Avvo's method of ranking blogs debated

kevinokeefe: Avvo playing games re top law blogs? http://is.gd/gKEj (expand) Wouldn't number of subscribers be truer measure?

• GrantGriffiths: @kevinokeefe Number of subscribers would not be. RSS is a failure as not enough of the consuming public uses it or "gets it".

• brocromanek: Agreed. We never show up on lists ; we have thousands get our blog pushed to them RT @kevinokeefe: Avvo playing games http://is.gd/gKEj

• ScottGreenfield: RT @kevinokeefe: Avvo playing games re top blawgs? http://is.gd/gKEj (expand) Gotta work with what you've got. It's up to us to have a critical eye.

• brucecarton: @kevinokeefe How would Avvo know # of subscribers? Not public info for many blogs. Current ranking is automated based on data from Alexa.

• bcuban: @kevinokeefe are you speaking of newsfeed subscribers or direct subscribers?

• kevinokeefe: @brucecarton No. of subscribers to any blog via Google Reader can be seen at Google Reader Subscribe area

• kevinokeefe: @GrantGriffiths Number of RSS subscribers is excellent measure of reach and true interest in niche. RSS Subscribers are influencers.

• kevinokeefe: @brocromanek Right, Corporate Counsel Blog has 6 times as many RSS subscribers as Avvo Blog, but not on Avvo list for top law blogs

• brucecarton: @kevinokeefe # of Google reader subscribers for any law blog meaningless as lawyers almost always use email to subscribe.Over 90%, I'd say.

• kevinokeefe: @brucecarton saying RSS subscribers is meaningless akin to saying AP/UPI were meaningless as only Walter Cronkite had teletype to receive

• bcuban: @kevinokeefe While I agree that Alexa is deceptive due to social medai "tricks that can manipulate it, subscribers is not a true indicator

• kevinokeefe: @brucecarton RSS subscribers of my blog have grown LexBlog 100% each year and very, very few new clients use RSS

• bcuban: @kevinokeefe understand your point if it is a targeted audience. That would not play well for my blog as it is not purely legal in nature

• brucecarton: @kevinokeefe I'm huge RSS fan, just telling you what I see in terms of the numbers at Securities Docket. 700 email subscribers, 90 RSS.

• bobambrogi: @brucecarton @kevinokeefe I do believe that RSS is a key factor in measuring blog traffic. Majority of my readers are via RSS.

• dougcornelius: @brucecarton You have the weirdest subscriber numbers. Only 10% email for me. 90% RSS on all 3 blawgs @kevinokeefe @TomMighell @bobambrogi

• nikiblack: @dougcornelius @brucecarton @kevinokeefe @TomMighell @bobambrogi re: RSS subs-depends on blog audience-my 4 blogs RSS subs very diff.

• nikiblack: @dougcornelius @brucecarton @kevinokeefe @TomMighell @bobambrogi Subst. blog= email; tech=min. subs, more Twitter; humor=RSS feed reader

Comments

[Conrad]

Niki - thanks for the summary. We'd love to incorporate more measurement tools into the list. If anyone has any suggestions on widely used, publicly available measurements tools I'm all ears.

-Conrad from Avvo

[alexa ranking doesn't work on Vista!]

Alexa rankings can't be the sole determinants of measuring a sites importance and popularity as the www.alexa.com/data/details/main/fortunehotels.in rankings do not take into account all the browser types like Windows Vista etc.

[albert]

Avvo is commercially exploiting peoples names without thier consent. Essentially they are using a persons name as an ad without their permission. This is just wrong.