Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2011/07/14/hitwise_stats/

Facebook begins to challenge Google in UK internet

Google up, but search down overall vs Web 2.0

By Team Register

Posted in Networks, 14th July 2011 10:42 GMT

Google has increased its dominance in the UK search sector, according to the latest numbers, but search itself – though growing in absolute terms – now accounts for a lower proportion of the traffic hitting websites than it formerly did as social networks make their presence felt.

The numbers come from the latest roundup from Experian Hitwise, and sure enough the globally dominant search engine has its foot even more firmly on Blighty's digital neck: Brits conducted a record 92 per cent of their searches on Chocolate Factory machinery in June.

But it's not all good news for Google. While more searches are being conducted as internet use continues to rise in Blighty, the proportion of hits received by websites as a result of search is falling, while the proportion of hits coming from social networks has climbed. Search is still well ahead, delivering 34 per cent of traffic as opposed to 12 per cent for Web 2.0, but that 34 per cent is down from 40.

One need hardly add that the big daddy of the ascending networks is Facebook, with half of all the traffic in that sector, followed by YouTube with just over 20 per cent. Twitter, though important to some, is nowhere by comparison, with just 3 per cent of the soc-net visits.

There's a summary of the numbers here for those interested. ®