Google offers the most satisfying online experience when compared to other portals, online news outlets and search engines, according to a University of Michigan report tthat studied customer satisfaction in the US.

The report suggested that news sites might need to face the challenge of becoming destinations on their own, instead of having users directed through search engines or portals.

Google's rating jumped by 10% to 86 since last year, while Yahoo's fell by 3% to 77. Meanwhile, NYT.com and USAToday.com both scored high in the category of news and information sources, having a 2.7% (75) and 1.4% (73) surge in their ranks year-on-year, respectively.

Local and regional newspapers' sites topped the list with a rating of 76. However, the study pointed out that major outlets "have not been able to distinguish themselves as leaders."

Source: Editor and Publisher