Tools and Techniques - Alexa and Google traffic rankings.

You can use your website statistics to discover how much traffic is coming to your website.  There are also ways to see how much traffic is going to other websites.

Alexa: www.alexa.com
Alexa is a search engine owned by Amazon.com.  Alexa also shares traffic ranking information from all sites that it can search.  If you go to www.alexa.com, you can click on TRAFFIC RANKINGS at the top of the page.  Next enter the domain name you’re interested in and traffic statistics will display for this site.  If you want this feature visible on your site all the time, you can download the Alexa Toolbar.

The Alexa number for a website compares it to other website.  For instance a traffic ranking of 300,000 means that 300,000 websites have more traffic than the one being checked.  All other websites have less traffic.  For details on Reach, Rank, and Page, scroll beneath the traffic graph and click on LEARN MORE ABOUT TRAFFIC. 

Google: www.google.com
Google Toolbar allows you to see how Google ranks the relative importance of a website.  Each website receives a rating from 1 to 10.  Large websites such as cnn.com, yahoo.com and google.com may rank a 9 or 10.  Author websites usually rank from 3 to 5 or even 6.

If you’re interested in downloading the Google toolbar, open the Google search page. Above the search entry bar are some menu choices.  Choose MORE.  Then choose EVEN MORE.  Scroll down on the left hand column titled SEARCH.  Click on TOOLBAR.  You can evaluate the features and if you want to include the toolbar on your desktop, click INSTALL GOOGLE TOOLBAR.

Using Website Rankings
Website rankings can help you focus your marketing efforts. If a website with a high traffic ranking posts one of your articles, or adds your hyperlink to their site, you stand to generate more traffic than from a website that receives little usage.

Website rankings can also help you evaluate your own long-term marketing efforts.  Check statistics regularly so you can evaluate which of your efforts are bringing the most traffic to your website.