Google’s Insights on BitTorrent Clients
Written by Ernesto on August 31, 2008Google is a great tool to compare the popularity of searches in a similar niche. When the number of people searching for something goes up, it is often a sign of increased popularity. We take a look at the search volume for three popular BitTorrent clients, how this changed over time, and how it differs worldwide.
Google insights graphs the search volume for the keywords you choose, and allows you to compare searches over time. We decided to take a look at three frequently used BitTorrent clients: uTorrent, Azureus (now Vuze) and BitComet. Below is a graphical representation of the search volume over time.
The graph clearly shows that Azureus was the most searched for client until the beginning of 2007, followed by BitComet. From then on, uTorrent took over and it continued to grow while BitComet and Azureus searches slowly decreased. Search statistics are of course only an indirect measure of the popularity of a BitTorrent client, but the graphs seem to follow the same pattern as actual usage statistics which we have reported before.
Search volume comparison
Worldwide
Another measure that is worth looking into is the geographical distribution of the searches. It is interesting to see how popular BitComet is in Asia. Currently, it is (based on searches) the preferred client in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong. However, uTorrent is most often searched for in most countries, especially in Moldova. Azureus, on the other hand, is a popular search term in Greece.
uTorrent search volume worldwide
US
If we take a closer look at the US (you can do this for any country), we see that pretty much every BitTorrent client is popular in California. The graph shows that most uTorrent searches (relatively) come from Kentucky and California, Milpitas in particular. Azureus seems to be quite popular in Ohio, specifically in Salt Lake City. BitComet is the least searched for client of the three, but gets most search traffic from New York and California again, Monterey Park on this occasion.
uTorrent search volume in the US
Overall I would say that based on other statistics, the search data is a pretty close match to the actual BitTorrent client preferences. Google’s insights on the regional differences certainly have something to add to what we already know, but keep in mind that they are only search statistics. Most of all, it’s a fun tool to play around with on a Sunday afternoon when there’s not much news to go around.
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46 Responses
and about frostwire, you are advertising for?
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=&q=utorrent%2Cazureus%2Cbitcomet%2Cfrostwire&geo=&date=&clp=&cmpt=q
;)
why is west virginia in the top 2 next to california?
and why isn’t vuze on the list, in combination with azureus?
Yeah I was thinking about that too. Seems like Vuze should be on the list. I’d assume that at some point it would overtake azureus searches.
@3,4
The volume for Vuze seems to be TERRIBLY LOW.
“Azureus seems to be quite popular in Ohio, specifically in Salt Lake City. ”
Do you mean “Utah, specifically Salt Lake City?”
Thats not West Virginia you mook #2, thats Kentucky
@3,4,5 – Adding vuze to the list does not do much…
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=&q=utorrent%2Cazureus%2Cbitcomet%2Cfrostwire%2Cvuze&geo=&date=&clp=&cmpt=q
Salt Lake City, Ohio, does not exist.
You can tell when someone is geographically challenged…
Heh..Salt Lake City is in Utah..about 2,000 miles from Ohio..lmao
These are just either buggiest clients or the ones with the worst documentation. Otherwise, why would you be searching for it?
lol @ #2
Most people say Azureus instead of Vuze. It’s kind of hard to get people to change what they say with something that popular.
I’ll just have to do this, after viewing that worldwide graph.
SWEDEN!!!
:P
Vuze :( got kinda Bloaty lately
Three of the worst bittorrent clients available, well done.
you may also notice that the search volume coincides with the population density of a country. meaning: more people – more searches – darker color.
If those are the three worst clients, what’s the best?
transmission?
@ # 19 thename, not even remotely close. There is absolutely no correlation between population density and the # of searches.
Douchebag!
I’m not surprised Azureus tapered off. After they released 3.0 and abandoned the 2.5 branch at 2.5.0.4, not many people want to upgrade.
rtorrent
Well, there is a correlation between population density and the number of searches. Anyway the number of searches depends on the number of people searching for a particular keyword to look for an article or information. The target marketing always works.
it’s great lakes region of Ohio
Deluge is easily the best client imo!
Oh, and:
SWEDEN RULES!
http://digg.com/software/TorrentFreak_Fails_At_Geography
It would be very interesting to map this data against a democracy index.
This data would of course have to be normalized against population first to do be able to draw any conclusions but my thesis is that the more democratic the population perceive the country to be the higher relative usage of P2P.
@ #2
That’s Kentucky not West Virginia. LOL!
Anybody know where I can get a back copy of azureus? I changed over to vuze and it does not agree with my laptop very much at all, (I can fry an egg on it actually when running vuze).
Another way to read the statistics: Azureus and BitComet became so popular that people don’t need to search for them anymore. They simply remembered the URLs.
I still prefer uTorrent over other two though…
To the people criticising Ernesto for the bad geography: the rest of the world expects Americans to know where their countries are, but I don’t think anyone expects Americans to know about their provinces. How many Americans know where SmÃ¥land is in Sweden? How about Utrecht in the Netherlands? What German federal state is Düsseldorf in? No? :)
So don’t expect the rest of the world to know your states. You should know where countries are, especially Iraq, because your soldiers are brutally occupying it.
LOL, careful now, you do know that one day Google is going to rule the World right?
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
sweden
S ____ U ____ C _____ K _____ S
This is pretty much what you would expect. Before early 2007 whenever I would (re)install an OS on my computers I would do a google search fro “azerus” which google would then correct the spelling and take me to the page. However, when it became apparent that the version in my backups was the most current version that there would ever be, and finding that version was becoming more and more difficult, I stopped searching online and just used the backup.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what Vuze did to defend net neutrality against Comcast, I just wish they hadn’t killed off Azureus.
“I just wish they hadn’t killed off Azureus.”
Do people still believe that? Really?
http://www.azureuswiki.com/index.php/The_Azureus_Experience
@34
It’s still called Azureus for many people.
KTorrent vs. rTorrent… what I use!
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=&q=%2C%2Crtorrent%2Cktorrent&geo=&date=&clp=&cmpt=q
@ 8 Stop spamming your shitty site.
@38
Spam? I don’t see any spam. After all, I merely see a link to Google insights. I don’t think that that person owns Google.
and I sometimes use Vuze (*cough* novuze*cough*) if deluge crashes on me, don’t trust bittorrent inc.
Deluge rocks!
@37, let’s see,
KTorrent: Linux &
rtorrent: Linux
kinda doesn’t help the Windows & Mac users :-\
see?? this is worth reporting!!!!!
I believe the correct search would be
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=&q=utorrent%20-%20torrent%2Cazureus%20%2B%20vuze%2Cbitcomet%2Cfrostwire&geo=&date=&clp=&cmpt=q
Which COMBINES azureus and vuze … and substracts torrent searches that are added to utorrent, if you check the regular search’s (not mine) search terms for utorrent you’ll see one of the top ones IS torrent.
With the search as it is every seacrch for presion break torrent is a “point” for utorrent.
Anyway, with my search the rise of utorrent is delayed and there is a notorious jump in utorrent popularity when Vuze 3.02 launches … you can almost see ppl jumping ship to utorrent.
Regarding the geography, ppl outside the US could care less which state Salt Lake is in … get over it. OR complain when you know the state and province of all cities in the world as important as Salt Lake …
@40 I still use 2.5.0.4 but using a novuze version is perfectly ok and legal … it IS Open Source, and freely modifiable after all.
Holy crap, look at Sweden xD
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