Grasping for the Wind

Proof that Technorati is worthless

May 16th, 2008
by John Ottinger III.

I was checking on my blog stats today. I am listed on Technorati and use W3 counter to see how many folks are visiting this blog. In the past week or so, my readership has jumped up, even to the point where I had over 300 unique visitors in one day – a record for me.
At the same time my Technorati search ranking has dropped! Now I know this is not entirely a fair comparison, as the way the two things track is very different, one based only on linkage and the other on all visits from anywhere. But I find it ironic that Technorati is slowly lowering me in the rankings as more and more people come by to visit.
All I can say is, thanks to those people coming to visit, and poo-poo on Technorati for being utterly useless in understanding how popular your blog is. And even then, only popular with other blogs listed on Technorati.
Makes me wonder if there are any ranking sites out there that I could submit to that might actually help me understand my linkage popularity, without being limited to those people who are on their system, Google Search notwithstanding?

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Posted in: Blogging.

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  • Tia
    I use both Technorati and Google Analytics. Technorati simply tells me who is linking to me, but it doesn't catch everything. For example, it won't show what's in a Blogrolling widget. However, Google Analytics logs every referral.
    Like Aidan, my rating has come down from a high of 101 to the 80s. I'm not concerned about that number, but I do find the recent linkage useful.
  • John, you might consider using Quantcast. It's Yet Another JavaScript Snippet to add to your site, but it's trivial to install and the results seem pretty good. The link above will take you to Flash Fiction Online's ranking; the traffic information seems on target, and should satisfy people who are looking for information about how well you're doing.
    I also concur with Bill about Google Analytics, and I am using it, but it's more complex. If you're looking for sophisticated analytics of your Web site traffic, use Google Analytics; if you want a simple way to show people information about your traffic, use Quantcast.
    Regards,
    Jake Freivald
    Editor
    Flash Fiction Online
  • John,
    I've noticed the same thing. I get a lot more traffic now than I used to at A Dribble of Ink, and it's steadily increasing, but my Technorati ranking is steadily decreasing. I get twice the number of views now (Technorati rank: 50ish) than I did six months ago (Technorati rank: 80ish).
    The thing is, Technorati only counts links to a web site that are under six months old, so as the old ones expire, new ones have to replace them or your rating will drop.
    It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, and I have actually been thinking of removing my Technorati Ranking badge from my web site.
    ~Aidan
    A Dribble of Ink
  • I agree. The Technorati rank used to mean something...but I think that it is loosing it's luster. My rank has dropped, even though my hits have gone up...
    Technorati might tell you who is linking to you...but nothing more.
    More relevant information is found with one's Google Analytics.
    bill
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