Getting A Handle On Alexa Rankings
by Jeff Alderson
Getting a grasp on all the inside language involved in web publishing can be a challenge. Figuring out what numbers count and what don't for tracking a website's success can seem like an impossibility. Many publishers find it difficult enough to keep up with Google ranking. The sad reality is that this number isn't the only important one. Alexa ranking is also a valuable number to keep up with, especially if earning potential is important.
Alexa is a creation of Amazon.com. The site offers a ranking system that tracks the traffic sites obtain. This measurement system, however, does have its share of problems. Ranking is based on the number of visitors who use a special Alexa toolbar on their browsers when they visit sites. Despite this issue though, many advertisers pay attention to Alexa ranking to determine value and rates. This makes it important for publishers to pay heed to this ranking number.
Alexa rank involves the number of people that visit sites with the toolbar installed on their browsers. Traffic rank revealed is based on historical data aggregated over three months from the millions of Alexa users. This number is a combined measurement of page views and the number of users. A daily computation of reach and page views is taken. The main number for traffic rank is derived at by using these two numbers averaged over time.
Alexa ranking can be directly connected to how well a site does in regard to advertisers. This rank is used to determine pricing and/or the value of a site. Sales programs like Text Link Ads, Sponsored Reviews and ReviewMe all use the Alexa rank to determine the advertising pull a particular site might have.
Getting going with Alexa is easy. All that's necessary is downloading the toolbar. Those who use Firefox can pick up the SearchStatus extension. Once this is installed, pages you look at will register on Alexa's radar.
There's no denying that Alexa rank is important, but the system has its problems. The first one is the fact ranking tends to be skewed toward those sites that have a technical audience. This is simply because these sites have visitors that are likely to have an Alexa toolbar installed on their computers. In essence, this makes Alexa ranks a bit unfair. Still, they are widely used by advertisers. With this in mind, it is a very good idea to understand methods that can be used to increase ranking.
Breaking into the top layer of Alexa's ranking system is very difficult. Gaining an impressive ranking, however, isn't necessarily very tough. Methods for increasing rank vary in difficulty, but they all can pay off. One of the most simplistic and effective ways to increase ranking is to simply build up relevant content on one's site. Another fairly good way to increase rank is to work to obtain incoming links to one's site. These two methods combined can increase traffic, Google rankings and Alexa rankings all at once.
Some other pretty easy rank-boosting methods exist. These include adding Alexa widgets to one's own site, encouraging visitors to download the ranking toolbar, installing the toolbar on your own computers and getting others to rank your site's Alexa profile. Promoting your URL in webmaster forums, writing articles targeted to the webmaster or tech crowd and even using Alexa redirects can help a lot, too.
Other more time-intensive methods for boosting rankings are out there. They include setting up a webmaster tool section on your own site, having your site's articles Dugg or Stumbled on, buying ads and so on. Some webmasters create their own "Alexa" sections, too.
A few other ideas are out there. These are considered by many to be a bit "shady" though. They include using Alexa redirects on MySpace pages, using auto-surf programs and even buying the "homepage" settings at local Cybercafes.
Alexa is not necessarily the most accurate ranking system going, but it's an important one. Maximizing ranking can improve ad rate potential and increase overall traffic to your site, however. It's not a bad idea to include this ranking number as a consideration in an overall marketing strategy.
About the author: Jeff Alderson develops webmaster search engine tools. He is an expert on boosting traffic and sales. Jeff recommends using Ad Word Analyzer to find popular keywords for your website. You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.
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