Google is not only the most popular search engine in the world, but is now the most popular internet property, with 777.9 million unique visitors in December or 77 per cent reach of the total worldwide internet audience, according to comScore’s data.
Google is followed by Microsoft Sites (647.9m visitors) and Yahoo Sites (562.6m visitors).
Facebook has grown by 127 percent in the last year, to 222 million visitors, according to figures. Thus, Facebook now ranks as the top social networking site, and the seventh most popular property in the world.
The total global Internet audience surpassed 1 billion for the first time in December.
“Surpassing 1 billion global users is a significant landmark in the history of the Internet,” said comScore CEO Magid Abraham. “The second billion will be online before we know it, and the third billion will arrive even faster than that.”
The Asia-Pacific region now accounts for 41 percent of all Internet users. China ranks as the largest Internet population in the world, having 180 million Internet users, or about 18 percent of the total worldwide Internet audience. The United States ranks second, at 16.2 percent.