Based on data from the BuzzFeed network, a set of tracked partner sites that collectively have over 300 million users, Google Reader was a major source of traffic right up until it was closed. In fact, in its last few months, traffic from Google Reader increased by 6%.

Most strikingly, it remained a far greater source of traffic than Google+, Google's social network and official Google Reader replacement — by the day of its death, it had actually widened its lead.