Google+ Membership Skyrockets

Traffic up 1,269% after membership opened up
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 28, 2011 6:16 AM CDT
Google+ Membership Skyrockets
Traffic to Google Plus has exploded, according to Internet metrics companies.   (Google)

Google+ ditched its invite-only policy last week and was rewarded with a massive surge in traffic—a 1,269% rise, according to Experian Hitwise. The Internet metrics company believes that on the day after the policy changed, Google overtook Twitter to become the third-most popular social media site in the US, behind only Facebook and YouTube, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Google+ now has more than 50 million members, according to one analyst's estimate.

Google's social network is seeing its audience base shift away from 18- to 24-year-olds toward one more representative of the general population, according to Hitwise, which notes that the network's popularity is soaring among middle-income users, singles, and Hispanics. Some analysts believe Google+ is capable of catching up with Facebook's 800 million users—helped along by concerns about privacy issues at Facebook and the site's soon-to-be-implemented redesign. (Read more Google Plus stories.)

We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy.
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X