New global audience statistics from comScore shows that Microsoft Crop. (NASDAQ:MSFT) still has an edge in total unique visitors to its web sites each month based on September 2006 figures. But that may not last long.

Worldwide, the Web had 726.7 million visitors in the age group over 15. Microsoft sites had 505.5 million unique visitors, followed by Yahoo!, Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) Sites at 480.6 million and Google, Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Sites at 457.5 million. But, new Google acquisition YouTube had 81 million visitors, a jump of 12% from the previous month. Google may be in the lead when October worldwide numbers hit.

It is somewhat stunning how far other major companies lag. The Time Warner, Inc. (NYSE:TWX) Network had 217.8 million visitors in September, less than half of what the leaders boast. New Corp.'s (NYSE:NWS,NWS.A) Fox, which includes MySpace, sits at 117.8 million visitors.

The new numbers do point out one important thing, especially for Microsoft and Yahoo!. While Google dominates many things on the internet, it does not dominate everything.

If MSN and Yahoo! could build features that allow them to be more competitive than Google, or if they could do an M&A transaction to get a set of properties like Barry Diller's IAC/Interactive Corp.'s (NASDAQ:IACI) Ask.com Network, they could stay in the race. Ask had 112.8 million unique visitors worldwide in September.

Douglas McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

Forgive my ego all you blog readers, but yesterday's article on China should have raised some alarms and it did not. It just shows how complacent we Americans are. Blog readers were more interested in Google/MSFT & Sirius Radio.

Maybe it is old news.

Maybe it was Monday.

Maybe we have just accepted the loss.

Perhaps if I wrote that Google or Microsoft were buying GE or Nike that would have been more intriguing.

Only two comments...that is complacent!

Second chance: "Will China One Day Buy GE or Nike?"