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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “adwords script”

wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →

For “adwords script”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 7 plugins are pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.

wp.org search ranks on

Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.

We add

A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

REVIEWS.io for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #7 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.3★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

NextMove Lite – Thank You Page for WooCommerce places #5 on merit, 4.7★ from 150 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Pixel Manager for WooCommerce – Conversion Tracking, Google Ads, GA4, TikTok, Dynamic Remarketing 40K+ · 4.9★ (399) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Tracking Code Manager 90K+ · 4.1★ (58) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Tracking Script Manager 2K+ · 4.1★ (7) wp.org #1 2 too high 4 GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO 30K+ · 4.6★ (683) wp.org #14 10 too low 5 NextMove Lite – Thank You Page for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.7★ (150) wp.org #16 11 too low 6 Conversion Tracking for WooCommerce 20K+ · 3.0★ (24) wp.org #4 2 too high 7 Social Sharing Buttons 100+ · 4.7★ (13) wp.org #11 4 too low 8 CallRail Phone Call Tracking 10K+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #5 3 too high 9 Mergado Pack 700+ · 3.6★ (17) wp.org #6 3 too high 10 Smalk AI Analytics 40+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 2 too high 11 Nimbata Call Tracking 400+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 2 too high 12 T Tailored Tools 70+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #15 3 too low 13 EZY.ai – AEO & AI SEO for ChatGPT, Claude & Gemini 100+ · 3.0★ (4) wp.org #12 1 too high 14 Tiny gtag.js Analytics 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 C Creative Clans Embed Script 600+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 REVIEWS.io for WooCommerce 1K+ · 2.3★ (3) wp.org #7 9 too high 17 Variolab – A/B Testing — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 CallTracker 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 5 too high 19 Webphone 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 2 too high 20 I In Page Script 90+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Analytics Control Plus 20+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #19 2 too high 22 Partners Dynamic Badge 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 U Ultimate Conversion Tracking Code 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Ultimate Products Feed : Woocommerce to Google Shopping 20+ · 3.0★ (3) wp.org #20 4 too high

Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.