Traffic to consumer magazine Web sites grew 11.9 percent in the first quarter, according to the latest figures provided by the Magazine Publishers of America.

The 337 consumer magazine branded sites analyzed by the MPA averaged 70.7 million unique monthly visitors during the first quarter, compared to 63.2 million unique visitors during the same period in 2007.

This growth, the MPA is quick to point out, is more than triple that of the overall U.S. Internet audience, which rose 3.7 percent in the first quarter.

It's clear, though, that the increase, in part, can be attributed to the relatively small traffic magazine sites had to begin with.

According to ComScore [1] (via FishbowlNY [2]) the New York Times Web site had 47.25 million unique visitors in April 2008. And, with the exception of ESPN, not one magazine brand was ranked in the top 50 Web properties by ComScore.

A better sign, perhaps, is that those who log onto to magazine Web sites are spending more time on them. According to the MPA, visitors spent an average of 2.3 billion minutes on magazine Web sites per month during the first quarter, a 16.7 percent increase versus the same period in 2007.

That's because, according to MPA president Nina Link, "magazine brands online are getting 'stickier' with Web audiences." Publishers, she said, are "increasingly employing the latest digital innovations to broaden their reach and appeal."