Updated Alexa Rank - What Really Matters
- April 17th, 2008
- COMMENTS 10
Yesterday ProBlogger announced that Alexa is now using a new algorithm to come up with its rankings. They are now using information from several different sources to compile a more accurate rank that isn’t biased towards tech sites.
In my feed reader today, I have already seen several responses to this latest news. It appears, across the board, that many people’s Alexa rank dropped. For example, ProBlogger’s dropped almost 10k. Daily Blog Tips fell over 50k. What happened at Elite By Design? Well, yes, our rank did drop. We fell about 10k places. But does that really matter?
I think what is more important about these updated rankings is now being able to more accurately compare yourself to other blogs in your niche. Yesterday, when using the graphs to compare my traffic data to other websites in my niche, I was running a little bit below them. Today, I checked the comparisons to the exact same websites and Elite By Design is now towering over their graphs.
Is this accurate? I guess it’s hard to tell which algorithm at Alexa is more accurate, but according to them, the new one is a lot more precise at determining these figures. We don’t know yet how different social media traffic is influencing these numbers, or how much impact organic traffic has on a ranking.
But what you shouldn’t be worrying about is your rank at this point. Who cares if you dropped a couple thousand places? What really matters is seeing how you size up with your competition and how successful your blog really is.
That was a great post - good analysis of the change in ranking system.
Nice analysis Brian. Same counts for the Technorati ranking system: Your rank will get higher how many blog reactions you get. Even if your hit count & blog subscribers rises, your Technorati rank can drop.
Yes, it happened to me: I had a 7000+ ranking, now dropped back to 14000+.
Anyway, I don’t care since my subscriber count did rise & more visitors came.
Keep on bloggin,,,
Thanks David!
Yep, same with Technorati - the only thing that matters is how you stack up to your competitors. That’s all
A site should be judged purely by its content. Sometimes it’s easy to blow up # of blog reactions by posting controversial stuff. speaking of “blog reaction,” i hate it. it’s nothing but a blog about a blog. i’d rather to read original materials instead of someone blog for the sake of filling up content.
JY - I never thought about that, but you’re right. A controversial post would get a huge reaction and drop your technorati ranking.
I’ve never used Alexa to compare myself to the competition - but probably because we’re a nobody blog in the cliche money-making-online niche. But it makes sense for you since you’re competing with people for templates.
Have you found that to be a very profitable niche?
@WebDiggin - I haven’t - I’ve pretty much stuck to the niche I’m in.
Alexa is heavily skewed towards internet marketing type sites, so it would be nice to get a more objective ranking valuation from them.
I never really worried about Alexa rankings. The biggest problem I had with their ranking system is that relied so heavily on who has the Alexa bar installed. That isn’t a very representative sampling of internet users (it is definitely skewed towards tech) so i always considered the rankings to be inaccurate.
Just my two cents.
i use Alexa as an approximate indication of ranking combined with PR. Yes its not ideal, what other factors can I use quickly?
I heared the announcement that alexa has changed its ranking algorithm. I am little happy with this change because my website got little improvment. see new alexa ranking for http://www.alexa.com/data/details/main?url=www.fortunehotels.in Fortune Park Hotels Ltd.