Ranking of Internet
| Rank | Sector | Est. Monthly Searches (Global) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agriculture / AgriTech | ~200–400 million |
| 2 | Mining / Natural Resources | ~300–500 million |
| 3 | Non-Profit / NGO / Charity | ~500–800 million |
| 4 | Legal Services | ~800 million–1.2 billion |
| 5 | Architecture / Construction | ~1–1.5 billion |
| 6 | Insurance | ~1.5–2 billion |
| 7 | Logistics / Shipping / Supply Chain | ~1.5–2.5 billion |
| 8 | Automotive (parts, reviews, sales) | ~2–3 billion |
| 9 | Government / Public Services | ~2–3 billion |
| 10 | Pets / Animals | ~2–3 billion |
| 11 | Religion / Spirituality | ~2–3 billion |
| 12 | Human Resources / Recruitment | ~2.5–3.5 billion |
| 13 | Telecommunications | ~3–4 billion |
| 14 | Home & Garden / DIY | ~3–5 billion |
| 15 | Real Estate / Property | ~4–6 billion |
| 16 | Parenting / Family | ~4–6 billion |
| 17 | Weather | ~5–7 billion |
| 18 | Dating / Relationships | ~5–7 billion |
| 19 | Software / SaaS / B2B Tech | ~5–8 billion |
| 20 | Beauty / Cosmetics | ~6–8 billion |
| 21 | Food & Drink / Recipes | ~6–9 billion |
| 22 | Fitness / Wellness | ~6–9 billion |
| 23 | Music | ~7–10 billion |
| 24 | Sports | ~8–12 billion |
| 25 | Science / Environment | ~5–8 billion |
| 26 | Banking / Personal Finance / FinTech | ~8–12 billion |
| 27 | Education / E-Learning | ~10–15 billion |
| 28 | Fashion / Apparel | ~10–15 billion |
| 29 | Travel / Tourism / Hospitality | ~12–18 billion |
| 30 | News / Media / Journalism | ~15–22 billion |
| 31 | Gambling / Betting / Casino | ~15–20 billion |
| 32 | Cryptocurrency / Blockchain / Web3 | ~8–15 billion |
| 33 | Health / Medical / Pharma | ~18–25 billion |
| 34 | E-Commerce / Online Shopping | ~25–40 billion |
| 35 | Technology / Electronics / Reviews | ~25–40 billion |
| 36 | Gaming (Video Games) | ~30–45 billion |
| 37 | Social Media | ~50–80 billion |
| 38 | Streaming / Video / Entertainment | ~60–90 billion |
| 39 | Adult Content | ~80–120 billion |
| 40 | General Search / Reference | ~100+ billion |
The Winner: Adult Content
If we exclude "General Search/Reference" (which is more of a meta-category—people using search engines to access other sectors), adult content generates the highest volume of monthly searches and traffic globally. Sites like Pornhub alone report billions of visits per month, and the sector collectively dwarfs most other individual content verticals.
Streaming / Video / Entertainment comes in a close second
YouTube alone accounts for over 80 billion monthly visits; combined with Netflix, Disney+, TikTok web, Twitch, and others, this is arguably competing with adult content for the top spot.
🚀 My Pick for Future Growth Potential
Artificial Intelligence / AI Tools & Services
(Currently embedded within "Software/SaaS/B2B Tech" and "General Search" but rapidly emerging as its own sector)
Why I would choose this sector:
- Explosive trajectory: Search interest for "AI," "ChatGPT," "AI tools," "AI image generator," and related terms went from relatively niche (~500M–1B monthly searches in 2022) to an estimated 5–10+ billion and climbing fast in 2024–2025.
- Paradigm shift in how the internet is used: AI is becoming the new interface layer for the internet. Just as "search engines" became a meta-sector, AI is poised to become the next one.
- Every other sector feeds into it: Health AI, legal AI, finance AI, education AI, creative AI—every vertical listed above is adopting AI, which multiplies search demand.
- Compounding growth: As AI tools improve, more people discover them, creating a flywheel effect. We're still in the early adoption phase (comparable to where e-commerce was around 2005–2008).
- Monetization potential is enormous: Unlike adult content (which faces advertising restrictions) or social media (which is saturated), AI tools have clear B2B and B2C revenue models with high willingness to pay.
- Demographics favor it: Younger generations are adopting AI tools as default workflows, ensuring sustained growth for decades.
Projected trajectory:
- • 2025: ~10–15 billion monthly searches
- • 2027: ~25–40 billion monthly searches
- • 2030: Potentially 50–100+ billion, rivaling or surpassing current top sectors
In summary: Adult content and streaming currently dominate in raw volume, but AI as a sector has the steepest growth curve and the most transformative potential of any internet sector in history. If I were investing time, money, or content creation energy into one sector for the next decade, it would be AI without hesitation.