The Pink Flamingo :: Life, The Universe, Blog Rankings & Technorati

I know it’s bad behavior to b*t@h about blog traffic, etc, but I think the time has come to talk of many things (sorry, I have a Kipling problem). I am annoyed with Technorati. Quite frankly, I think you should be, also. Once upon a time (about 4 months ago to be exact) My Technorati Authority Rating was about 1200. I has a site ranking that was heading down toward 1400. Then they decided to change their formatting. Four months later, my “authority” is 488. A month ago it was in the 800’s. I have a feeling, unless you are some teenage or college social blog, or are “hot” right now, you are having the same problems I am having.

Technorati ranks blogs by the newness of links, running on a 180 day circuit. If I have 100 blogs linked to me today and push my “authority” up to say 1000, if I do not have 100 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT blogs link to me within 180 days, my “authority” will be at zero, zip, nada zilch. Doesn’t matter if I retain those 100 links. And, if these same blogs go back and re-link to me, it doesn’t count.

The whole system, so they claim, is designed to give new blogs a chance at ranking. What it does, if you are blogging in a specific niche, is offer a sure-fire guarantee to completely destroy the ranking of your blog, even if you are growing, ever so slowly. All those previous blog linkings, that are still remaining, DO NOT COUNT! Those blogs will never again count, no matter what you do, say or write. Then, if you want to complain to Technorati, forget it. They have a tendency, according to internet legend, not to respond. (The same thing holds true for Memorandum).

If you are running Adsense this screws with your rankings, big time. Doesn’t matter that one is Google and the other is Technorati, they work hand in hand. It doesn’t matter if you Google “pink flamingo”where The Pink Flamingo is listed in the number 6 spot today. It doesn’t matter if your hits are running consistent over that 4 month period. It makes no difference with your TLB (Truth Laid Bare) rankings. They stay constant or move up or down depending on ACTUAL linkage, no matter how old it is. Today my TLB ranking is 63. I am very happy with the ranking which ranges from 63 – 79. And – that’s after only two years blogging.

There is something honorable about TLB. The skinny on Technorati is they are woe-fully under-funded and possibly on their way out. There’s something also a bit disingenuous about the whole thing. It’s great if you are a new blog in an exploding niche, but when you are in a very specific niche, just how many blogs are out there to actually link with yours?

If you are a social blogger, great! You go do the ‘social’ thing online very much akin to a frat party. Go, get a drink and mingle. Fine. But, if you are busy, professional, and don’t have time to do this, and you are a “Playful Primate” like I am, either you give up all of your life to spend ‘socializing’ on the web, or just give up on Technorati and spend your time creating good, unique content.

I have another problem. Many of my most ‘loyal’ and regular readers are not bloggers. I think we have a tendency to “assume” everyone and their grand-mother are out blogging now. This just isn’t true. Not everyone has the luxury of devoting 4-6 hours a day working on a blog the way I’ve been doing lately, but I’m legitimizing it by putting a book together at the same time. I decided to give myself a year to see what I could accomplish then decide if it was worth it. The year is up on Thursday. I’m pleased with the things I’ve accomplished this year.

I think the thing I am most proud of is the fact that The Subway Canaries,
my ‘sister’ site for storing ‘expose’ posts is now on the SPLC’s Hatewatch blog roll! I think it is the only Republican listed. I know most conservatives will cringe at the thought, but Wow! It means I’ve been able to see beyond the party line and look at fact. There’s a difference between fact and truth.

I guess I now have it out of my system. I do think there is something almost sleazy about the way Technorati is working. If they want to continue with their current system, at least have some sub-divisions for ranking.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, Rosemary's Thoughts, guerrilla radio, DeMediacratic Nation, Big Dog's Weblog, Right Truth, Shadowscope, Webloggin, Leaning Straight Up, The Bullwinkle Blog, The Amboy Times, Conservative Cat, Nuke's, Allie is Wired, third world county, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, DragonLady's World, Walls of the City, Pirate's Cove, Republican National Convention Blog, Dumb Ox Daily News, High Desert Wanderer, Gone Hollywood, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.