Alexa: Twitter Web Traffic Eclipses CNN & NY Times

(MoneyWatch)  The ratings service Alexa provides one of the best tools available for assessing current traffic trends at websites, and as the chart above indicates, Twitter has now eclipsed both CNN and The New York Times on the web. Note that this does not reflect all the usage on smart phones, which no doubt would only amplify this disparity.

Th trend lines are stark reminder to traditional media companies that their models need to evolve rapidly if they are to keep up.

According to Alexa, Twitter had risen to become #22 on the global list of websites in daily traffic. Its traffic rank, which is calculated on a third-month average basis #36. By comparison, CNN sits at rank #55 and the Times at #108.

Those assuming that the micro-blogging service is primarily an American phenomenon may wish to reconsider. Less than half of the San Francisco-based startup's online traffic comes from within the U.S. -- just 43.5 percent -- that is enough to land it in the #14 rank domestically, according to Alexa.

Here is Twitter traffic rank in select other markets around the world:

• #11 South Africa
• #14 Australia
• #15 U.K.
• #17 Ireland
• #17 Canada
• #19 Pakistan
• #20 India
• #21 Germany

Four big countries where Twitter sits far down the list of websites in traffic rank are China, France, Russia and Japan. Everywhere else, including Iran (#95) it makes the Top 100 sites in traffic list.