Posted by: Nichole Garofalo, Marketing Intern
According to a recent report from Hitwise, Facebook overtook Google as the most visited website in the U.S., while sending a message that the social sharing site has become a major contender in the online search space. And it’s not hard to see why.
Facebook has managed to deliver the Web in a way that makes searching for solutions, in addition to good old socializing, seem more “real.” Regular people can use their connections on social networks like Facebook when they’re seeking recommendations for products and services and information gathering. That’s because these connections are actual people they know and trust. They can turn to Google afterward if they’re still unsatisfied. Why would online searchers choose results generated by anonymous bots when they can get trusted information based on the first-hand experience of friends on Facebook?
What’s more, with this kind of social, real-time search happening, Facebook presents an opportunity for marketers to monitor what’s being said about their brands (both the good and the bad).
Hitwise’s report states that Facebook and Google together accounted for 14% of all U.S. Internet visits, with Facebook’s homepage accounting for 7.07% of traffic and Google’s home page 7.03%. Although the traffic reports are close, Facebook’s year-over-year growth far outpaces Google’s. With a more targeted audience and Web traffic that is growing by the minute, Facebook is proving that marketers can’t ignore social media.
