Online analyst ComScore released its latest report on search activity in the Asia-Pacific region which revealed that 38.6 billion searches were conducted in the region in September 2009, with searchers averaging nearly 88 queries per person during the month.

ComScore reported that Google Sites ranked as the top search destination in Asia-Pacific, commanding more than 44 percent share of searches performed in the region.

Baidu.com Inc. followed with 8.2 billion searches (21.3 percent share), while Yahoo Sites grabbed the Number 3 position with 5.3 billion searches (13.8 percent share).

Searchers in the region averaged nearly 88 searches per person during September, ComScore also said.

South Korea’s NHN Corporation, which owns search engine Naver.com, saw the most prolific search intensity among the top 10 destinations with an average of 81 searches per searcher. Searchers on Google Sites averaged 59 searches per person, while searchers on Lycos Sites averaged 51 queries.

The searches exclude visitation from public computers such as Internet cafes or access from mobile phones or PDAs, Com Score said.

ComScore meanwhile said an analysis of top search destinations across the 10 individual markets in the Asia-Pacific region currently revealed various search brand preferences across markets.

Google Sites was the search market share leader in six of the markets including Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore. Yahoo Sites captured the majority share of searches in Hong Kong (58.9 percent) and Taiwan (65.4 percent).

Although multinational search brands led many of the markets in the region, the popularity of local brands was evident in both China and South Korea.

Baidu.com Inc. led as China’s top search destination with 63 percent share of searches performed, while NHN Corporation captured 49.3 percent of queries in Korea, leading the market as the top destination, ComScore further said.