Search engine use gains on e-mail as most popular Web activity

Search engine use gains on e-mail as most popular Web activity

 

Accounting for 63% of online activity, search engine use is gaining on e-mail's 77% as the most popular online activity, according to the latest data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. As Google adds more and more services for advertisers, search engine use among consumers has risen sharply in the past year--from 30% to 40% since June 2004. That percentage translates to about 60 million American adults using search engines on a typical day, says Pew. Google continues to be the most heavily used search engine, grabbing 89.8 million unique users, followed by Yahoo! Search, MSN Search, Ask Jeeves, and AOL Search. At 51%, 29-40 year-olds make up the biggest group of search engine users, followed by people aged 18-28 who make up 42% of searchers. Older baby boomers--those ages 51-59--are also heavy users, making up 39% of searchers.