Prompt's TechBlog

Ever wondered how many people read a particular blog? Or how influential it might be?

Well, you're not alone. In fact, quite a number of people seem to have been trying to answer those questions. Trouble is, no two sources seem to be able to agree on an answer, or even a way of finding out. Welcome to the confusing world of blog ranking.

When it comes to 'old media' - newspapers, magazines, TV, etc. - things are much more straightforward. There are independently produced circulation figures and viewing figures; not that there is complete consensus on the significance of them. Blogs, on the other hand...

Well, blogs are somewhat more nebulous.

While it's now widely accepted that blogs can be influential, what people want to know is: which ones?

It's certainly hard to tell at first glance. You might assume that a lot of comments indicates a large readership. Not always - some of the most widely read blogs receive very few comments.

So how do you tell whether a blog is influential?

Technorati assumes that whichever blogs are most linked to are the most influential. Makes sense. Except that it doesn't measure how many readers a blog has.

Another service, Bloglines, ranks according to how many RSS subscribers (in other words, confirmed readers) a blog has. But that ignores anyone who has arrived at the blog via a search engine, or doesn't use a feedreader.

Is quantity of readers important, though? Not, perhaps, if those readers have no real influence outside the blogosphere.

The latest development seems to be the mapping of networks of influence, showing both how many people link to a blog, and who they are. But who are they in real-life? That's the Holy Grail. Whoever can find a way of tracking that will make millions.