Decoding Social Network Metrics

(MoneyWatch) 
Whenever someone releases new web traffic numbers, I get grouchy. Although there are a variety of ways to measure web traffic, few of them are precise. Furthermore, a certain portion of those who visit your site don't matter. Why? Because they are "fly-aways" -- gone within seconds. Also, sites can and do drive their own hit-count by purchasing search keywords, which is a bit like paying people to be your friends (something you might consider if your Facebook friend list needs a jump start).

To me, the much more revealing metrics are return visits, time on site, registration rates, comments, ratings, sharing with friends, blogging or micro-blogging, downloading or embedding links, and a host of other "engagement indicators."

Nevertheless, it is the overall traffic figures that are routinely used as if they were as the equivalent of paid newspaper circulation figures, which they aren't.

At many websites, fly-aways are a major (if whispered) cause for concern among execs. Those keeping a close eye on their logs know one-time visitors spending micro-time on their sites are as common as that stubborn pig weed growing out in my back garden.

And they are about as valuable as pigweed, if you are trying to grow a business.

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So, now I've gotten that off of my chest, let's focus on some newly released web traffic numbers from ComScore, the web-tracking firm that looked rather foolish earlier this year when it predicted that Google's search traffic had slowed during Q-1, meaning its ad revenue should have fallen accordingly, causing a big drop in the company's stock price just prior to the release of its official earnings report. In fact, Google's numbers were way up, and its stock shot up in value in a spectacular manner, leaving ComScore in its rear-view mirror.

Hey, everyone makes mistakes. ComScore has just released the following table of the top five Social Networking Sites with their June '08 U.S. traffic as compared with a year earlier:

Uniques (000) June '08 % Change MySpace 72,777 + 3.0
Blogger 44,887 + 59.0
Facebook 37,375 + 34.0
Wordpress 18,837 + 119.0
Flickr 16,003 + 66.0

I tried, but could not replicate these results, at either Compete or Alexa, two other traffic-measurement outfits, although the problem at Alexa was this persistent ad about a dog eating a bone that partly covered up the interface, refusing me access.

But, if we take ComScore at its word, the interesting takeaways here are that (1) the former gorilla in the category, MySpace, has stopped growing in the U.S., and Facebook is rapidly catching up; (2) Flickr owns the photography category; and (3) Blogger is now significantly bigger not only than Facebook, plus its direct blogging platform rivals.

Google's Blogger is optimed as a user-friendly blogging platform, especially for beginners; thus it's twice as big as Wordpress, but the latter is growing at twice the rate. (SixApart lags as a distant number third.)

Although no social bookmarking sites make the top five list, young Yahoo Buzz has over 9.16 million users, compared to Digg's 6.2 million, which may be related to why the latest acquisition rumors have Google buying Digg for only ~$200 million, down $100 mil or so from the last time these rumors made the rounds.

One final takeway: None of the companies listed above are proverbial flashes in your media pan. Though the precise size of their collective audience may be unknown, for the top five it is apparently about 190 million Americans, and it's growing at a healthy rate of six percent a year.

How many newspaper, magazine, radio or television productions can boast numbers like these?

(Note to Alexa : Curb the dog!)