of 145.7 million in December, which reflects year-over-year growth of 6.6 percent.

Microsoft sites finished December in third place with 125.4 million unique visitors reflecting year-over-year growth of 4.4 percent.

AOL LLC was fourth in December with 109.9 million unique visitors. Last year, the entity was still part of the “Time Warner Network,” which was fourth last December with 119.5 million unique visitors.

Fox Interactive Media, eBay, Ask Network, Amazon, Glam Media and Wikimedia Foundation Sites rounded out the top 10, in that order.

eBay saw a 2.5 percent year-over-year decline in its unique audience, while Glam Media saw a 144 percent boost in its unique audience. Glam Media finished December 2007 at the 28th spot on the list.

The total U.S. Internet audience grew 3.8 percent to 190.7 million unique users in December 2008 compared to the same month in the prior year.

The “Retail – Jewelry/Luxury Goods/Accessories” category attracted 25.0 million unique visitors in December, a 30 percent increase from November and a 4.0 percent increase from the same month last year.

Platform-A finished 2008 as the top ad network in December with a reach of 91 percent of the total Internet population in the U.S. Yahoo! Network was second with a reach of 87 percent, while ValueClick Networks finished third with an 84 percent reach.

Google Ad Network, Specific Media, Traffic Marketplace, Yahoo! Sites, 24/7 Real Media, Adconion Media Group and Google rounded out the top 10 list in that order.

Source:
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2685