Why is google #1 in Alexa?

It seems to me that google should be the #1 Alexa ranked site, but heck, they are only 3rd. Anyone have any ideas/discussions about this one?

 

I'd expect Yahoo and MSN to be above Google (and they are) - most people are clueless and use whatever website their computer came with preconfigured as the home page. There are plenty of people who don't even realize that there are web sites other than whatever their computer's home page is - my mom is one.

 

Alexa is often unreliable.

I dont really agree. Maybe your 80 year old mother doesnt know about google, but that population is shrinking daily. Almost everybody knows google - I mean "Google" is a verb now for crying out loud: "Google It"

80% of web traffic goes through SEs about half that is Google traffic. So, you would think G would be #1. Alas, alexa is unreliable.

 

I wonder if these people who do not know how to change their homepage and such would even know to install the Alexa toolbar, though.

 

MSN and Yahoo both offer more in terms of portal content, games, etc that Google does not (yet). That undoubted helps to drive a lot of traffic as well.

 

People who are fooled into thinking alexa serves a purpose also seem to use MSN or yahoo.

 

PErsonally, I'm on yahoo more than google. I download games on yahoo, I read the news there, etc. I go to google when I want to find something. They are different types of sites. Yahoo probably gets more page views/user, so its traffic ranking stays higher.

 

Yea, I used to go to Yahoo some too. Not so much anymore.

 

I've been paying my bills with Yahoo bill pay for over 6 years now. Guess I didn't realize how important that darn site was.

 

Also, yahoo does so much stuff that google doesnt. They have shops, and hosting, and picture services, movie times, maps, etc. i would think yahoo would be way above google. Especially now since they launched their ad program.