USNews.com Audience Reaches Record High in August 2010

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News Media Group, one of the nation's leading sources of service journalism and news, today announced record-breaking web traffic for the month of August 2010.

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The U.S. News audience, which is made up of www.usnews.com and www.rankingsandreviews.com, topped over 10 million unique users in August, a 31% increase over August 2009.  In addition, page views per visit were up 20% from August 2009, signifying increased user engagement. The site has consistently been growing audience by 20 to 30 percent a month, as measured by Omniture.

The increase in both traffic and engagement is largely attributed to the publisher's digital transformation strategy, site upgrades and successful launch of the 2011 Best Colleges rankings package.  The U.S. News college rankings, which also reached record high traffic in August, has grown to be the most influential and authoritative research tool for students and parents considering higher education opportunities.

"We are gratified by this strong growth and engagement in our web audience," said Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News. "It is a significant milestone and recognition of the successful digital evolution we began more than five years ago.  It shows that we are able to deliver enormous value to consumers and advertisers alike."

U.S. News has stressed the expansion of content on digital platforms built around its core franchises, which include Washington-based news analysis, as well as its data products built around its popular rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, mutual funds, and cars, among others.

About the U.S. News Media Group. The U.S. News Media Group is a multi-platform publisher of news analysis, research and rankings which includes the monthly U.S. News & World Report magazine, the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, and the company's websites, www.usnews.com and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Money, Education, Politics & Policy, Autos and Travel, the U.S. News Media Group has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. The U.S. News Media Group's signature franchises include its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its "Best" series of consumer guides that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, health plans, and more.

SOURCE U.S. News Media Group