Unlikely contender

The top-ranking and fastest-growing internet properties in the UK for September were Google Sites and Fish4 Sites, respectively, according to the comScore World Metrix audience measurement service, writes sister site MarketingCharts.

Google was the most-visited property in September, with 28.6 million unique visitors age 15 or older, reaching 89 percent of the total UK internet audience.

It was followed by Microsoft Sites, which attracted 26.9 million unique visitors, an 83 percent reach, comScore said.

Wikipedia, the growth of which leveled off over the summer, was the fastest-growing property in the top 10 in September, increasing 15 percent to attract its highest-ever UK audience of 13.3 million unique visitors.

Wikipedia showed a similar increase a year ago, when it grew 18 percent to 8.2 million unique visitors between August and September 2006, reflecting students' return to their studies, according to comScore.

Students' return to school also gave a boost to Amazon Sites, which grew 3 percent over the previous month to attract 13.6 million unique visitors in September - reaching 42 percent of the total UK internet audience.

Fastest-Growing Properties

Fish4 Sites was the fastest-growing property in the UK in September, increasing 34 percent to 2.9 million unique visitors.

This growth can be attributed to the property's career resources site, Fish4jobs, traffic to which nearly doubled in September, making it the most-visited UK career site in Sept.

Two multichannel retailers appear in the fastest growing list:

• Popular high-street entertainment retail chain HMV's traffic increased 25 percent to 3.4 million unique visitors.
• Traffic to the sites of Arcadia Group, the company responsible for leading high street stores such as Topshop.co.uk and Burton.co.uk, increased 17 percent to 2.7 million unique visitors.