Salon
A progressive news and culture site with politics and opinion.
Salon at a glance
Salon is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in United States, currently ranked #354 in the country. It was founded in 1995 by David Talbot and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, USA. Today Salon is owned by Salon Media Group. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 15 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through digital advertising, memberships. Its closest rivals include huffpost.com, slate.com, vox.com.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 14.1 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 14.5 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 15 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 15.9 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct37%
- Organic search34%
- Social18%
- News aggregators8%
- Email3%
Audience & demographics
- Men55%
- Women45%
- Age 35-4426%
- Age 45-5423%
- Age 25-3422%
The audience is concentrated in United States, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- United States86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 4.5 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- United States
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| salon | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| breaking news | Top 10 | High | — |
| today's headlines | Top 10 | High | — |
| live coverage | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the United States web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 79% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading news & media apps in United States
Company information
- Website
- salon.com
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Salon Media Group
- Owner type
- Private company
- Founders
- David Talbot
- Founded
- 1995
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Employees
- 50+
- Ownership
- Salon Media Group controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $20 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- English
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $20 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Private company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Salon operates a news and media publisher focused on United States. A progressive news and culture site with politics and opinion. Revenue comes mainly from digital advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Digital advertising
- Memberships
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- United States
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (United States)
- #354 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in United States
- Global rank
- 5000
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| huffpost.com | ≈ 9 million / month | #355 class competitor | — |
| slate.com | ≈ 6.7 million / month | #356 class competitor | — |
| vox.com | ≈ 4.5 million / month | #357 class competitor | — |
What is Salon?
Salon (salon.com) is a news and media publisher serving users in United States. A progressive news and culture site with politics and opinion. It ranks #354 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns Salon?
The site is operated by Salon Media Group, founded by David Talbot. The company was established in 1995 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, USA. It employs around 50+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Salon at roughly 15 million visits per month, about 0.5 million per day. Around 79% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 3.1 pages per visit with an average session of 3 min.
How Salon makes money
Revenue comes primarily from digital advertising, alongside memberships.
Competitors in United States
Its closest rivals include huffpost.com, slate.com, vox.com.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 1995
Salon is founded in San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #354 among the most visited websites in United States.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Broad daily news coverage with national reach
- Fast breaking-news publishing
- Free access to most articles
- Strong presence in search and social
Cons
- Heavy advertising load on article pages
- Editorial line criticised by parts of the audience
- Clickbait headlines on high-traffic sections
- Paywall limits on premium content
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Salon?
Salon is operated by Salon Media Group. Private company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Salon headquartered?
Salon is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, USA.
When was Salon founded?
Salon was founded in 1995 by David Talbot.
How many employees does Salon have?
Salon employs approximately 50+ people.
What is Salon's revenue?
Salon's revenue: ≈ $20 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are Salon's competitors?
Main competitors in United States include huffpost.com, slate.com, vox.com.
How does Salon make money?
Mainly digital advertising, memberships.
Is Salon publicly traded?
No — Salon is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by Salon Media Group.
How many visitors does Salon get?
Third-party estimates place Salon at roughly 15 million visits per month, mostly from United States, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is Salon safe?
Salon is an established news & media site founded in 1995 and ranked #354 in United States; use the official domain salon.com and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementssalon.com
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageUnited States and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos