Newspaper publishers attracted 20 percent more total visits by adults 18 and older to their websites in September, compared to the same month one year ago, according to the Newspaper Association of America.
The analysis, performed by comScore Inc. for the association, also indicates strong performance in other key engagement categories.
In a year-over-year comparison for newspaper websites, average daily visits were up 21 percent; total pages viewed were up 10 percent; total minutes spent were up 11 percent; and unique visitors were up 9 percent.
An increase in newspaper web traffic isn’t surprising, said Steve Key, HSPA executive director and general counsel.
“As people try to navigate a digital universe where searches for information may be skewed by search optimization metrics, it’s natural that they seek out a reliable, trusted source for what they need – newspapers,” he said.
This is the first time the Newspaper Association of America has been able to provide an annual comparison since it began tracking Web audiences in September 2010.
“This strong audience growth coincided with the introduction of pay walls at many newspaper companies,” said Caroline Little, NAA president and CEO. “Clearly, consumers place high value upon the content that newspapers create – and they are seeking out newspaper websites to get it.
The findings also indicate that in the third quarter newspaper websites attracted an average monthly audience of 110.4 million unique visitors 18 and older, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of all adult Internet users.
As publishers continue to invest in their websites, they are also reaching key audiences, including:
• Three in four adults (74 percent) in households earning more than $100,000.
• 58 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds.
• 62 percent of Internet users with children at home.
