Updates, Alexa Rankings, and Rantings, Oh My!
I like keeping my content fresh. I’m always thinking of ways that I can enhance my readers experience so yes you’ll constantly see me tweaking and letting you know about the updates in store. There’s a fairly good reason why I do this. I get bored easily.
Vegan Momma Updates
Kontera contextual ads should sometime be making an appearance on Vegan Momma this week. These ads are placed directly in the post keywords are highlighted if you click on them it takes you to an actual advertisement. I’m not sure what my thoughts are about this and after a week or two I’ll be getting feedback from my readers.
Lighter Posting —> Heavier traffic
The good news is that although my posting has gone down my traffic has increased I check my stats a few times each week. What do I use? I use to check Google Analytics’s. My hosting provider, Lunar Pages, also includes Page Mason and their own web traffic info. I use them all.
New Website: Where to begin?
Initially, I struggled trying to think of the voice I wanted to use on my Mac website but this weekend I finally got comfortable and realized that voice was there all along. This got me extremely excited so I’ve already written several post that I’ve scheduled for advanced posting.
They will be released over the next several days. This gives me time to network with other Mac heads and pick their brains on a few topics that have held my interest.
Alexa Rankings
It looks as though Alexa has been out playing with peoples websites mine went down. I had no idea that it had gone down until I stopped by to visit Thomas - Technical blogger. I noticed his had gone down. Congrats buddy!
1. Vegan Momma
Vegan Momma is currently hovering at 70k.
2. Healing Yourself Naturally
I started this website about a month ago. I don’t know why I was thinking it was lower, but it’s not its 915,412. My technorati authority is 10. I believe that website will do very well.
I’m writing about alternative healing and making sure I add a lot of recipes that anyone can use. We really need to think about all the products we put into our bodies.
3. The Raw & The Cooked
My alexa ranking is 309, 647 again I don’t participate in any link trains on more. If you notice what I provide there is a service that I know some people want. They are loking for meals that are simple, nutritious, and delicious. I receive a lot of emails from people about the recipes I post there.
4. Ferrets Haven
My alexa ranking is 460,571 I participate in Saturdays photo hunters but that’s it again no Alexa link trains or any other stuff that can boost my rankings.
5. The Raw Review
I put this website to the side initially it started to be what Healing Yourself Naturally is now, but I quickly changed that the website name wouldn’t make me think I would be writing about alternative healing so I nixed the idea.
On this website, I’ll be mainly writing about error messages I’ve seen using various applications and I think I’ll be writing about free products that people can receive also. I think this website will have a heavy focus on children.
6. Tech Website
My secret website has dropped to 678,331.
Rant: What’s Up With Alexa?
I knew something was off when I saw a technology website that ranked lower than mine. They had a lot of commenter’s I thought that was very strange, but Alexa is ranked by those who use the toolbar.
Since that time I’ve seen many examples similar to the one I just mentioned. Hmm… I guess Alexa really isn’t that accurate it they are only judging those who use their toolbar.
I participated in a few link trains, but I stopped doing that after about a month. I really grew tired of doing them and personally I wanted a more natural way to increase my ratings. I think the last one I participated in was at the end of May.
It seems if you participate in the numerous link trains you will possibly rank higher? If you’re looking to monetize your website you still have advertisers that insist that a website has a low alexa ranking.
How Am I Boosting My Rankings?
I’m not doing anything really which is clearly obvious on my newer websites, but my numbers are dropping.
1. I post often
2. Make the topics appealing
3. Visit others and make informative comments
4. Submit my websites to directories
Although these aren’t direct ways to boost Alexa Ranking if your doing all these I imagine you’ll receive hits rom those who are using the Alexa toolbar. I also think the new readers will have the potential to turn into readers if they enjoyed their visit.
In the long run I think my Alexa will continue to drop. The newer websites will drop a lot slower but most likely the readers will keep coming back since it’s not being done artificially. Those are just my thoughts.
Update: Thomas wrote Alexa Valuable Tool or Technical Stalker be sure to stop by and post your thoughts on the issue. Do I use the Alexa Toolbar? No. I’ve written about the reasons why before and Thomas talks about the reasons why I choose not to use it.
My primary computer is a Mac and it’s the main way I surf the net. Firefox did not have the toolbar, and I stated weeks ago that even if they did have it I wouldn’t install it. I hear it’s available to Firefox users, but I won’t be using it.?
Question: What’s your thoughts about Alexa?
[tag]alexa ranking, websites, maintenance, Thomas - Technical Blogger, tech websites[/tag]
on July 30th, 2007 at 8:32 am
I have learned what I know about Alexa thru you…I am still learning. Thanks for the info! Congrats on all of your sites doing so well! Looking forward to what’s coming up and in the works!!!
Hope your weekend was nice! This week is going to be crazy for me…I will be doing a lot of advanced posting but checking in from time to time on comments and visiting mostly at night.
on July 30th, 2007 at 9:43 am
How fortuitous that you have a post about Alexa. After investigating Alexa further, my opinion is up in the air.
You address just one of the quirks with the system. Alexa only ranks visitors that have the toolbar installed.
Take a look at Alexa, Valuable Tool or Technical Stalker? I have found that using the Alexa toolbar, they will not only collect and store your web browsing habits, but will store and collect information you have completed in online forms.
Personally, I have decided I will only be using Alexa on my secondary browser.
on July 30th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Harmonia,
The weekend was great! Saturday was busy since we had a lot of family over but I enjoyed it immensely. :-) I’ll be stopping by your spot later today. I’ve missed visiting one of my favorite bloggers.
Thomas,
I guess we were thinking about Alexa, lol.
Thanks for the heads up I’m the type that always reads the fine print so yes I read the “Terms of Agreement” that most people just click on.
I saw that and didn’t like it at all so when it became available to Firefox I didn’t install it. I’m not comfortable with Alexa keeping track of my personal information.
I Stumbled and Dugg your article you did an excellent job!
on July 30th, 2007 at 11:52 am
I have to admit that initially I just installed the toolbar, on my secondary browser. I use both IE, and Firefox. Any ‘important’ browsing I do using IE. Firefox I use for reading blogs and such.
Initially I was going to write an overview of Alexa. When I write up an online program I like to take a look at the privacy policy. The more I read the privacy policy the more the tone of the post changed from overview to cautionary tale.
Thanks for the Stumble and the Digg. I put up a Digg button, but I still need to read Meg of Dipping into the Blogpond’s post on Beginners Guide to StumbleUpon
on July 30th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Thomas,
Your opinion changed after reading the fine print. :-)
That would drive some people nuts when I would do that, lol. I always take the time to read what I’m agreeing to.
on July 30th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
This has been a most interesting and valuable discussion (both here and on Thomas’ site) about the Alexa rankings. My task for this morning was to put the tool bar up. After reading your post though Thomas I’m having second thoughts.
Thanks guys, you’ve been really helpful without realising what you were even doing.
M
on July 30th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Alexa is pretty useless for tracking of users. If the user doesn’t have the Alexa Toolbar or blocks the Alexa cookies, then tracking won’t be available. Google Analytics is better, but in this case if javascript is blocked, then tracking won’t be accurate either. It’s better than nothing though.
on July 30th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Megan,
I’m glad it was helpful Thomas did an excellent job in breaking it down. Keeping track of personal activity (online bill paying) is a big no no for me so sorry Alexa I’m not using you.
Sean,
Thanks for stopping by. First, I was fairly proud of my Alexa ranking until I realized how easy it could be manipulated. Google Analytics’s is great.
I get a better overall picture than Alexa and I’ve seen the steady increase in traffic. I really like that.
I constantly wonder when advertisers will wake up and stop using Alexa as a basis to judge a website. It’s only one thing they should be looking at. As a future advertiser I can definitely say that I’ll be looking at more than a person Alexa Ranking when I’m looking to pay them to write a review about my business.
Quality posts, posting frequency, reader activity, amount of ads I see on their site will all be things I consider. I’ll be contacting the blogger directly.
on July 30th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
And there was me thinking that the changes were just to confuse us!
I know little if anything about Alexa as a platform except it looked expensive.
I have enough problems transitioning sites.
Cheers
on July 30th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Awww…shucks! ;) Thanks! Glad you had a nice time. Looks like my time has run out already for tonight. I just got home. I have to make lunch, do dishes, fill out a few online reports, and look for zucchini recipes!!! Any ideas…let me know! :) I might stay up later and do some pre posts if I can. I’ll check in tomorrow as soon as I can…another busy one on tap. Hope the lil angel is doing well!!!
on October 18th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Anyone can manipulate Alexa very easily just by having their friends download the toolbar to their computer and have them get on the site a few times a week. I actually get about 300 new visitors to my site, golferstube.com, but apparantly very view have the Alexa toolbar. Its cool to see your ranking climb, but its not very accurate unless you are in the top 20 or so.
on January 3rd, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Thanks for sharing this information. It’s really helpful.
HStyle’s last blog post..Find Your Motivation To Lose Weight
on April 17th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Alexa just changed their way of calculating rank, but they haven’t revealed details about their new system.
Eric’s last blog post..Leaving comment vs. submitting directory
on April 18th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Eric, could you give the link where did you get this imformation?…I’m interested to know further about this.
on April 21st, 2008 at 5:11 am
I get some info about this…Now Alexa will compile data from “multiple sources” to give a better indication of the popularity of the website among the entire population of Internet users and not just the users of Alexa Toolbar (as the previous system)…I think it will be better.