How does Alexa rank a site?

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Hi i am just wondering how Alexa ranks a site, e.g what kind of statistical data it takes into account. I noticed that my site dropped from 3.6 million - 1.6 million post new Google updates. However, i noticed when i woke up today the ranked dropped from 1.6 million to 860,000. However, after the past 12 hours the rank has dropped again from 860,000 to 750,000. Like i am not complain but it just seems a little bit strange to drop 100,000 Alexa places in a space of 12 hours unless the has been a mass website genocide.
#alexa #rank #site
  • Profile picture of the author CyborgX
    From the Alexa website, "Alexa computes traffic rankings by analyzing the Web usage of millions of Alexa Toolbar users and data obtained from other, diverse traffic data sources. The information is sorted, sifted, annoyed, counted, and computed, until, finally, we get the traffic rankings shown in the Alexa service."
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    • Profile picture of the author ed08724
      Originally Posted by CyborgX View Post

      From the Alexa website, "Alexa computes traffic rankings by analyzing the Web usage of millions of Alexa Toolbar users and data obtained from other, diverse traffic data sources. The information is sorted, sifted, annoyed, counted, and computed, until, finally, we get the traffic rankings shown in the Alexa service."
      I am in the computer repair business and I do not remember ever seeing a customers computer with an alexa toolbar. Now a google toolbar is another story.
      I was just wondering this same question today.
      Ed
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  • Profile picture of the author BIG Mike
    Banned
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" ...
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      • Profile picture of the author Nail Yener
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" ...
        Nice one

        after the past 12 hours the rank has dropped again from 860,000 to 750,000. Like i am not complain but it just seems a little bit strange to drop 100,000 Alexa places in a space of 12 hours unless the has been a mass website genocide.
        You shouldn't think it like that. Here is a simple example that might help you understand it better:

        For example, site A gets 10,000 unique visitors a day and it has an Alexa rank of 100,000; site B gets 100 visitors a day and it has an Alexa rank of 1,000,000. Your site's Alexa rank might change every day and it may not have an exact correlation with the amount of traffic you are actually getting. It shouldn't be considered as a listing of all the websites on the web according to their traffic stats. They use algorithms to calculate that number and it is only an estimate.

        Another example: One of my sites has a lower Alexa rank but it gets less traffic compared to my other site, although you would expect the opposite if the Alexa rank alone would mean anything.

        Anyway, I stopped worrying about Alexa long ago and now the only thing I am worried about is the amount of traffic my sites get which is thankfully trackable information. I suggest you do the same too.
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        • Profile picture of the author ed08724
          I have a website that ranks traffic exchanges at Traffic Exchange Compare
          I just added the Alexa ranking and am questioning the numbers.
          Easyhits4u shows a rank of 950, StartXchange 5136. If you goto my website and click the Alexa header it will sort by Alexa. How is it possible with all of the websites out there most of these traffic exchanges have comparitivly low ranks. Is it because people tend to surf many sites while on these exchanges.
          Am I interpreting the ranking wrong. I thought if EasyHits4U ranks at 950 that means it is the 950th most popular website according to Alexa. That can't really be true!
          Or does Alexa have lets say 1 million websites that rank 950 for example because they have the same amount of visitors?
          Ed Newman
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        • Profile picture of the author Idesignstudio
          Originally Posted by Nail Yener View Post

          Nice one



          You shouldn't think it like that. Here is a simple example that might help you understand it better:

          For example, site A gets 10,000 unique visitors a day and it has an Alexa rank of 100,000; site B gets 100 visitors a day and it has an Alexa rank of 1,000,000. Your site's Alexa rank might change every day and it may not have an exact correlation with the amount of traffic you are actually getting. It shouldn't be considered as a listing of all the websites on the web according to their traffic stats. They use algorithms to calculate that number and it is only an estimate.

          Another example: One of my sites has a lower Alexa rank but it gets less traffic compared to my other site, although you would expect the opposite if the Alexa rank alone would mean anything.

          Anyway, I stopped worrying about Alexa long ago and now the only thing I am worried about is the amount of traffic my sites get which is thankfully trackable information. I suggest you do the same too.

          I agree. Alexa rank is just to scare the new bees. Don't worry and focus on what is important - traffic that brings sales.
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  • Profile picture of the author hardnova
    Originally Posted by easternodyssey View Post

    Hi i am just wondering how Alexa ranks a site, e.g what kind of statistical data it takes into account. I noticed that my site dropped from 3.6 million - 1.6 million post new Google updates. However, i noticed when i woke up today the ranked dropped from 1.6 million to 860,000. However, after the past 12 hours the rank has dropped again from 860,000 to 750,000. Like i am not complain but it just seems a little bit strange to drop 100,000 Alexa places in a space of 12 hours unless the has been a mass website genocide.
    lol...not even Alexa can explain it. It's kind of like they take the number of toolbar viewers and extrapolate [guesstimate] what that must mean across the span of all traffic on the Internet.

    OR

    They may do a little dance around a small chicken, three times while saying "wugga wugga wugga" then if the chicken pecks some corn, and it's Friday, they multiply how much corn was pecked by Pi and divide by 4.
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  • Profile picture of the author danwood
    Yes, i think even they didn´t know how they rank
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  • Profile picture of the author Karan Rawat
    Alexa rank is nothing... Just Concentrate on the Direct traffic Coming to your Site, On Google Rank And Page Rank Matters.
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