The average American spent 36 hours on the internet in January, the highest since market research firm comScore began tracking the figure.

A report from market research firm comScore found that the average American spent 36 hours on the internet in January, the most since the company first began tracking the figure. This should be good news for internet marketers generating custom content to appeal to audiences that are increasingly online.

With millions of Americans connected to the internet for most of their waking hours, 36 total hours in one month may not seem like much. However, there are millions of Americans who do not use the internet at all, which means those actively using the web now do so frequently enough to bring the total average per American up to a record 36 hours.

More than anything, the growth of the web demonstrates the significance of marketing to prospects on the internet. Social media and search marketing enable businesses to appeal to users on their own terms. Through organic search listings and social media engagement, businesses will get their content, products and services in front of customers without aggressive sales pitches.

As part of the report, comScore also found that Google sites are still the leading web properties. Moreover, seasonal websites, such as tax and travel pages, saw a lift last month. While none launched into the top 50 web properties, comScore noted that their growth is expected. More Americans are using the web to prepare their taxes and arrange travel plans, further accounting for the increased average internet use and demonstrating new media marketing opportunities for businesses in these verticals.

Using seasonal topics can help businesses infuse their content marketing campaigns with a greater element of timeliness. Brafton recently highlighted the Super Bowl and the Grammys as events businesses have used to improve the appeal of their content to prospects.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.