Google+ use declines after roaring start

Google's new social networking service, Google+, saw fewer US visitors last week and users are spending less time on the site, signalling that its momentum may be slowing, according to Experian Hitwise.

Total Google+ visits fell about 3 per cent to 1.79 million in the United States in the week ended July 23 from the prior seven days, said Experian Hitwise, which tracks web traffic. Google+ visits had risen 283 per cent in the week ended July 16.

The average time on the site declined 10 per cent to 5 minutes and 15 seconds.

Google+, an online tool started last month that lets users create and communicate with groups of friends, is the company's latest effort to challenge services such as Facebook and LinkedIn.

Google co-founder Larry Page, who took over as chief executive in April, announced Google+ had more than 10 million users less than three weeks after it started.

"We are seeing over 1 billion items shared and received in a single day," Page said. "So while we still have a lot of work still to do, we are really excited about our progress with Google+."

Experian Hitwise's research methods don't include mobile users and third-party application traffic.

Google+, which aims to help users better organise and manage contacts and sharing, began a test version on June 28 by invitation only.

- BLOOMBERG