LinkedIn tops MySpace to become second-largest US social-networking site

SAN FRANCISCO: LinkedIn, a website focused on job seekers and recruiters, surpassed MySpace to become the No. 2 social-networking service in the US last month, boosted by its initial public offering in May.

The company had 33.9 million visitors in June, up 63% from a year earlier, while Myspace had 33.5 million, down 50%, according to a Reston, Virginia-based ComScore report. Facebook remained the largest social- networking site with 160.9 million US visitors, up 14%.

LinkedIn’s IPO raised its profile with investors and helped build publicity around the Mountain View, California-based company. It has posted two straight months of gains, according to ComScore.

To keep expanding its user base, LinkedIn is adding features such as a personalized news feed and a visual map that explores how users are connected. Shares of LinkedIn rose $5.62, or 6%, to $99.60 on Saturday on the New York Stock Exchange, setting a new high. The May 18 IPO priced the shares at $45.

Twitter was No. 4 in the US, with 30.6 million users. That was up 14% from the previous month and a 31% increase from a year earlier, ComScore said. Last month, News Corporation agreed to sell MySpace to Specific Media for $35 million, a fraction of the $580 million News Corporation paid six years ago.