How True are Web Rankings - Alexa, Compete and QuantCast
Tags: alexa, compete, quantcast, rankings, site ranks, toolbar
Recently I compared all my rankings for NSpeaks - preferrably at Alexa, Compete and QuantCast. Note that I have Alexa and Compete Toolbars Installed and QuantCast Code embedded in the footer.
Shocking thing(ok not so shocking 
) is that none of the rankings comes even close to what NSpeaks real stats are. Then why these rankings are considered to rank a site? Well mainly because since they are the only ones available to us.
Of all 3, QuantCast Rankings are highly false despite the fact that their code is being used here. Google Analytics rankings are far accurate than Quantcast. If QuantCast can’t rank sites properly then why the hell we bother to use their code?
Strangely Alexa and Compete which relies mostly on Toolbar data are fairly ok. Compete comes the closest to actual rankings.
Seriously there is a need for a ranking parameter that is accurate and worldwide accepted. Only then we can know our site’s true rankings. Till then we can play with these numbers to satisfy ourselves.
P.S. This post reinforced that I can write a bit of mature stuff. 
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November 3, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Very true. Infact even i have been thinking about this since long.
Hope these guys get thr fact right.
Cheers
Vaibhav
[Reply]
November 6, 2007 at 3:08 am
Hi,
It is very strange to me that the quantcast stats are inaccurate. We typically find that our direct measurement stats are very close to that of Google analytics or other internal analytics services. Please contact me and I am happy to help clear it up. Perhaps the code is not on all pages? Our quantified program was designed to provide an accurate 3rd party reference for your websites stats.
Thanks,
Chris
[Reply]
November 13, 2007 at 1:33 am
Heck, I can make better estimates in my sleep. Especially Alexa, its way off.
[Reply]
November 16, 2007 at 3:12 pm
This is very true! And it’s a pity alexa is widely used to rank sites because their ranking system is wacked.
Also because the basis of rankings are from toolbars, sites can easily game the system to achieve higher rankings.
[Reply]
November 16, 2007 at 4:07 pm
But we have no other alternative. All Ranking systems can be easily gamed. We still have to go by them unless someone comes up with a foolproof ranking system.
[Reply]
November 21, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Recently found that even Awstats statistics can even be gamed.
[Reply]