Google Network 80% internet reach; Overture 80% internet reach?!

How do both claim to cover 80% of internet users?

[thepurpledestiny]

Google claims to reach 80% of all internet users, while Overture claims to reach 80% of all internet users. Umm, who's lying?

[content.overture.com...]

[adwords.google.com...]

[sem4u]

I mostly use Google, but sometimes I use Yahoo. This would have me show in both networks.

[Sanenet]

Overture: Nielsen NetRatings, June 2003
Google: Media Metrix, December 2003

Two different sources 6 months apart - I think that this is what is called "Marketing".

Plus, notice they're not saying "exclusive" 80% of the market.

[bird]

"Reach" is defined as the percentage of the internet population visiting a site at least once during a given time period. Clearly an arbitrary number of sites can have 80% reach at the same time.

[hobbnet]

I'm suprised they both aren't claiming a larger reach. I doubt there are many internet users that have never heard of Yahoo or Google. And for that matter, AOL Search, MSN Search, etc etc.

[JayC]

>> I doubt there are many internet users that have never heard of Yahoo or Google.

Probably true, but then "heard of" isn't the same as "reach." A claim that, say, "95% of Internet users have heard of us" isn't as strong a marketing statement as is "80% of Internet users visit our site."

Interestingly, this article [suntimes.com] (also linked to from a different thread in the Google Business forum) reports a finding that 76% of the public have heard of Google. That's of course a different number than that of "internet users" who would have heard of it... the sample group used in those 80% reach numbers.

[hobbnet]

Well, I suppose that depends on how one defines, "reach". On the same token I wouldn't be suprised if over 85% of the internet public has visited the sites I listed one time or another.