Google Tops of Top 50

For whatever kind of internet list, which company do you think is the odds-on favorite to be at the top of it? If you bet on Google, you’d bet wisely. Google sits at the top of Comscore’s Top 50 Internet properties list, reaching 141.5 million US Internet users out of 189 million counted. But that’s not the interesting part. . .

The interesting part is that, in terms of online advertising reach, Google isn’t top dog, no matter how much Microsoft (and certain AstroTurf organizations) want regulators to think so. A lot of hoopla was made about Google’s arrangement to serve search ads across Yahoo’s network, and about its acquisition of DoubleClick. Microsoft cried so loud about Google’s cornering of the online advertising market that they twice asked antitrust regulators to step in and break it up.

But on Comscore’s list of top advertising properties, ranked by total reach, Google’s Ad Network is third place, reaching 81 percent of US Internet users, and Google.com itself is in ninth, reaching 70 percent. At the top of that list is Platform-A, which reaches 90 percent of the online audience, and then Yahoo Network, ads from which are seen by 85 percent.

Google Ad Network is nearly tied with Specific Media, also reaching 81 percent. Google.com’s 70 percent is edged out by Yahoo’s 73 percent, and by YuMe Video Network’s 72 percent.

YuMe, as mentioned in the footnotes, has an ongoing business relationship with Microsoft. In short, this list shows Google playing second fiddle to a slew of online advertising companies, a Microsoft partner included. True, If Google combined its entire network share with Yahoo, they’d probably reach a hundred percent, and even then, in that completely unlikely scenario, there’d be a host of competition out there.

Add MSN-Windows Live’s 55 percent to YuMe’s and you’ve got a similar scenario of 100 percent reach and then some. Swallowing up Yahoo, as Microsoft once teased about, would be one powerful combination nearing, but not quite equaling the hypothetical Google/Yahoo pairing.

Here’s your top ten ad properties:

1.    Platform-A: 90%
2.    Yahoo Network: 85%
3.    Google Ad Network: 81%
4.    Specific Media: 81%
5.    ValueClick Network: 78%
6.    Tribal Fusion: 75%
7.    Yahoo!: 73%
8.    YuMe Video Network-Media Partners 72%
9.    Google: 72%
10.    adconion media group/Casale Media Network (tie) 69%

Other names on the list you’ll recognize: 24/7 Real Media (16th,  65%), AOL Media Network (17th, 59%), AdBrite (25th, 43%), MySpace (28th, 40%), YouTube (31st, 39%), NNN Total US Newspapers (32nd, 37%), Ask (34th, 31%), MSN.com homepage (35th, 30%), eBay.com (36th, 30%), IAC Ad Solutions (37th, 29%), Amazon.com (40th, 26%), MapQuest (41st, 25%), Facebook, 49th, 21%).

The Top 50 properties in terms of unique visitors are:

1. Google sites
2. Yahoo sites
3. Microsoft sites
4. AOL
5. Fox Interactive Media
6. EBay
7. Ask
8. Amazon
9. Wikipedia
10. CBS (thanks to CNet acquisition)
11. Apple Inc.
12. New York Times Digital
13. Turner Network
14. Glam Media
15. Viacom Digital
16. Facebook.com
17. Craigslist
18. The Weather Channel
19. Time Warner (non-AOL)
20. Wal-Mart
21. Comcast Corp.
22. Disney Online
23. Adobe sites
24. AT&T, Inc.
25. Target Corp.
26. Verizon Communications
27. Gorilla Nation
28. Superpages.com Network
29. Yellowpages.com Network
30. United Online, Inc.
31. Expedia Inc
32. Photobucket.com
33. Bank of America
34. CareerBuilder
35. Real.com Network
36. Demand Media
37. Shopzilla.com sites
38. WordPress
39. Monster Worldwide
40. Gannett Sites
41. WhitePages
42. The Mozilla Organization
43. ESPN
44. Weatherbug Property
45. Travelport
46. Experian Interactive
47. Cox Enterprises, Inc.
48. iVillage.com
49. Hearst Corporation
50. WebMD Health