Microsoft (MSFT) lags Google (GOOG) and Yahoo! (YHOO) in search and internet advertising, but, according to Comscore, it beat both in global visitors in December 2006. Google grew a bit faster at 13% over the previous year, but Microsoft had over 508 million unique visitors. The number highlights the company’s chances of making Microsoft Live work as a server based software system. It also indicates that if the big software company can develop attractive search technology it might cut in to the lead Google and Yaho! have built.
Major media and e-commerce sites continued to dominate the list. Time Warner (TWX) sites, which includes AOL, were fourth. Fox Interactive (NWS), The New York Times (NYT), and Viacom (VIA) Digital all made the top fifteen. In the e-commerce category Ebay (EBAY), Amazon (AMZN), and Adobe (ADBE) were on the list.
Perhaps the most amazing big web property continues to be Wikipedia which sat in sixth place. The non-profit, user-edited on line encyclopedia continues to draw a tremendous audience.
Douglas A. McIntyre can be reached at [email protected]. He does not own securities in companies that he writes about.