Another example of how wildly poor the reporting from Alexa is… Miller Samuel’s Matrix - arguably a top 10 most trafficked RE blog has you posting an Alexa ranking of: 545,538. The data is so far off as a relative measure to reality. I’m telling you, it’s got to go.
However, after taking closer look, it became apparent that our list did not rank Matrix even in the top 100 blogs not because of Alexa. Technorati rank was the biggest problem. For a long time, Technorati had no rank whatsoever for Matrix. With the help of fellow blogger and internet entrepreneur, Andy Beard, the Technorati fixed rank for Matrix. Although our list still lists Matrix at 100+ position, I can see it rising to the top of the list with the next update.
The conclusions I can draw from this experience is that not too many bloggers are really concerned with Technorati “authority”. Besides ranking on the lists that factor that authority to rank the websites, there seems to be no obvious reason to care. However if you have submitted your blog to the list, check if Technorati is reporting these figures for your blog. If not, you can contact them to see if your blog was banned for over pinging.
If you are using WordPress, consider using Ultimate Smart Update Pinger plugin. This plugin will prevent your WordPress to over-pinging Technorati as well as other services.
Many of you know that I have been involved in a project 100 Top Real Estate Blogs. Again, 100- figuratively speaking. If you visited the listed lately you probably know that there are more than100 blogs on the list.
If you blog about real estate and related issues, feel free to submit your blog. I know that this list was criticized quiet a bit for using unreliable statistics. While we attempt to rank your blog, it is not the ranking that matters. It is an extra exposure your blog will get. By submitting your blog, you get a link and we ask nothing in return.
To “make in” for the next update, all blogs must be submitted by 6:00 PM (Eastern Time) tomorrow (April 13).
It appears as the good folks at Inman News have decided to redesign their website. The redesign is not only about feel and look of the website. Their new logo now says: “Inman News- The first word in real estate” as opposed to the former slogan “Inman News- Where the real estate and technology connect”:
I personally am fine with either slogan, but I do like the new design. If you have not subscribed to the latest from Inman News you might be missing out on a lot of real estate news.
I am not sure what do they mean by “beta” though. The Inman News has been around ate least from the mid 90’s. Unless of course they are referring to the new design as a beta, or testing stage.
The Inman News is one of my favorite real estate websites. Do you read Inman News?
photo credit: Ordinary GuyYou probably have heard in the past, that in order to have a successful blog, the quality of your posts matter over the quantity. While in some cases it may be true, majority bloggers in order to succeed need to blog more frequently, without of course neglecting the quality. There are at two reasons why you would want to post frequently on your blog:
You want people to subscribe to your blog. And when they do, they in a way expect you to write. That is why they have subscribed to your blog.
Frequent posts will invite Googlebot to your blog more often.
This week, after another update of our 100 Top Real Estate Blogs, I have decided to put some interesting statistics together to find out how frequently are the new posts produced by the blogs on the list. I picked two groups of blogs: a)blogs 1 through 10; b) blogs 91 through 100. These 20 blogs collectively produced 354 posts during last week. Top ten blogs had written 312 of those posts! While the bottom 10 only 42.
I has been more than one week since list of top 100 Real Estate Blogs went live. If you made the list before we launched the list, you may be well aware of it. If you have not heard about it. It is a list of real estate blogs that ranks blog. To rank real estate blogs we have factored in Google PR, Technorati Rank and Alexa Rankings. It is a first list of its kind and of course such an attempt will draw some attention and criticisms. So today I would like to acknowledge the incredible feedback we received and to respond to some criticisms.
Thanks For The Buzz
Fir of all I would like to take time and thank every blogger and blog that linked to my original post announcing the list or to the list itself:
Now I would like to respond to some criticisms. While I tried to respond to some of it personally on the blogs offering their feedback, I think t is important to gather the criticism into one place. I have tried to counter the criticism I found so far, but I have decided to include the criticism or rather my response to what I see as trends in criticism of our list. I tried hard to respond to particular posts personally, however it doing so I mark all the criticism with hope to improve our list or or to respond to something in a greater detail here on my own blog.
The list is unreliable. Just because we use rankings that are not necessarily most reliable does not mean our list not worthy to take a look at. Out of all list that rank blogs and websites our list is the most focused on real estate even though some blogs that are not primarily write about real estate slipped through. However unreliable one may hold Google, Technorati and Alexa- these statistics are hard to manipulate and artificially inflate therefore it will be very hard to progress on our list as well.
I can’t compete with big Blogs. There is an underlying consensus among real estate bloggers out there that in order to have nigh rankings you either need to write about technology or otherwise to be connected to “Silicon Valley” or you need to have a multi authored blog. I would argue that when it comes to blogging it is not your connection and your niche that are crucial to your success - it is the content of your blog. Here is an example. Doshdosh- an internet marketing blog is barely year old and is authored by one person. In just over one year not only the blog gained 11,000 subscribers but is widely accepted as leading blog in that particular niche.
The list has many blogs that should not have been there. I have tried to be diligent in compiling the list. I started with 30+ blogs from my Google reader. Then I moved to the blogrolls of the blogs I subscribe to and other websites like Blogflux to come up with the “first” 100 blogs. I certainly may have made a mistake or two and if your notice a blog that should is “home an living” kind of website please let me know and I will correct.
What other value our list brings comparing let say to Blogflux. Our list is more focused. I examine carefully each submission before including the blog into our list. We give each blog clean and search engine friendly links. We aggregate the latest post form each blog on the list.
Infringing on NAR trademark. I just have to say that it was on oversight on my par when we purchased the domain. There was no intention to neither compete with nor associate ourselves with NAR. As you an see our list is hosted on it’s own domain now.
Feel free to offer your onion about the Top 100 Real Estate Blogs. If you have a real estate blog feel free to submit it to me via email: vlad @ go-beyond-mls dot com. Special thanks to Mark from 45n5 fro his tireless effort programing the list. If you have not visited the list lately we have 127 blogs already with more submissions in my mailbox. Make sure to bookmark the list for the future reference and use.
Picture credits: atroszko and Daino 16.
After announcing the list of Top 100 Real Estate Blogs, I realize that I left many are under the impression that this list will be published here on this blog. In yesterday’s post I just simply copied pasted the list from http://geekrealtors.com:
As you can see from the above screen shot, there are two main columns on the list. Named Property Links and Real Estate Blogs Top 100. Basically the entire page is produced from data we receive via API from websites like Technorati and Alexa. The Property Links column shows the latest post from the blogs on the list to the left- the Real Estate Top 100.
I do not anticipate to publish the entire list on my blog again any soon, so if you would like to see how your blog is doing you have to visit the above described page yourself. Please remember that the list will be updated once a week.
I know that creating the list I have missed many outstanding real estate blogs. If you have one feel free to submit it to me at vlad @ go-beyond-mls.com
The idea to compile such a list was born a few months ago. Just as other similar top lists where appearing. After talking to Mark from 45n5- who is an outstanding programmer and internet marketer, a decision was made to bring the idea to fruition. Mark was in charge of programing the list, while my job was to find the blogs to be placed in the list- an easy job I should say for a former real estate agent.
So I present you today with GeerRealtors Top 100 Real Estate Blogs. It is a must bookmark page for many reasons. Not only will you be able to see who is who among real estate bloggers. You can also see the latest posts from the blogs featured on the list. If you are on the list this will give you an opportunity to see how your blog compares to your colleagues and/or competitors. Visit those blogs and see what are they doing that makes them more popular than yours.
If you visit the list, you will notice that there are actually more than 100 blogs.This means that you also can submit your blog, and then work your way to the top. If I have missed your blog feel free to submit your blog, and depending to the rankings elsewhere (Google Page Rank, Alexa Rankings, Technorati Rank) you may very well end up in the top 100. If not, you have some work to do.
The list will be updated once a week, so if you see N/A next to your blog, it means it was added after the last update. Just bookmark the Top 100 Real Estate Blogs and come to look at it one week from now. Finally I hope the list itself will bring you a visitor or two.
And now, without further ado, I present you with the first edition of Top 100 Real Estate Blogs:
May 7, 2008
However, after taking closer look, it became apparent that our list did not rank Matrix even in the top 100 blogs not because of Alexa. Technorati rank was the biggest problem. For a long time, Technorati had no rank whatsoever for Matrix. With the help of fellow blogger and internet entrepreneur, Andy Beard, the Technorati fixed rank for Matrix. Although our list still lists Matrix at 100+ position, I can see it rising to the top of the list with the next update. 
Posted in Articles, Top Real Estate Blogs 
Fir of all I would like to take time and thank every blogger and blog that linked to my original post announcing the list or to the list itself:
Now I would like to respond to some criticisms. While I tried to respond to some of it personally on the blogs offering their feedback, I think t is important to gather the criticism into one place. I have tried to counter the criticism I found so far, but I have decided to include the criticism or rather my response to what I see as trends in criticism of our list. I tried hard to respond to particular posts personally, however it doing so I mark all the criticism with hope to improve our list or or to respond to something in a greater detail here on my own blog. 
GR Rank*
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