Latest news with #SimilarWeb
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Threads Could Soon Pass X In Daily Active Users
Threads, Meta's X competitor that looked to capitalize on user discontent with billionaire Elon Musk's acquisition and rebranding of Twitter, is inching closer to potentially overtaking X in daily active users on mobile devices, according to data shared with Forbes by SimilarWeb. X still leads Threads in daily active users, though Threads is catching up. (Photo by Matt ...) Getty Images Threads' number of daily active users has steadily risen over the past year as daily active users for X in the United States have slightly declined, according to SimilarWeb data. As of July 15, Threads has about 16 million daily active users on iOS and Android devices, about double the amount of daily active users it had at this point last year. X still leads Threads, with about 23.1 million daily active users in the United States on mobile devices as of July 15, according to SimilarWeb, though its lead has shrunk dramatically over time. At this point last year, X had about 21 million more daily active users on mobile devices in the United States than Threads. On just iOS devices, the gap is much closer: X has about 15.3 million daily active users as of July 15, whereas Threads has 13.1 million daily active users. X maintains a significant lead over Threads for web visitors in the United States, with X maintaining about 33 million daily web visits as of July 15, compared with Threads' 1 million daily web visits. Threads' mobile traffic may benefit from its close ties to Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram, as the mobile versions of both platforms offer buttons for users to click to open the Threads app. It's unclear. David Carr, insights news and research editor at Similarweb, told Forbes there is 'strong evidence' Threads is catching up to X, particularly on mobile devices, but he is 'not sure Threads will surpass X.' X's superior web traffic suggests some users still visit X to check trending topics, even if they are not regular users of the mobile app, Carr said. Key Background Mark Zuckerberg's Meta began rolling out Threads in most countries in July 2023, also launching in European Union nations later that year. The launch came months after Musk purchased Twitter in October 2022, which sparked backlash and an exodus of some users to competitor platforms after Musk rebranded the network to 'X' and made significant changes to its verification process, content moderation policies and other features. X's usage continued to slip after the 2024 presidential election, after which President Donald Trump regained office and enlisted Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, though it's unclear how much of X's declining userbase is a result of Musk's political activities. Other competitors, like Bluesky, have also gained traction as an alternative to X, though daily active usage of Bluesky lags far behind Meta and Threads among U.S. mobile device users with about 1 million daily users, according to SimilarWeb data. Musk is the wealthiest person in the world according to Forbes estimates, with a net worth of $413 billion as of Friday afternoon, largely thanks to his stakes in his companies Tesla and SpaceX. Zuckerberg, who owns about 13% of Meta's stock, is the third-wealthiest person, with a net worth of $242.8 billion according to Forbes estimates. Further Reading Elon Musk's X Sees Popularity Slide After Election — While Threads, Bluesky Make Gains (Forbes)
New York Post
04-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Google hit with antitrust complaint in EU over AI summaries harming web traffic to news sites: report
Google's controversial AI-generated summaries — which have been blamed for crushing the traffic of US news sites — have drawn an antitrust complaint in the European Union from a group of independent publishers. The complaint, dated June 30 and submitted by the Independent Publishers Alliance, accuses Google of abusing its dominant position in online search by promoting its own AI-generated summaries over links to original content. The filing by the Independent Publishers Alliance, seen by Reuters, requests that the European Commission impose interim measures to prevent what it describes as 'irreparable harm' to publishers. 3 Google's artificial intelligence tools are being blamed for harming publishers' businesses. Koshiro K – 'Google's core search engine service is misusing web content for Google's AI Overviews in Google Search, which have caused, and continue to cause, significant harm to publishers, including news publishers in the form of traffic, readership and revenue loss,' the complaint alleges. The court action comes as damning data revealed that the AI Overviews have resulted in 37 of the top 50 US news domains suffering year-over-year traffic declines since its launch in May 2024, according to digital intelligence firm SimilarWeb. A report by SimilarWeb also found that the AI summaries have led to a significant increase in the frequency of 'zero clicks' to search queries. The percentage of web searches related to news that end without a click to a news site jumped to 69% in May 2025 from 56% for the same month last year, SimilarWeb found. A spokesperson for the Competition and Markets Authority, the EU's antitrust agency, confirmed to The Post that it received the complaint. 'Last week, we proposed to designate Google with strategic market status in search and search advertising. If designated, this would allow us to introduce targeted measured to address specific aspects of how Google operates search services in the UK,' the rep said. AI Overviews are summaries generated using Google's artificial intelligence models and are displayed at the top of general search results. The feature is available in more than 100 countries. Google began incorporating advertisements into AI Overviews this past May. The publishers allege that Google's practice of displaying its own summaries above hyperlinks disadvantages original content and is made worse by the lack of control publishers have over how their material is used. 3 A group of independent publishers in the European Union filed an antitrust complaint against Google over its AI Overviews technology. dts News Agency Germany/Shutterstock 'Publishers using Google Search do not have the option to opt out from their material being ingested for Google's AI large language model training and/or from being crawled for summaries, without losing their ability to appear in Google's general search results page,' the complaint alleges. The Movement for an Open Web, whose members include digital advertisers and publishers, and British nonprofit Foxglove Legal Community Interest Company are also signatories to the complaint. The three organizations are seeking regulatory intervention to address what they say is an urgent threat to competition and access to news. Foxglove co-executive director Rosa Curling said the consequences of AI Overviews for news publishers are severe. 'Independent news faces an existential threat: Google's AI Overviews,' Foxglove co-executive director Rosa Curling said. 'That's why with this complaint, Foxglove and our partners are urging the European Commission, along with other regulators around the world, to take a stand and allow independent journalism to opt out.' A Google spokesperson defended the AI Overviews feature and disputed the characterization of its impact on publishers. 3 The complaint submitted by the Independent Publishers Alliance accuses Google of abusing its dominant position in online search by promoting its own AI-generated summaries over links to original content. Google 'New AI experiences in Search enable people to ask even more questions, which creates new opportunities for content and businesses to be discovered,' the spokesperson told Reuters. Google added that the company sends billions of clicks to websites each day and that traffic fluctuations can be influenced by many factors. 'The reality is that sites can gain and lose traffic for a variety of reasons, including seasonal demand, interests of users, and regular algorithmic updates to Search,' the spokesperson said. The claims in the EU complaint echo a similar argument made in a lawsuit filed in the United States by an education technology company, which alleges that Google's AI Overviews are eroding demand for original content and damaging the competitive ability of publishers, resulting in declines in both traffic and subscriptions. Google has faced several antitrust investigations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean in recent years. The tech giant is appealing a $4.7 billion fine imposed by the European Commission for allegedly abusing its dominance with the Android operating system. Last month, an advisor to the EU's top court recommended the fine be upheld. The European Commission is also continuing investigations into Google's conduct in digital advertising and search, with potential for further regulatory action. In the United States, a federal judge ruled in August 2024 that Google violated antitrust law by maintaining monopolies in general search and search advertising, citing exclusive deals such as those with Apple. A verdict after a trial on the remedy phase — which could include breaking up Google — is expected next month. In a separate ruling in April 2025, another judge found Google had illegally monopolized online advertising markets by controlling both the buy and sell sides of the ad exchange. With Post Wires
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Google AI summaries increase frequency of ‘zero clicks' to search results, sinking traffic to news sites: report
Google's AI Overviews feature has led to a significant increase in the frequency of 'zero clicks' to search queries — drastically reducing traffic to news websites, according to a new report. Since the Big Tech giant rolled out its artificial intelligence tool in May 2024, the percentage of web searches related to news that end without a click to a news site jumped to 69% in May 2025 from 56% for the same month last year, according to the latest figures from digital intelligence firm SimilarWeb. The decrease in 'click-through rates' has resulted in overall organic traffic to news sites — which typically comes through Google's dominant search engine — sinking to under 1.7 billion visits in May 2025 from a peak of more than 2.3 billion in mid-2024, the SimilarWeb data shows. Advertisement 4 Google's AI Overviews feature is significantly reducing traffic to news websites thanks to the increase in the frequency of its 'no click-throughs' on search results, according to a report. Koshiro K – The numbers were first reported by TechCrunch. Earlier this week, SimilarWeb published data showing that 37 of the top 50 news domains suffered year-over-year traffic declines following the launch of AI Overviews. Advertisement When contacted about the latest SimilarWeb data, a Google spokesperson referred The Post to comments it provided about the plummeting web traffic of news sites. 'We've seen many inaccurate claims about traffic from Search, often based on speculative or incomplete information, questionable methodology, or data that predates AI Overviews,' the rep had said. The spokesperson added that 'new AI experiences in Search enable people to ask even more questions, which creates new opportunities for businesses and content to be discovered.' 4 OpenAI's ChatGPT has boosted referral traffic to news sites, but not enough to compensate for the loss caused by Google's AI Overviews. AP Advertisement Google faces the prospect of being broken up after a judge labeled the company a 'monopolist' in ruling that it violated federal antitrust laws to build a dominant hold over the online search market. A verdict on the remedy is expected next month. The surge in 'zero clicks' highlights how users are increasingly consuming news directly through AI-generated summaries, bypassing traditional publishers entirely. Landing high on Google's search page results and using traditional SEO strategies are no longer delivering the same value for news publishers, the SimilarWeb report said. Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Advertisement 'Solutions to the news publishers' crisis are few and far between,' the report said. Even the rise of OpenAI's ChatGPT, which is becoming a more popular source of news content, has not compensated for the steep drop in traffic from Google, according to the SimilarWeb data. From January through May 2024, ChatGPT referrals to news sites stood at just under 1 million. That number jumped to more than 25 million in 2025. The report — titled 'AI is rapidly changing how people consume news' — also noted disparities in how different news outlets are faring under the new AI-driven referral ecosystem. Reuters has seen an 8.9% year-over-year increase in ChatGPT referral traffic, followed by the New York Post at 7.1% and Business Insider at 6.5%. Last year, The Post's parent company, News Corp, and OpenAI struck a landmark five-year, $250 million deal giving the Sam Altman-led startup access to current and archived content from the media giant's publications — including The Post, the Wall Street Journal, The Sun and The Times (UK). Topics like stocks, finance and sports account for the majority of ChatGPT's news-related prompts, the Similarweb report found. However, interest in subjects like politics, the economy and weather is also growing. Advertisement The Similarweb report suggested this trend may indicate a user shift from seeking 'reactive information' toward deeper, 'issue-driven engagement' via AI tools. 4 SimilarWeb found that 37 of the top 50 news domains, including CNN, suffered year-over-year traffic declines following the launch of AI Overviews last May. Getty Images According to SimilarWeb, usage of the ChatGPT app has more than doubled in the past six months. In response to pressure from the publishing sector, Google recently introduced a tool called Offerwall for publishers using Google Ad Manager. Advertisement The service allows publishers to test monetization options beyond traditional ad-driven models, such as offering micropayments or prompting users to subscribe to newsletters to access content. Google said Offerwall screens can also be customized by publishers. 4 Last year, News Corp, The Post's parent company, struck a landmark content-sharing deal with ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Christopher Sadowski Many outlets have begun experimenting with different forms of monetization, including more aggressive paywalls. Advertisement Still, the media industry has been hard-hit by layoffs. In a recent interview with The New York Times' 'Hard Fork' podcast, Altman acknowledged the growing economic pressure brought on by AI's rapid adoption. 'I do think there will be areas where some jobs go away, or maybe there will be some whole categories of jobs that go away,' Altman said. Advertisement 'And any job that goes away, even if it's good for society and the economy as a whole, is very painful — extremely painful — in that moment … there is going to be real pain here in many cases.' The Post has sought comment from OpenAI.
New York Post
01-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Top news sites suffer drastic drop in web traffic since Google added AI search — with some plunging 40%
Visits to major US news websites have plummeted since Google rolled out its artificial intelligence search feature last year – with some plunging 40%, according to troubling new data. Of the top 50 news domains, 37 suffered year-over-year traffic declines after the launch of Google's AI Overviews last May, according to SimilarWeb. The drastic dropoff comes despite headline-grabbing events that included the assassination attempt on Donald Trump last summer, his stunning election victory over Kamala Harris a few months later and the turmoil over the new president's tariff policies. 'The data absolutely shows the new AI products Google has announced are affecting news publishers' traffic,' Danielle Coffey, President and CEO of News/Media Alliance, told The Post on Tuesday. 3 Google's generative artificial intelligence functions continue to have a devastating impact on publishers, according to the latest data. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images 'On top of all the SEO changes that have decreased traffic recently in traditional search, this is certain to negatively impact our ability to invest in quality journalism,' added Coffey, whose nonprofit trade association represents more than 2,200 news organizations. Forbes and HuffPost were the hardest hit, each losing 40% of their traffic, while plunged 32% and fell 28%, according to SimilarWeb. The Post and sister publication Wall Street Journal suffered declines of 27% and 17%, respectively, the data showed. Fox fell 24%. Fox News parent Fox Corp. and The Post parent News Corp share common ownership. ComScore, which uses a different methodology from SimilarWeb to track traffic, found that NYPost Network — which includes and affiliated properties such as Decider and Page Six — drew 433 million page views in June 2024 before falling to 381 million for May 2025, a loss of 12%. 3 suffered one of the steepest drops, with traffic down 28% year-over-year to 311.7 million visits, according to Similarweb. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Meanwhile, — part of News Corp-owned Dow Jones — and Fox both posted slight increases over the same time frame, one of the few publications to gain traffic, according to ComScore. Left-leaning rivals the New York Times and The Washington Post dipped 0.7% and 6%, respectively, ComScore found. Publication that saw the biggest gains, according to SimilarWeb, included (+415%), (+96%) and (+77%). A Google spokesperson denied that AI push was to blame for the cratering traffic. 3 Google's AI model, Gemini is powering tools such as AI Mode, which negate the need for users to visit external sites. Gado via Getty Images 'More than any other company, Google prioritizes sending traffic to the web, and we continue to send billions of clicks to websites every day,' the rep told The Post on Tuesday. 'We've seen many inaccurate claims about traffic from Search, often based on speculative or incomplete information, questionable methodology, or data that predates AI Overviews. New AI experiences in Search enable people to ask even more questions, which creates new opportunities for businesses and content to be discovered.' The company added that there are known limitations to SimilarWeb's dataset since it only looks at desktop and mobile web, not app activity. Google's AI Overviews — automated summaries powered by its Gemini model — appear at the top of results pages and directly answer user queries, often preempting the need for users to go to the source of the information. Since the rollout of AI Overviews, many publishers have reported steep declines in both traffic and click-through rates (CTR). According to multiple studies, the average CTR for the top organic result on queries that trigger AI Overviews plummeted from 7.3% in March 2024 to just 2.6% by March 2025. Google also recently rolled out AI Mode — an advanced search experience that delivers detailed, conversational answers to complex queries. Despite previously stating that AI Overviews would not appear for 'hard news topics' due to concerns over freshness and factuality, an AIO box appeared atop search results for 'anne burrell death' shortly after the story broke. A recent Google document now states that AI Overviews will appear when they add value and the system has high confidence in the response, though efforts are being made to exclude sensitive or dangerous topics. The company claimed that overall visits to the web and traffic from organic search have increased year-over-year in aggregate, and that AI Overviews are designed to enhance the user experience by surfacing more links from a broader range of sources. Google added that publishers can experience traffic fluctuations for many reasons unrelated to AI — including seasonal demand, shifting user preferences and regular algorithm updates.
Time Business News
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Business News
Discover Konachan – The Ultimate Anime Wallpaper Booru
Konachan anime wallpaper portal – Discover anime art with ease. If you're an anime fan in search of stunning wallpaper gems, Konachan stands out as a premier imageboard for free, high-quality anime and manga wallpapers. This platform has carved its place in the top ranks for searches like 'konachan,' 'nsfw wallpaper,' 'wallpaper booru,' and even niche keywords like 'Konachan chs.' (and its NSFW sibling is an anime-focused booru-style imageboard offering unlimited and unrestricted downloads of fan‑made and official wallpapers. It caters to a global audience looking for everything from clean art to more adult content. Konachan's popularity reflects in its global ranking—around #28 720—generating roughly 432000 daily pageviews and about 72000 unique visits each day . Konachan consistently ranks near the top for keywords like 'wallpaper booru' and 'nsfw wallpaper,' receiving high organic search traffic—around 29% of its clicks come from organic search, with 'konachan' itself fetching 2 700 monthly searches . For those searching 'konachan chs,' it's likely referring to a Chinese‑server subdomain, catering to Chinese‑language audiences and ranking at about 1 300 monthly search volume According to SimilarWeb data as of May 2025, attracts around 217,000 visits monthly, with visitors viewing an average of 8 pages per session and staying nearly 1.5 minutes. The audience is predominantly male (≈74%) and aged 18–24, with the top traffic sources being: 56% Direct visits 29% Organic search Remainder from video platforms like YouTube and Facebook Most traffic comes from China (~48%) and the U.S. (~9%), with considerable interest from Canada, Indonesia, and India. So, how does Konachan measure up against the bigger boorus? Site Monthly Visits Content Focus ~1.7M High‑quality anime wallpapers ~11.5M Largest hentai & anime collection ~14.6M Tag‑rich anime database Data unavailable Fan‑curated anime images ~3.1M Mixed anime/hentai uploads While larger in volume and tagging than Konachan, these sites aren't necessarily better for wallpapers specifically—Konachan remains a top choice due to its wallpaper‑centric collections, easy browsing, and frequent high‑res uploads. High‑Resolution Downloads : Users routinely report finding crisp wallpapers ideal for desktops and posters : Users routinely report finding crisp wallpapers ideal for desktops and posters Clean vs NSFW Channels : is safe‑for‑work; houses adult content. Both feature robust tagging for filterable browsing : is safe‑for‑work; houses adult content. Both feature robust tagging for filterable browsing Simplified Tagging and Search : With consistent tags (character names, series titles, themes, resolutions), it's effortless to locate specific wallpapers. : With consistent tags (character names, series titles, themes, resolutions), it's effortless to locate specific wallpapers. Frequent New Uploads: Artists regularly add fresh content, keeping the wallpaper stream updated. Konachan's tagging system enhances both user experience and SEO. Using descriptive keywords in titles, file names, alt text, and tags with search‑friendly labels (e.g., 'anime wallpaper 1920×1080,' character names, show titles) helps pages rank in image searches. Plus, reverse image tools like IQDB include Konachan in their crawl list alongside Danbooru and Gelbooru—boosting backlink traffic and discoverability Top‑ranked boorus use these strategies: Strong keyword focus: Target high‑volume terms like 'konachan,' 'nsfw wallpaper,' 'anime wallpaper booru' at Alt/text Metadata: Include keywords in alt tags and filenames. User Engagement: Encourage comments, favorites, and tags to increase dwell time and SEO signals. Backlinks & Referrals: Appear in engine aggregators and reverse‑image search indexes. Homepage feed : Glance at trending images; hover shows resolution. : Glance at trending images; hover shows resolution. Search bar : Type keywords like 'NSFW wallpaper,' 'Konachan chs,' or show titles. : Type keywords like 'NSFW wallpaper,' 'Konachan chs,' or show titles. Filter options : Sort by resolution (e.g., 4K, 1080p), safe/nsfw, and other tags. : Sort by resolution (e.g., 4K, 1080p), safe/nsfw, and other tags. Download : Full‑size image available via direct link—no login required. : Full‑size image available via direct link—no login required. Mobile users: Mobile‑optimized layout with lazy loading makes browsing lightweight. = Safe‑for‑work (SFW) only. = only. = includes adult NSFW wallpapers. Users can easily switch between the two, based on their browsing preference. A Chinese mirror, often accessed via 'Konachan chs,' also hosts content in Chinese and caters to that audience. Absolutely—Konachan ranks high due to its specialization in wallpapers, clean interface, and diverse content. For anime lovers seeking both mainstream and charm‑oriented wallpaper, it's a go‑to booru due to its: Focused keyword structure ('nsfw wallpaper,' 'wallpaper booru'). Regular uploads and user engagement. SEO‑friendly metadata, driving consistent organic traffic. Strong tagging system enabling precise image discovery. Konachan – ~21,000 searches/month – ~21,000 searches/month Konachan chs – ~1,300 searches/month – ~1,300 searches/month NSFW wallpaper – ~1,100 searches/month – ~1,100 searches/month Wallpaper booru – ~756 searches/month – ~756 searches/month Other related niche tags: character pairings (e.g., 'amatsuki jun x takashiro hiroko') with ~421 searches, similarweb. For fans of anime, cosplay, or high‑quality digital art, Konachan offers a streamlined, SEO‑optimized, and richly curated wallpaper archive. Its smart use of keywords, tagging, content filtering, and image‑friendly structure explains why it ranks highly for searches like 'konachan,' 'nsfw wallpaper,' and 'wallpaper booru.' Whether you're browsing the safe site, the NSFW version, or a Chinese mirror ('Konachan chs'), this portal remains a cornerstone of anime wallpaper discovery. By weaving in keyword phrases like 'nsfw wallpaper,' 'wallpaper booru,' and 'Konachan chs' alongside stats and SEO insights, this article is not only informative but primed for search visibility. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
