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YouTube Will Soon Pass Facebook As Second Biggest Website In US (cnbc.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the internet-shake-up dept.

According to a new study from market research firm SimilarWeb, Facebook may cede its runner-up position to YouTube in the next two to three months. Currently, the top five most-visited websites in the U.S. are Google, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo and Amazon, in that order. However, Facebook's monthly page visits are declining rapidly, from 8.5 billion to 4.7 billion in the last two years, which could shake up that order. CNBC reports: YouTube, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet, has seen increased traffic, the study said. The app has also experienced in increase in viewership. Yahoo is also poised to lose its position in the ranking. Amazon has already surpassed Yahoo during big spending months, including December 2017 and July 2018, when the e-commerce giant held its annual Prime Day. The study projects that Amazon will take over Yahoo's ranking in the next two to three months. However, none of the bottom four of the top five comes close to Google. Although it has seen some decline in website traffic thanks to app use and voice search, it saw approximately 15 billion visits in July 2018, the study said. The others were all below 5 billion, according to the report.

65 comments

  1. Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    A large amount of Facebook's traffic these days is mobile, going through their app, not their wesbite

    1. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by mmmVenison · · Score: 1

      Of the people that I know that still use Facebook at all, at least 90% of them admit to just using the Messenger App. The ones that still go to the webpage tell me they just go to creep other peoples pictures and never post anything themselves.

      --
      Offended? Find a safe space and cry yourself to sleep.
    2. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by sanf780 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      YouTube has also a mobile application and a Smart TV application (in whichever variant it is) that people use too. The push to mobile might not be as strong as what Facebook does. I have seen people even use YouTube app as a music streaming application recently. I wonder if the main reason why Facebook is dropping to third position is due to people not being engaged into Facebook as in years past.

    3. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by BlueStrat · · Score: 1

      Of the people that I know that still use Facebook at all, at least 90% of them admit to just using the Messenger App. The ones that still go to the webpage tell me they just go to creep other peoples pictures and never post anything themselves.

      Well, FB,YouTube, Apple, MS, LinkedIn, etc etc may not be the giants they are now for very much longer.

      The Alex Jones de-platforming brouhaha has frightened a lot of content creators. Many are fleeing to alternate platforms, or at least mirroring their content on them as insurance, because they realize that it only takes a shift in the politically-correct winds and suddenly *they* can be de-platformed and de-monetized as well. Of course, many of their fans have and will follow them to these alternate distribution channels. The alternate platforms have experienced a massive surge in users just in the short time since the AJ kerfluffle hit.

      Google, Apple, et al have a perfect right to kick anyone off for any reason they like. It's theirs, after all. The internet will simply treat their censorship as damage and route around them.

      "They can't stop the signal, Mal."

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    4. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uhh... Isn't that normal protocol though?

      You make content that tells people to harass or outright kill a certain religion...

    5. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by BlueStrat · · Score: 1

      You make content that tells people to harass or outright kill a certain religion.

      That's illegal. If Jones had done that law enforcement would have arrested him.

      Of course, if you're a Democratic Party politician like Maxine Waters, you can tell your constituents to harass political opponents at their work, homes, and anywhere in public and that's fine.

      Some animals are more equal than others.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    6. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by dfghjk · · Score: 1

      You talk like this is new. It's not.

      Can't wait to see Alex Jones show "Google, Apple, et all" who's boss.

    7. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shut the fuck up, faggot

    8. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your hypothesis as to why Facebook isn't as popular as it once was is because it's not as popular as it once was? Genius

    9. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Call me a luddite, but that's one APP I won't APP APP APP.

    10. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aww, did he hit a nerve there, Cuckles? Maybe you can get Maxy to kiss your booboo all better! LMAO!!

    11. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by duke_cheetah2003 · · Score: 2

      The Alex Jones de-platforming brouhaha has frightened a lot of content creators. Many are fleeing to alternate platforms, or at least mirroring their content on them as insurance, because they realize that it only takes a shift in the politically-correct winds and suddenly *they* can be de-platformed and de-monetized as well.

      I see this as a good thing. People need to get away from these 'platforms' and start learning how to create their own websites, not controlled by anyone other than themselves.

      Google, Apple, et al have a perfect right to kick anyone off for any reason they like. It's theirs, after all. The internet will simply treat their censorship as damage and route around them.

      That's all fine and good, but you have to remember, this censorship isn't so easy to 'route around', because so many have no idea how to publish content to the internet without someone like Facebook or YouTube standing there and holding their hand. Also, it's refreshing to see someone write that Google, Facebook, etcetc are perfectly within their right to kick anyone off their services, with or without a reason. People have become deluded into thinking 'free speech' somehow gives them rights over these sites, but fail to realize, websites and companies have the same free speech rights, and that includes the freedom to not speak.

    12. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1, Insightful

      The Alex Jones de-platforming brouhaha has frightened a lot of content creators.

      The tiny group of particular "content creators" you're talking about should be scared. It was only because of the brief rise of the "alt-right" that they felt they could show their faces in society. There was a time when they had to meet in secret in basements and pass grubby pamphlets around in subway stations. If we're going to exist as a civil society, that time needs to return.

      We saw the rise of fascist and white supremacist groups before in our history, and it took a great deal of suffering and cost to put them down Hopefully this time it can be caught early. Look at how well it worked with Milo. Remember him? What was the last time you heard anything from that piece of garbage?

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    13. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      Can't wait to see Alex Jones show "Google, Apple, et all" who's boss.

      That would be something to see. But he's going to have to sell a lot of bogus supplements and snake oil to compete with Apple, who is now a trillion dollar corporation.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    14. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hilariously enough, the "alternative platforms" are so congested with bots that it's difficult to even find legit human users. I know my bots on Voat and Gab are some of the most popular "personas" on both platforms, and they literally just attract a crowd susceptible to fake news to generate revenue for me. I know several other folks who have very powerful bots on those platforms as well.

      How does it feel to know that over 75% of the content on your "alternative platforms" is literally made up to make you click and generate ad revenue or mine crypto on your computer? The real irony is how much of that revenue goes to fund far left organizations. The predictable stupidity of the right is the best money making scheme probably in American history.

    15. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure buddy. . .sure.

    16. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm even less likely to install Faceboot's data rape malware app than to visit their barely-useable website. Only dolts and the elderly still use Faceboot.

    17. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm fairly liberal, but if you believe even a tenth of the shit on infowars you are a retard and shouldn't be allowed into the grown-up conversations.

    18. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not american and I rarely use fb but I watch crazy amount of videos on youtube.I use default search in firefox which is google.

    19. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by BlueStrat · · Score: 1

      I'm fairly liberal, but if you believe even a tenth of the shit on infowars you are a retard and shouldn't be allowed into the grown-up conversations.

      I largely agree AJ is a loon, but the best way to combat this sort of kookiness is to let it be heard and seen so it can be taken apart and mocked. Laughter is the most potent weapon against extremist loons. Taking it seriously only gives it weight in the minds of those without strong critical thinking skills.

      Trying to silence such loons only feeds into their paranoid fantasies and vindicates their rants to their audiences, as they must be right if TPTB are trying to silence their voices.

      Remember the 'Streisand Effect'?

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    20. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I remember an article[*] about how Russian media doesn't try to hide US media/propaganda/"news". They show it and have a laugh.

      [*] a couple/few years ago before Skripals etc.

    21. Re:Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A friend uses Youtube on the phone's web browser. I wonder if "apps" in general will decline. People use "apps" but they're forced to if they want to use Uber, Whatsapp etc.
      In the longer term, maybe they'd do as on desktop, use the browser for everything.

    22. Re: Facebook is a declining WEBSITE rising APP by BlueStrat · · Score: 1

      Shut the fuck up, faggot

      I don't typically reply to AC trolls, but this is just too good to pass up! :D

      Now, in thoughtful & considered reply to Mr. AC's oh-so-eloquent and intriguing post;

      Let's see...Hmmm...An oh-so-tolerant liberal-progressive Democrat and/or Maxine Waters supporter would never use such a bigoted slur against a protected class. That would make you a two-faced, lying, hypocritical dirt-bag without any ethical principles whatsoever, wouldn't it? Only another member of the same protected class may be allowed to use such an identity-based slur.

      So by process of elimination, you're either a faggot or a bigot.

      Care to clear up the big mystery and provide a clue as to which one you are? The suspense here is enormous, I assure you.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
  2. They buried the lede... by cervesaebraciator · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yahoo still exists?

    1. Re:They buried the lede... by Virtex · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yahoo still exists. When you visit one of their pages, it makes about 10 million GET requests from their server to pump up their page view count, assuming they count every GET request as a page view (this is corporate America - OF COURSE they count every request as a page view).

      --
      For every post, there is an equal and opposite re-post.
    2. Re:They buried the lede... by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      When you visit one of their pages, it makes about 10 million GET requests

      That's the modern style of web front-end programming. Get used to it: if you can't do it (as a front-end programmer), you probably won't be able to find a job.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    3. Re:They buried the lede... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's the modern style of web front-end programming.

      Writing shitty code? Yeah, that's about my estimation of the web these days.

      Get used to it: if you can't do it (as a front-end programmer), you probably won't be able to find a job.

      And if you can, you deserve to be shot.

      Shit like this is why I will keep blocking scripts and other crap in web pages, especially third party stuff.

    4. Re:They buried the lede... by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      Technology never dies, it just stops getting updated.

      Yahoo Finance is still the gold standard for financial information. And they have a few other good features that are still popular. Then you have all these devices from companies that Hate Google and Hate Microsoft so their default search engine is Yahoo!. And a bunch of Spyware^H^H^H^H^H^H^H "value add additions" to software installs likes to put in the Yahoo! plugin.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    5. Re:They buried the lede... by KiloByte · · Score: 1

      That's the modern style of web front-end programming.

      Yeah, that's why my CV includes the line:
      Proud to not have touched any Javascript madness in a decade, or its frameworks -- ever.

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    6. Re: They buried the lede... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice. Reverse resume - a list of things you have not done, and will not do for money.

    7. Re:They buried the lede... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yahoo still exists?

      Even weirder, numbers six and seven are Myspace and Geocities.

      Now if you'll excuse me, I have to sign off AOL because my Mom needs to use the phone.

    8. Re: They buried the lede... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not going to suck cocks - unless you pay me much more.

    9. Re:They buried the lede... by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      lol. What kind of companies does that attract?

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    10. Re:They buried the lede... by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      It's horrific, I admit. I just have no idea what to do about it.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    11. Re:They buried the lede... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It might be shit but at least I can read an article on yahoo with javascript disabled.

  3. Soon to be overtaken by slashdot by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

    I'm sure slashdot will overtake them all within a few years. Followed by TheOnion.

    1. Re:Soon to be overtaken by slashdot by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

      In the end, Netcraft always wins.

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    2. Re:Soon to be overtaken by slashdot by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      Sorry, Slashdot golden days are long gone. I am not saying it is dying. But it isn't the force it was during the late 1990's and early 2000's.

      Did Slashdot do anything wrong? No not really, just during the 1990's - early 2000's it was one of a smaller player. And the sites that are more general focused, found a way to really optimize their sub-communites to really compete well against a specialty site such as Slashdot.

      Also the Slashdot community to avoid any minor changes to the UI, Makes Slashdot seem out of date for any new people.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  4. leaves several billion in 6th.. place? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what a race? cease fire stand down,, there are mothers & children all around everywhere.. thanks again..

  5. What does views mean? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

    What does views mean:

    Is this every time the page is viewed- or every time a request is made to one of their servers? If I don't go to facebook (I don't have an account), but websites I click on send back data of my movement around the web to feed my shadow profile, is that counting a visit to facebook?

    If so, it is no surprise that the top sites are mainly advertising websites. If I go to a forum and someone has embedded a you tube video, but I don't watch it, is that counted as a view?

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    1. Re:What does views mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I don't go to facebook (I don't have an account), but websites I click on send back data of my movement around the web to feed my shadow profile, is that counting a visit to facebook?

      No, your own browser does .. those sites just embed links to Facebook, and your browser makes the request.

      Me, I use things like HTTP Switchboard, and outright block things like Facebook and the ad companies ... my browser doesn't make the request, so they don't get to track me. Then on every other site I visit, they're also blocked.

      The average user is likely not going to do this, but if you're on Slashdot and not taking steps to block this shit, it's your own damned fault, because there are very good tools to prevent it.

      In my estimation the average page I visit has at least 12 external parasites embedded in it. And since those parasites add nothing of value to me, I'm quite happy to block them out of existence as far as my browser is concerned.

      People would be utterly shocked after a few weeks of using something like HTTP Switchboard and ruthlessly blocking the crap just how much better the web is to use.

    2. Re:What does views mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who is to say that you didn’t download that umpteenth style sheet so that you could view it directly and reflect on how central YouTube is to life on Earth?

  6. Re:biggest website by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    that is the best site for tech news.

  7. Break up Google Monopoly and Sell Youtube!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Quick, cue in the commies.

  8. Facebook deserves to be passed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They are, after all, a giant turd.

    Not that Google and YouTube are much better.

  9. Do Search Engines Really Count? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would argue that search engines don't really count. People don't go to search engine landing pages to see the landing pages. They go there for the express purpose of finding somewhere else to go.

    1. Re:Do Search Engines Really Count? by The+Original+CDR · · Score: 2

      Never mind that YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google.

    2. Re:Do Search Engines Really Count? by Cajun+Hell · · Score: 1

      People don't go to search engine landing pages to see the landing pages. They go there for the express purpose of finding somewhere else to go.

      So, you're saying they go there?

      I would argue that search engines don't really count.

      Ah, I see. The people who are presenting these numbers should retitle it not as the biggest or most well-trafficked websites, but rather, they meant to release a report on which are the biggest websites within certain criteria, and obviously they meant to exclude certain types of applications from those criteria. They didn't really mean to measure searching, for example. The inclusion of Google's traffic in the totals was an error on their part.

      What else did they not mean to measure, which might incorrectly be in their figures?

      I think if we define our criteria wisely, we can make our top 5 list contain whatever websites we want. Who is to say Youtube or Facebook or Amazon would even still be in the top 100?

      --
      "Believe me!" -- Donald Trump
  10. Re:biggest website by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Get the family freindly Goat C shirt! ~ CaptainDork

  11. Where are the app numbers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anyone know where the app numbers are? What the parent poster is saying seems quite believable, but unless we have evidence that a large amount of Facebook's traffic is mobile and going through the app, then we don't really know; we're just wildly guessing.

    On the other hand, if the claim is actually supported, then we could just take those app numbers and add it to the web numbers, and have a good total for Facebook's overall traffic. And then Facebook might be higher or lower in the rankings.

    So, where did you find the mobile app numbers? Please link. It's not in the article.

    This is tough because I have read many people on the Internet say they use Facebook's app. OTOH nobody I see in real meatspace ever uses it. I simply don't have a clue as to whether it's actually popular (and the people I know just happen to be anomalies) or not (a marketing campaign, where maybe it's Facebook themselves, who is promoting "the app is popular!" because they want more people to use it since it's harder to ad-filter an app than a web browser). We need actual data!

    1. Re:Where are the app numbers? by terrycarlino · · Score: 1

      I can't speak for other people and I know its not data, but here is how I use the Facebook app.

      I have notifications turned on and when certain people post on Facebook I get a notification.

      "Oh, I see from the notification that my daughter has posted another picture of her dog." Swipe left. The notification is closed.

      At no time does the Facebook feed get visited. At no time do I see any ads.

      "Oh I see from the notification that my friend has posted her basketball schedule." Click to view. Post comes up in app. I check out the schedule and close the Facebook app. At no time do I see the Facebook feed. At no time do I see any ads.

      If this is how other people are using the app, then I don't see that Facebook is getting much out of it. I'm certainly not seeing random feed entries and I'm certainly not seeing any ads. I haven't visited Facebook in a browser in literally years. I only ever post birthday greetings and I do that through a birthday reminder app that doesn't require I actually visit Facebook.

    2. Re:Where are the app numbers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does swipe left mean swipe to the left or swap from the left? I'm asking because I have no idea which it is lol.

  12. Easy Answer. by Zorro · · Score: 2

    Youtube has useful applications. Facebook just exploits the dumb.

  13. Noise by xonen · · Score: 3, Informative

    Facebook has become noise. And they did it themselves.

    They send e-mails so frequently that it resulted in me ignoring them all. Any page is filled up with ads. Real interesting things rarely get posted.

    I check fb maybe once every 2 weeks. I might actually browse it a bit when i'm bored, but last time i did that was months ago.

    The only good usage of fb these days is to get in contact with companies. Companies that choose to ignore e-mails and phone calls (or just promise yes and do no) - for whatever reason it works better if the request or issue is made public on fb. It's a modern name-and-shame game.

    Apart that, the initial goal of 'get in touch with your friends' seem to be less the case and less fb's mission. Well, i use messenger if someone else wishes so. Personally i prefer e-mail over any messenger.

    --
    A glitch a day keeps the bugs away.
    1. Re:Noise by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 2

      Same here, except I also deleted -- undid -- all my facebook posts, likes, and comments I ever made. Did it with a Chrome extension that uses your Activity Log to automatically undo all. I did download a copy of all my fb activity first.

      It's a clean slate now, and it feels like freedom. I visit every now and then to check posts from a couple of people who consistently post useful stuff but that's about it. And I still have my contacts.

      Btw watching that plugin do its thing at 16x speed was fascinating, realizing how much time I had making that content. I'll be sending the plugin author some coffee money.

  14. That's nothing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    _My_ website's Alexa Rank is 5,108,556.

  15. Assessing the company's future by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    My wife wants us to buy stock in Facebook because the stock is relatively cheap right now compared to its past. I told her there is too much of a chance it will turn into the next MySpace and dwindle, leaving stockholders holding the bag. Social media users have proven fickle. But if I turn out wrong down the road, she'll keep reminding me; it's a wife's God-given "job".

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
    1. Re:Assessing the company's future by The+Original+CDR · · Score: 1

      Especially since Facebook is running out of non-users to convert into users. Once user growth starts declining, Wall Street wll bail out in a hurry. Facebook stock dropped 20% two weeks ago because it missed the quarterly numbers by $100M and a shadow fell across future growth. Now everyone is recommending buy on the rebound. If I was interested in Facebook, I would have bought two weeks ago.

  16. Why is Yahoo #4? by iampiti · · Score: 1

    The real question is why is Yahoo #4?
    Who uses it anymore and for what?
    I admit I do visit Yahoo but just their Webmail since I have an account I've been using for many years.

    1. Re:Why is Yahoo #4? by acoustix · · Score: 1

      The real question is why is Yahoo #4?

      Answer: Default Settings

      --
      "A plan fiendishly clever in its intricacies"- Homer Simpson
    2. Re:Why is Yahoo #4? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There aren't that many free webmail offers. Most smaller ones, you pay for.
      When I still read it, I was distracted by the "news" on front page and read them. They're not even an especially bad news site, they're like a regular one plus celebrity gossip and some random crap. That's because real newspaper and other old media suck, though.
      I don't go there anymore because I'm locked out of the old webmail since the Oath buyout.

  17. Asia by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    they're still pretty big there. Especially Japan.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  18. Not much longer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As they start restricting speech more and more, competition will come and eat their lunch. ( its called free market )

  19. Re: Yahoo still exists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Even more noteworthy, Verizon is a top 3 internet company. Buy Verizon stock while it's still cheap.