If you have been blogging for any length of time, you know about “Google page rank”.

Today’s Lesson

There is also an Alexa ranking.

With Alexa, the lower the number, the better.

It is written, that your Alexa rankings are looked at by services such as Text Link Ads. The better your Alexa ranking, the more you get paid for the ads that are posted on your site.

Apparently, if you are trying to sell a website, a good Alexa ranking is crucial.

But, how is your Alexa ranking calculated?

I wanted to know, so I went directly to Alexa’s site, and found their Q&A section.

Here is how they answered the question:

Question

How are Alexa’s traffic rankings determined?
Category: Traffic and Site Stats
Answer

Alexa’s traffic rankings are based on the usage patterns of Alexa Toolbar users over a rolling 3 month period. A site’s ranking is based on a combined measure of reach and page views. Reach is determined by the number of unique Alexa users who visit a site on a given day. Page views are the total number of Alexa user URL requests for a site. However, multiple requests for the same URL on the same day by the same user are counted as a single page view. The site with the highest combination of users and page views is ranked #1.

Alexa’s traffic rankings are for top level domains only (e.g. domain.com)………

So, how important is your Alexa ranking?

Should you strive to gain a low Alexa ranking?

If you research online, some sites claim, your Alexa ranking can be manipulated.

When I first checked my Alexa ranking, it was in the millions.

Now, my ranking is around 242,000.

I have done nothing to try and manipulate my ranking. Over time, it has been decreasing.

Today’s Assignment

Have you ever heard of Alexa rankings?

If so, do you know what yours is?

Are you concerned if your Alexa ranking is high?

Are you trying to lower your Alexa ranking?

If so, what method are you using?