Google is sending 166% more traffic to Wikipedia than it was a year ago.

[Monty]

Hitwise just published the details of wikipedia traffic sources.

The percentage of Google's downstream traffic going to Wikipedia increased by 166% year over year

Being everywhere in the SERPs seems to work well...

[Anita]

(Note: here was my comment on the hitwise blog)

Wow, that's a serious increase. However, if Wikipedia's share of U.S. traffic visits was up by 143%, but Google's downstream traffic to Wikipedia was up 166%, wouldn't that mean that other search engine's share downstream share increases were probably much lower than 143%?

I've always noticed that Wikipedia articles seem to get ranked much higher in Google than other search engines, to me your analysis shows this.

Anita

[mpls-web-design]

Originally Posted by Anita

I've always noticed that Wikipedia articles seem to get ranked much higher in Google than other search engines, to me your analysis shows this.
Anita

I agree. Especially when you search for someone's name, Google often brings up wikipedia's result in the top 5 spots. I bet this has more to do with the trustworthiness of the wikipedia's site than the true value of its articles.

[Pierce]

i also agree that this is baised on trust, rather than content.

if you google pearl necklace, wiki comes up first, but not exactly about pearl necklaces.

I believe this is a flaw in their algorithm which needs to be corrected. Just because "wiki" is a god to many people doesnt mean it should get first preference for everything that may be a strong keyword hit.

Pierce

[MediaHustler]

Wow that is an INSANE increase.

[gr8liverpoolfan]

There are few terms for which wikipedia doesn't come up in the first page.

Wiki content is pretty good, so I have no problems with em coming up in the first page. Although there have been occasions when I have seen some wrong content posted over there......

[Motter]

isn't it due to the trust and quality of content? I mean. wiki has users make these HUGE well written articles about some thing or someone for free. then those users can't even take credit for the article and the G sends all of that users previous traffic to wiki to read his new article.

rofl

[budlight]

Originally Posted by Pierce

if you google pearl necklace, wiki comes up first, but not exactly about pearl necklaces.

wow good example, stuff like that and various copyright issues will be the end of wikipedia.

Sure porn is a part of life now, but google can't have people making up sexual acts and slipping them into wikipedia, and subsequently going into no porn searches.

If wikipedia didn't rank so well in google it would end up being an even better resource I think.

[wibr]

Wiki ranking so high in google is silly. Why go to google and look for something when a user can simply bypass google (the middle man) and go straight to wiki and type in their search term there?

That's what I started doing. If I need reference materials it's easier to just go straight to wiki now.

[seo_kate]

great idea wibr.

[BuenosAires]

Originally Posted by wibr

Wiki ranking so high in google is silly. Why go to google and look for something when a user can simply bypass google (the middle man) and go straight to wiki and type in their search term there?

That's what I started doing. If I need reference materials it's easier to just go straight to wiki now.

this is what i always say... wikipedia is so famous now that people will go there if they want to look up reference type info... so surely all the wikipedia stuff spamming up the top of all the serps is redundant?