London: Popular social media site Facebook
was the most searched for word on the internet during 2011 for
the third year running, according to a new research.
The social networking website topped the search
charts in the US, accounting for over three per cent of all
searches, which was a 46 per cent rise on the year, 'The Daily
Telegraph' online reported.
Online measurement company, Experian Hitwise, compiled
the data, which also showed that four variations of the term
Facebook were among the top 10 searched for words in the US on
the web during 2011.
Among the top 10 terms, YouTube moved up from the third
spot in 2010 to the second spot in 2011.
Analysis of the search terms revealed that social
networking-related terms dominated the results, accounting for
4.18 percent of the top 50 searches. This was an increase of
12 percent compared with 2010.
Facebook was the most visited website for the second
year and accounted for 10.29 per cent of all US visits between
January and November 2011 -- a 15 per cent increase from 2010.
Google.com ranked second, with 7.70 per cent of visits
which was a 7 per cent annual increase, followed by YouTube
(3.17 per cent).
"Navigational searches dominated the top search results
as users typed in terms versus typing in the URL in the
browser bar," said Simon Bradstock, general manager of
Experian Hitwise.
He added: "Hitwise saw 11 per cent growth of single-
word searches in 2011 as terms like 'face' and 'you' made
the top 50 searches. Other top 2011 searches reflect ongoing
fascination with celebrities online, and many of the top
fast-moving searches centred on natural disasters or notable
personalities passing away."
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 24, 2011, 19:02