Google is tops for work time searches

Google.com has become the top ranking search engine with work users, replacing Askjeeves.co.uk, the favourite site for home users.

The findings are from Jupiter MMXI's new monthly report on how the British use the internet at home and work.

Categories experiencing the biggest growth at work are business-to-business sites, news and information, and directories and resources sites.

In December the use of news and information sites increased by about 15 minutes per month for work and home combined. Search and navigation sites averaged a 12 minute per month increase.

The bbc.co.uk site increased its lead in the news and information sector from 17.8 per cent at home, to 24 per cent for work and home combined.

All news sites experienced growth as work users searched for news updates throughout the day, with Guardian.co.uk, CNN.com, Ananova.com, The-Times.co.uk and Telegraph.co.uk seeing the biggest growth in the number of unique visitors.

People are also logging onto personal banking and finance accounts at work, according to Jupiter. Lloydstsb.com, Egg.com, Barclays.co.uk, Nationwide.co.uk and HSBC.co.uk are proving the most popular.

In the travel category Easyjet.com, Lastminute.com, Expedia.co.uk and Ryanair.co.uk all attracted more visitors. Go-fly.com moved from fourth to second place behind category leader, Lastminute.com.

The research is based on a panel of 8,300 individuals who have PC tracking software installed to provide click stream data each month to Jupiter.