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Facebook Overtakes Google Search

Published 2009-01-06 02:59

Direct access to bebepool.com has always been the #1 traffic source, and from 2007 through 2008 the #2 source has always been google (organic search), with facebook 12 percentage points behind. But since December 2008 facebook has overtaken google for the #2 slot (ahead of google by 2 points as of this writing).

What does this mean? Well, we have to start with what I gather are the three predominant scenarios that result in a visit to bebepool.com:

  1. "Google" – Expectant parents (or friends/family/coworkers operating on their behalf) use a search engine to find a website to run a baby pool.
  2. "Posted Link" – Users running a bebepool place a link to it on their blog / social network / website for readers to click.
  3. "Email" – Expectant parents email their contacts with a link to their bebepool, and in some cases a number of those recipients in turn email certain of their contacts.

The "Google" scenario is an individual-based pull action. You want something, a search engine help you sniff it out and reel it in.

"Email" is a push method as in the top layer bebepool users invite participants (who become the second layer users).

Now when it comes to "Posted Link" I lumped together blogs, social networks and websites. These technologies are integrating more each day and in some ways converging.