Search companies top list of most valuable web properties

Market research firm comScore released its list of the most valuable web properties for August, and search companies Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, respectively, topped the list. This might remind marketers that search channels are still vital to reaching online audiences even as the industry conversation becomes increasingly socially oriented.

The value of search properties has grown consistently in recent years, as both consumers and enterprises turn to the sites to research everything from new purchases to potential business relationships.

The popularity of these portals has altered marketing plans for all websites as well. Content marketing initiatives centered around well developed articles with a heavy focus on SEO have enabled businesses to leverage the visibility of search and identify and convert new prospects.

Beyond search, social media websites ranked within the comScore’s top 50 as well. Facebook, which recently announced it surpassed 800 million users, finished fourth on the list. Meanwhile, Twitter, which recently announced its milestone of reaching 100 million users, finished 33rd.

Aside from Facebook and Twitter, both LinkedIn and Myspace ended the month within the top 50 at 31st and 35th, respectively.

In terms of mobile traffic, search and social media are also among the most popular application categories. Brafton recently reported that Google mobile search, Facebook and Twitter are among the most popular applications for Android users.