comScore Media Metrix Releases April Top 50 Web Rankings and Analysis
Tuesday, 16 May 2006
According to comScore Media Metrix, which has released its monthly analysis of consumer activity at top online properties and categories for April 2006, Yahoo! Sites last month retained its ranking as the number one property in the US with 128 million visitors, while MSN-Microsoft Sites regained its number two position, attracting more than 120 million visitors.
On a worldwide basis, MSN-Microsoft Sites ranked highest in unique visitors in April, followed by Google and Yahoo! Sites, according to comScore’s World Metrix.
Wikipedia Sites enjoyed another strong month in the US, reaching number 13 in the April ranking with a 17-percent increase compared to March. On a global basis, Wikipedia Sites ranked 7th in the March World Metrix report.
Domestically, the Real.com Network jumped nine spots to number 24 in April, drawing more than 23 million visitors, a 25-percent increase from March. On a global basis, the Real.com Network ranked number 13, according to comScore World Metrix.
In April, Advertising.com extended its reach to more than 83 percent of Americans online to retail the number one position for the 24th consecutive month. WebMD Health Network moved up five spots to number 30, reaching more than 5 million more Americans in April than in March. Tremor Network entered the Ad Focus ranking for the first time at number 15, reaching 40 percent of the US population online.
To view comScore’s April charts, visit http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=854.
Hot Trends: Real Estate and Gas
Among the notable trends during April were the marked increases in traffic to real estate sites, which grew 12 percent from the previous month and 23 percent in the past year. Homestore.com Network and MSN Real Estate led the category with 11.1 and 5.8 million visitors, respectively.
Americans’ nesting instinct was also evidenced by the increase in traffic to home improvement/ home furnishing sites, which, in aggregate, experienced a 12-percent increase in April versus the prior month. Two bricks-and-mortar home improvement giants benefited from this interest online: The Home Depot, Inc. Sites experienced a 10-percent gain versus March with 10.8 million visitors, while Lowes.com rose 15 percent, to 8.3 million visitors.
Another noteworthy trend borne out online in April was Americans’ intense interest in tracking ever-rising gas prices. Gasbuddy Organization, which includes Gasbuddy.com, where consumers can search for the best local gas rates, saw visitor numbers more than triple in April compared to the previous month (from 755,000 to 2.3 million). In addition, Fueleconomy.gov, the site operated by the US Department of Energy, saw an increase of 172 percent from March to April.