Facebook beats Google for news traffic

Facebook is already the most popular social network and a top website for online marketing, but new figures show it is also playing an important role in news distribution.

According to data from Hitwise, it is now sending more traffic to news and media websites than Google News, jumping into fourth place in a list of the web's biggest distributors of news content.

Last month, Facebook was responsible for 3.52 per cent of visits to news websites, compared to 1.39 per cent for Google News. Only Google search, Yahoo! and MSN managed to beat it.

Commenting on the findings, Hitwise analyst Heather Hopkins said: "Facebook could be a major disruptor to the news and media category."

It is also sending a great deal of traffic to other websites, such as online shopping portals, with six per cent of visitors coming from the social network, and entertainment sites, where Facebook accounts for 15 per cent of page views.

The data may be welcomed by those seeking media jobs in the social networking sphere, as it suggests that the medium is having increasing influence in a number of sectors, which could create some new employment opportunities going forward.

Meanwhile, Facebook has launched a new layout that promises to improve navigation and help users discover new features.

Posted by Gemma Roskell

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