Google+ a virtual ghost town, new research shows
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To hear Google chief executive Larry Page tell it, Google+ has become a robust competitor in the social networking space, with 90 million users registering since its June launch.
But those numbers mask what is really going on at Google+. It turns out the social network is a virtual ghost town compared with the site of rival Facebook, which is preparing for a massive initial public offering. New data from research firm comScore reveal that Google+ users are signing up -- but not doing much there.
Visitors using personal computers spent an average of about three minutes a month on Google+ between last September and January, versus six to seven hours on Facebook each month over the same period, according to comScore, which did not have data on mobile usage.
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Behind the lack of engagement are Google's difficulties in differentiating Google+ from Facebook.
When Google+ launched last year, the internet search giant positioned it as a Facebook competitor where people can share comments, articles, photos and videos with specific groups of friends and contacts.
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While Google+ has some original features -- including "Hangouts," which lets people start a video conference with up to 10 people -- analysts and some consumers say the distinction is not enough to lure Facebook members away and persuade them to build a network of contacts from scratch on Google+.
"Nobody wants another social network right now," Brian Solis, an analyst at social-media advisory firm Altimeter Group said. For those who already use Facebook, "Google hasn't communicated what the value of Google+ is," he said.
Google executives downplay the direct comparison to Facebook, which has 845 million monthly active users. They have repeatedly said they are making a long-term bet on the initiative, and the company has yet to build up some of the weapons that made Facebook successful, including encouraging app development.
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Read more on social networking and Google+ at The Wall Street Journal.