Seek and Ye Shall Find
From Internet News, “Who’s Really Winning the Search Race“:
Yet, as it turns out, the big players aren’t the ones seeing the most growth in search. Instead, it’s Craigslist that leads in percent growth according to comScore. The online classifieds site posting a 12 percent jump in queries from 583 million to 651 million from April to May.
Here’s the data, with search queries denominated in millions:
| Entities | Apr-09 | May-09 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sites | 13,041 | 13,035 | 0% |
| Yahoo Sites | 3,161 | 3,021 | -4% |
| Microsoft Sites | 1,250 | 1,194 | -4% |
| AOL LLC | 795 | 721 | -9% |
| Ask Network | 705 | 691 | -2% |
| craigslist | 583 | 651 | 12% |
| MySpace Sites | 658 | 636 | -3% |
| eBay | 654 | 634 | -3% |
| Amazon Sites | 188 | 185 | -2% |
| 176 | 184 | 5% |
June 19th, 2009 at 12:06 am
What about the newly launched Bing search engine from Microsoft? I guess it has some growth points there.
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Craigslist would really overtake everyone, I think, If you made the search bar more modular where you could drop it into any web page.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
The key ingredient is that most of Craigslists ads are free, while you have to pay for YSM or Google Adwords or MSNs version.
People love to advertise for free and this is probably driving the growth.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
How about some more global search options? I have been looking to buy a recreational vehicle and would/could travel all of California to do it, but presently I must search in each county/zone. I realize sometimes extra results nearby are given but that is not always through. How about a search expansion page by state where you could run statewide searches?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
That’s pretty interesting. I love craigslist because it’s free to post so I use it a lot. I agree with Keith though about being able to do a global search. Or at least a search where you could search the entire state or region without having to do each search individually.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
ha ha ha
go ahead craiglist, you can add more percentage and defeat msn …
ups….
July 4th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Nice stats. Interesting competition. Who will win?
July 5th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Hi there,
On May 15, 2008 I had my personal ad on Craig’s List answered by a young lady and we met two weeks later. It has now been a little over a year later and I proposed to her on Fathers’ Day of this year, June 21ST, and she said yes. We will be getting married sometime in the spring of 2010.
All of you guys and girls, keep on looking. There is somebody out there that’ll be just right for you.
July 5th, 2009 at 10:05 am
the rather drab, conventional format of craigslist does the darn trick…i go to google to find interesting facts, CL provides a lil more. it has become the 2009 pennysaver, and I founf my car, my apt, cell phone, last lay, and some charcter flaws throught the website. who would’ve known
July 13th, 2009 at 6:36 am
Hi,
Interesting to se that Craiglist had the highest growth.
Blackstallion! Congratulations - nice to hear your happy story. I wish you both all luck in the future.
Take Care!
Mona
July 13th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I build web applications for a living and when my customers casually ask me about selling stuff on eBay, I tell them about all the good luck I’ve had with Craigslist and how I can put a something up for sale on CL and have a buyer at my door in less than 30 minutes. Quicker than ordering a pizza.
July 14th, 2009 at 10:42 am
ha ha ha, go ahead craiglist, you can add more percentage and defeat msn …
July 14th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Kevin Says:
July 4th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Nice stats. Interesting competition. Who will win?
The answer there is quite clear to me, Craigslist to me is about positive people wanting to do a good thing and succeed at it.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I am business man on music for a living and when my customers casually ask me about contracting singers, I tell them about all the good luck I’ve had with Craigslist and how I can put some contracts in less than 60 minutes. Quicker than ordering anything
July 15th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
It is amzing to me that I get new inquires every month from CL. I can’t say that for Yellow Pages so I dropped them.
July 15th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I just LOVE Craigslist! I’ve bought, sold, and recycled quicker than I can write this note. I’ve sold and bought furniture, cars, and office equipment. Never a negative experience. Love it, love it, love it!
July 16th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Well, I think this is great. Businesses I know are struggling but to see reports like this is great. Craigslist is a great service for people and will always have growth in its industry. Keep up the good work Craigslist.!!!
July 19th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I think I’m going to focus on Craigslist more for selling my art. Thanks for this great info! Jay
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
It’s the community that drives growth. Always has been, always is, always will.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Just wish I could get my own site to grow a little. Hard being a web designer these days…
July 30th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Another great title … “Seek and Ye Shall Find”. It’s true!!! Another way … Energy Goes Where Attention Flows! :O)
August 4th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Good job Craigslist!
August 10th, 2009 at 12:48 am
This shows that what is more in tune with the design of the natural world -where everything is freely provided without a price tag attached- propsers. Way to go Craig!
The value of the millions beng reached and helped in various ways far outweighs anything to be derived from strictly monetary calculations and gains. With money markets collapsing and money useages coming more and more into disrepute, its good to know we can atill ‘get along’ without so much of it in a few hands. Hip, Hip Hooray for Craigslist!
August 14th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I find “for sale” frustrating – say I want a HP toner cartridge – there should be a way to search nation-wide and sorted by price or by closest first, like eBay. Today since I am in southern Chester County, PA, I have to bring up Lancaster, PA then Phila, PA then Delaware then MD, eastern shore and so on seems a wacky way to search. I do still find many good deals on Craig’s list.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Despite some bad PR which is always good PR, Craigslist does provide the service. Gotta run, have to post an ad on this growing site. Keep spreading the word…
August 20th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Keep It Simple Stupid….always the best way to go if you ask me….growth is really all about ease of use.
September 13th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Posted ad: Sunday 9/13/09 @ 12:12pm
Rec’d call: Sunday 9/13/09 @ 12:40pm
SOLD - cash in hand: 9/13/09 @ 1:45pm…..AWESOME
Craftsman 38″ rider mower 5-speed 14 hp briggs @ stratton $235.00
* mower had issues……SOLD $200.00
September 26th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Oh… and the best part is. Its totally FREE!!
September 28th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
I always thought cragslist was the best for classifieds.
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
You have to give it to Craigslist, it is the best local advertising on the planet. I use their terrific service and have been pleased each time. I couldn’t resist posting this comment, I hope it doesn’t kill my PR.
October 15th, 2009 at 6:44 am
From the tiniest of seed….grows the mightiest of trees. My ads have been really succesful. CL has done what idiotic local papers have failed miserably at doing - created a GREAT online Classifieds.
Best yet - CL has yet to conform with “standards” set by society on how things should be done. They continually produce a weatlh of creativity and marketing opportunites for us average joes out here…..and we should ALL be greatful for this….
Keep up the tremendous work….and as always - it’s the LITTLE guy that matters here - this is why CL has gotten so big….WE know it!
October 22nd, 2009 at 9:34 pm
I’m not surprised one bit.
CL is very helpful…It’s amazing what good deals you can find and who you can connect with.