Google enjoys high popularity with Singaporean Internet users

comScore, Inc., a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence, on Friday presented its first overview of Web usage in Singapore. The report includes a ranking of the most engaging and visited Internet site categories and properties, based on the comScore World Metrix service, and the top search properties, based on the comScore qSearch service. 

Thus In February 2009, more than 2.5 million people in Singapore, aged 15 and over, got the Internet access from home and work locations, visiting 1,785 pages content on average and connecting the Internet approximately 21 hours per person. Singaporeans spent 14% of their online time at the Entertainment category, which includes popular Web brands, such as YouTube and MediaCorp, while social networking visits make 8%. 24% of total minutes belong to Instant Messaging usage, making it the leading online activity, while Web-based email make up just 6%.

Google Sites ranked as the most visited Internet property in Singapore (2 million visitors in February 2009), capturing almost 80% of the online population. It was followed by Microsoft Sites that had 1.9 million visitors (77% reach ), while Yahoo! Sites ranked third with 1.8 million visitors (70% reach).

The fourth place among properties is taken by Facebook.com, social networking site, which reached more than 1 million visitors; and the sixth is occupied by Friendster.com, which recorded 838,000 visitors.

The comScore study found in February 221 million searches were conducted in Singapore, a 43% growth compared to the previous year. Google Sites are the leaders of the search market with 146 million searches conducted (66% search market share), Yahoo! occupies the second position 39 million searches (or 17%), it followed by Baidu.com Inc. that has 8 million searches (4%). 

These figures, as Will Hodgman, comScore executive vice president said, reveals that Singapore is one of the most advanced digital markets in the Asia-Pacific region that represents a growing opportunity for digital marketers