Monday, April 30, 2007
Google surpasses Microsoft as world's most-visited site
It's official: Google rules the world.
The Mountain View search engine has outstripped Microsoft on two fronts, becoming both the most visited Web site and the most valuable global brand.
The events are major milestones for Google, which has grown into a business juggernaut. Torrid growth and outsized profits have quickly propelled the company past many established blue chip giants while generating a host of complaints that it has become too powerful.
"These are really significant events," said Geoffrey Bowker, executive director of the Center for Science, Technology and Society at Santa Clara University. "At the moment, everything that Google is touching turns to gold."
For the first time, Google has edged ahead of Microsoft as the world's most visited Internet property. Online measurement firm comScore Networks found that Google had just over a million more unique users in March than its arch-rival.
Google had 528 million unique visitors in March, up 5 percent from the previous month, according to comScore. Microsoft had 527 million visitors during the same month, up 3.7 percent.
Popular in the United States, Google is even more of a powerhouse in many European countries.
In a statement, Google said: "Our goal has always been to provide the best online experience for our users. We build products based on user needs and input, which is part of what makes Google unique and results in a great online experience."
Microsoft declined to comment.
Until the latest rankings, Microsoft was the most popular Web property in every month since comScore began tracking global numbers in January 2006. And given the growth trends, Microsoft was undoubtedly No. 1 long before the survey was started, according to Bob Ivins, executive vice president for comScore.
Google inched ahead based on its phenomenal popularity, not only in its core search business but also its e-mail service, online maps and personalized home pages. The recent acquisition of video site YouTube, for $1.65 billion, also has boosted Google's count of unique visitors.
In comparison, Microsoft's growth has been sluggish in recent years. It simply hasn't been adding users fast enough to keep up.
In the latest figures, Google's lead is little more than a statistical hair. But given the company's momentum, Google is likely to widen the gap, at least in the short term, Ivins said.
ComScore's estimates are based on tracking 2 million Internet users across the globe, from home and work (but not from Internet cafes or schools). Only users 15 and older are factored into calculations.
"Unique" visitors are a key measurement in the Internet industry, showing how many individuals visited a particular Web site in a given month. Users are counted only once, even those who may visit a site multiple times during the period.
Unique users, however, isn't the only statistic that matters online. For example, Google still trails in the amount of time global users spend on its properties: an average of 4.6 minutes compared to 12.8 minutes on Microsoft.
Separately, Google was named the most powerful brand in 2007 in an annual survey released Monday by Millward Brown, a British market research company. The company's brand was valued at $66.4 billion, ahead of GE, Microsoft and Coca-Cola.
The study measures the potential earnings of a brand and loyalty. Physical property, such as factories and real estate, weren't included.
In the survey, Google's ranking jumped to the top spot from No. 7 a year ago, based on a 77 percent increase in the value of its brand. Microsoft, which led the survey in 2006, tumbled because of an 11 percent drop in the perceived value of its brand.
Despite Google's current strength, Bowker, from Santa Clara University, emphasized that Google's winning streak isn't guaranteed in the future. He recalled a number of companies that once seemed invincible later faltered, including IBM and General Motors.
Google, in particular, faces a number of risks, ranging from a lawsuit by Viacom over copyright infringement on YouTube to political uproar over censoring search results in China.
"It's an uncertain time," Bowker said. "Just because you pass a milestone and everything is going so swimmingly doesn't mean you can't crash and burn."
Google milestones
Web's most-visited properties
In March, Google edged Microsoft for the first time in the number of unique
visitors:
1. Google ... 528 million
2. Microsoft ... 527 million
3. Yahoo ... 476 million
4. Time Warner ... 272 million
5. eBay ... 256 million
Source: comScore Networks
World's most-valuable brands
Study measures the potential earnings of a brand and loyalty. Physical property is not included.
1. Google ... $66.4 billion
2. GE ... $61.9 billion
3. Microsoft ... $55 billion
4. Coca-Cola ... $44.1 billion
5. China Mobile $41.2 billion
Source: "http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/25/MNGELPF0DR1.DTL"
The Mountain View search engine has outstripped Microsoft on two fronts, becoming both the most visited Web site and the most valuable global brand.
The events are major milestones for Google, which has grown into a business juggernaut. Torrid growth and outsized profits have quickly propelled the company past many established blue chip giants while generating a host of complaints that it has become too powerful.
"These are really significant events," said Geoffrey Bowker, executive director of the Center for Science, Technology and Society at Santa Clara University. "At the moment, everything that Google is touching turns to gold."
For the first time, Google has edged ahead of Microsoft as the world's most visited Internet property. Online measurement firm comScore Networks found that Google had just over a million more unique users in March than its arch-rival.
Google had 528 million unique visitors in March, up 5 percent from the previous month, according to comScore. Microsoft had 527 million visitors during the same month, up 3.7 percent.
Popular in the United States, Google is even more of a powerhouse in many European countries.
In a statement, Google said: "Our goal has always been to provide the best online experience for our users. We build products based on user needs and input, which is part of what makes Google unique and results in a great online experience."
Microsoft declined to comment.
Until the latest rankings, Microsoft was the most popular Web property in every month since comScore began tracking global numbers in January 2006. And given the growth trends, Microsoft was undoubtedly No. 1 long before the survey was started, according to Bob Ivins, executive vice president for comScore.
Google inched ahead based on its phenomenal popularity, not only in its core search business but also its e-mail service, online maps and personalized home pages. The recent acquisition of video site YouTube, for $1.65 billion, also has boosted Google's count of unique visitors.
In comparison, Microsoft's growth has been sluggish in recent years. It simply hasn't been adding users fast enough to keep up.
In the latest figures, Google's lead is little more than a statistical hair. But given the company's momentum, Google is likely to widen the gap, at least in the short term, Ivins said.
ComScore's estimates are based on tracking 2 million Internet users across the globe, from home and work (but not from Internet cafes or schools). Only users 15 and older are factored into calculations.
"Unique" visitors are a key measurement in the Internet industry, showing how many individuals visited a particular Web site in a given month. Users are counted only once, even those who may visit a site multiple times during the period.
Unique users, however, isn't the only statistic that matters online. For example, Google still trails in the amount of time global users spend on its properties: an average of 4.6 minutes compared to 12.8 minutes on Microsoft.
Separately, Google was named the most powerful brand in 2007 in an annual survey released Monday by Millward Brown, a British market research company. The company's brand was valued at $66.4 billion, ahead of GE, Microsoft and Coca-Cola.
The study measures the potential earnings of a brand and loyalty. Physical property, such as factories and real estate, weren't included.
In the survey, Google's ranking jumped to the top spot from No. 7 a year ago, based on a 77 percent increase in the value of its brand. Microsoft, which led the survey in 2006, tumbled because of an 11 percent drop in the perceived value of its brand.
Despite Google's current strength, Bowker, from Santa Clara University, emphasized that Google's winning streak isn't guaranteed in the future. He recalled a number of companies that once seemed invincible later faltered, including IBM and General Motors.
Google, in particular, faces a number of risks, ranging from a lawsuit by Viacom over copyright infringement on YouTube to political uproar over censoring search results in China.
"It's an uncertain time," Bowker said. "Just because you pass a milestone and everything is going so swimmingly doesn't mean you can't crash and burn."
Google milestones
Web's most-visited properties
In March, Google edged Microsoft for the first time in the number of unique
visitors:
1. Google ... 528 million
2. Microsoft ... 527 million
3. Yahoo ... 476 million
4. Time Warner ... 272 million
5. eBay ... 256 million
Source: comScore Networks
World's most-valuable brands
Study measures the potential earnings of a brand and loyalty. Physical property is not included.
1. Google ... $66.4 billion
2. GE ... $61.9 billion
3. Microsoft ... $55 billion
4. Coca-Cola ... $44.1 billion
5. China Mobile $41.2 billion
Source: "http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/25/MNGELPF0DR1.DTL"
# posted by Alex @ 07:55 
