Online Dating

Say what you want about Google (and believe me, I have), but I can think of no one better to gather the biggest stories of the past 12 months and determine exactly what defined the year 2012.

And they did. It's called Zeitgeist, and it's an annual tradition that analyzes over one trillion search queries in almost 150 languages to showcase what the world searched for. Using data from multiple sources, including Google Trends and other internal data tools, Google has turned the year's searches into a report that reflects 2012.

The report is divided into two sections: Trending and Most Searched. The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest amount of traffic over a sustained period in 2012 as compared to 2011. The "most searched" queries are the most popular terms for 2012, ranked in order of the queries with the largest volume of searches.

Here's what Zeitgeist has to say about the most searched dating services of 2012:

1. PlentyOfFish: POF - the site formerly known as PlentyOfFish - is one of the most popular free dating services on the Web. Since its launch in 2003, POF has appeared in music videos, launched mobile apps, and conducted a contest with Lady Gaga. For a review of this service see our Plenty of Fish page.
2. Match: Match.com may be the most famous dating site in the world. Match has helped millions of singles look for love in 24 countries and redefined the way modern singles meet. Most recently, the company announced Stir, local events by Match.com. For a review of this service see our Match.com page.
3. OkCupid: OkCupid is famous for its lighthearted and affordable approach to online dating. The site is free to use, and features fun quizzes and multiple-choice questions designed to bring out users' personalities and encourage community interaction. For a review of this service see our OkCupid page.
4. eHarmony: eHarmony is where it's at for singles looking for long-term relationships. Its famous matching questionnaire, developed by eHarmony Labs, takes a scientific approach to love that promises to find a deeper level of compatibility. For a review of this service see our eHarmony page.
5. DateHookup: Online daters really like free stuff. DateHookup is another no-cost service for singles that made it into the Zeitgeist top 10. This year it hit the big times after being bought by Match.com and OKCupid owner, IAC/InterActiveCorp. For a review of this service see our DateHookup.com page.
6. Zoosk: Zoosk distinguishes itself from traditional dating sites by putting the focus on its social networking capabilities. It's currently available in 25 languages and more than 70 countries, and shows no signs of stopping in 2013. For a review of this service see our Zoosk page.
7. ChristianMingle: "Find God's Match For You," says ChristianMingle, a faith-based site created to bring Christian singles together for friendship, dating, and marriage. With over 8 million members, the largest and fastest growing online Christian community. For a review of this service see our ChristianMingle.com page.
8. AdultFriendFinder: AdultFriendFinder is an online sex and swinger personals site that helps members meet new friends and sex partners. What started as a small niche site quickly grew in popularity - it even debuted the music video for Flo Rida's "Touch Me."
9. JDate: JDate is one of a number of demographically focused online match-making websites operated by Spark Networks. JDate offers both free and premium plans to Jewish singles looking to date within their faith. For a review of this service see our JDate page.
10. SinglesNet: SinglesNet offers singles a feature-rich environment with free online dating tools like online chat, personals, and dating forums. IAC added the site to its ever-expanding dating services roster back in 2010. For a review of this service see our Singlesnet.com page.

So what do you think...did the Zeitgeist report accurately capture the spirit of online dating in 2012?

Meetic announced on December 21st, 2012 that they had acquired Massive Media. Massive Media owns Twoo a popular social discovery service and the social network Netlog. Twoo.com was launched in April of 2011 and in under 2 years now receives 9.6 million unique visitors a month. Twoo's main competition in Europe according to information available is Badoo.

Meetic purchased Massive Media for $25 million USD (18.9 Euros) and interestingly enough is mostly owned themselves by IAC, which owns Match.com.

To find out more about this story you can read the press release.

According to Comscore tracking for November 2012 Plenty of Fish mobile visitors accounted for 50 percent of all mobile dating traffic. POF mobile visitors “Average Minutes per Visitor” is also a lot higher than other dating sites Comscore tracks. This means they make up 67.5 percent of the time ALL mobile visitors used when visiting dating sites. I believe the Comscore data of mobile traffic includes web browsing and dating apps for smartphones.

POF also reports that every day their members exchange up to 30 million messages. In the past year to help fix the technology problems this causes all servers (web and database) have been replaced along with their networking equipment to keep up with the demand. To help with their matching and Chemistry Predictor POF will also be building soon a monster CUDA cluster which will have 147,0000 GPU cores. Wow!

To find out more about these statistics you can read the Plenty of fish blog. Hmmm... Markus Frind's blog use to be called the Paradigm Shift ... I wonder when the name changed? You can also find out more about the dating service here and how it works and stacks up against other services.

We all know there's an app for just about anything and, wouldn't you know it, that includes dating. Online dating has been a popular way to find true love for many years, and plenty of singles have become couples as the result of using an online dating service. As technology progresses, it seems natural for the online dating experience to grow along with it. On-the-go, spur of the moment dating allows you to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves, rather than having to wait until you get home. Use these apps to making dating easier and more fun for you as you endeavor to find true love.

• Zoosk. Find people who are nearby and interested in finding their soulmate with Zoosk. This free app makes it easy to connect with other members in your area. If proximity is important, Zoosk solves the problem of finding someone fantastic and then learning that they live hundreds of miles away.
• MatchMobile. For years, Match.com has been helping single people meet their match. Now you can take this service with you by using the site's mobile app, MatchMobile. The app itself is free, but you must have a Match.com membership to use it.
• Tingle. Flirt, text and talk to someone you're interested in to see if you want to take it to the next level without giving away your phone number. Security in any dating situation is important, but especially so when you know nothing about the other person. This free app helps you meet and screen potential dates safely.
• Skout. Weed out people who live too far away or don't meet your dating preferences before you even get started with Skout. In addition to browsing others' profiles and viewing their pictures, you can also see who's been checking you out. Skout is free and can be used to find a partner or a friend.
• eHarmony. eHarmony takes online dating to a whole new level, and their mobile app lets you take your personal life with you. Their thorough screening and matching process must work because more than one million people have married someone they met through eHarmony.
• Cupid. Access every aspect of your online profile from your Cupid dating app. Update your profile, send messages, see who's checked you out and set up your first date. This app is not free, but does streamline your online dating...a feature that's great for busy people.
• SmartDate. SmartDate works in conjunction with Facebook to connect you to millions of other users. Access your online dating information easily, meet others in a safe environment, and decide if you want to meet people nearby or anywhere in the country.

One of the greatest benefits to using dating apps to find true love is that it's secure. As wonderful as a person sounds in print or on your smartphone screen, being able to get through the preliminary stage securely is important. Once you do that, the convenience of using dating apps streamlines the process, giving you more time to enjoy your social life and meet your potential mate.

Here are the Canadian eHarmony coupon codes for two of their more popular promotions. Both of these coupon codes expire on December 31, 2013.

eHarmony Coupon #1

eHarmony Coupon #2

These coupon codes listed above are valid on eHarmony in Canada (eHarmony.ca).

For US singles, go here for our eHarmony USA (eHarmony.com) coupons.

Read our review of eHarmony for more information about this online matchmaking service.

Here are the eHarmony coupon codes for two of their more popular promotions. Both of these coupon codes expire on December 31, 2013.

eHarmony Coupon #1

eHarmony Coupon #2

These coupon codes listed above are valid on eHarmony in the United States (eHarmony.com).

For Canadian singles, go here for our eHarmony Canada (eHarmony.ca) coupons.

Read our review of eHarmony for more information about this online matchmaking service.