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Hitwise Intelligence - Alan Long - Asia Pacific

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Social Networking and Forums take over Search Engines in New Zealand

December 07, 2009

In New Zealand Social Networking and Forums has surpassed Search Engines in the week ending 5 December 2009. I have been tracking this on a daily basis and over the past 6 weeks Social Networking and Forums had been ahead across the weekends since the weekend of 25 and 26 October, and taking the lead on Fridays since 11 November 2009. In week ending 5 December Social Networking and Forums led over five days of the week, only trailing Search Engines across Wednesday and Thursday.

In the 12 months Social Networking and Forums share of visits has increased 30.7% compared to Search Engines growth of 3.6% of visits by all New Zealand Internet users, (comparing the week ending 5 December 2009 to the week ending 6 December 2008.).

In Australia our recent report ‘The Rise and Rise of the Social Network” we predicted that Social Networking and Forums industry would overtake Search Engines to become the most visited industry by Australian Internet users.

The trend we identified has continued over the past 6 weeks and the changeover is likely to happen in the coming weeks pre- Christmas as predicted. In Australia the Social Networking and Forums industry now sits just 0.1% behind Search Engines share of all visits.

In the past 12 months, Search Engines share of visits has increased marginally by 1.7% (comparing the week end 5 December 2009 and the week ending 6 December 2008), while Social Networking and Forums industry has grown 26.8%, mostly in the past 6 months.

We are still to see strong commercialisation of Social Networks which will then provide a strong alternative to Search and Display advertising methods, although anecdotally Facebook display advertising is starting to deliver positive results for clients across a range of industry verticals.

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