Web publishers face a host of challenges when it comes to keeping up with all the information they need to pay attention to. Getting a handle on the numbers that are important for tracking success and those that aren't can be tricky. While Google ranking counts, the truth is this ranking isn't the only one that matters. Alexa ranking can also be a vital number that impacts potential advertising revenue.

Amazon.com is responsible for Alexa, which is a ranking system for traffic that websites draw. This particular measurement, however, is based on the number of visitors who stop by a site that also happen to have the Alexa toolbar installed on their own browsers. While it's true Alexa ranking is very important, it has its pitfalls. This number can be very important for advertising rates though, so it's smart to keep up with.

Alexa rank is derived from the number of visits that come from those with the toolbar installed. The actual number is created using historical data that's accumulated over the course of several months. The rank is a measurement of visits and page views combined together. Daily computations of reach and visits are taken and averaged out to produce the rank.

The actual Alexa ranking of a site is considered important because advertisers pay attention to it. This number is used to help determine pricing. Text Link Ads, ReviewMe and Sponsored Reviews are examples of sales programs that rely on Alexa to figure out a site's advertising value.

Despite its flaws, Alexa is fairly easy to get involved with. Downloading the toolbar is really all it takes. Firefox users can get the SearchStatus extension to serve the purpose. Once the tool is installed, pages that are viewed should count toward Alexa rankings.

The flaws of the Alexa system are quite known. One of the biggest problems some publishers have with the number is the fact that those with a technical audience tend to do a bit better on ranking. This is simply because technical audiences are more likely to have the Alexa toolbar included on their computers. This can make overall ranking somewhat unfair. Still, Alexa is an important consideration for advertisers, which makes paying attention to it and boosting rankings a very smart thing to do.

Although it is incredibly difficult to break into the top 10,000 on the Alexa charts, there are things that can be done to improve overall ranking. Some ideas take a little more work than others. The best, however, involves nothing more than developing content that is appealing and consistently draws in traffic. Adding content that generates links from other sites is a fantastic way to naturally increase traffic. An improved Alexa rank is an offshoot.

Some other pretty easy rank-boosting methods exist. These include adding Alexa widgets to one's own site, encouraging visitors to download the ranking toolbar, installing the toolbar on your own computers and getting others to rank your site's Alexa profile. Promoting your URL in webmaster forums, writing articles targeted to the webmaster or tech crowd and even using Alexa redirects can help a lot, too.

Other methods for increasing ranking exist. They can take a little more work though. Some of the better methods include creating a webmaster tool section on your own site, getting Dugg or Stumbled on, forking out for ads and even simply writing about Alexa on your own site.

Some less favored methods for rankings can also be tried. These include tooling MySpace pages to work as Alexa redirects, using auto-surf programs and purchasing homepage rights at Cybercafes.

Although Alexa isn't the most accurate system going, it is a very important one. Boosting ranking can help increase the ad revenues a site enjoys. With this in mind, it can be very smart for publishers to pay close attention to where they stand.