Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “ctr optimization”

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 “ctr optimization”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 4 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

SiteSEO – SEO Simplified shows at wp.org #7 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 400K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

SEO Booster places #7 on merit, 4.8★ from 54 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231) wp.org #1 2 SEOPress – AI SEO Plugin & On-site SEO 300K+ · 4.8★ (1267) wp.org #2 3 SureRank SEO – Meta Tags, Social Preview, XML Sitemap, Schema & Open Graph 300K+ · 4.8★ (51) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 Schema – All In One Schema Rich Snippets 30K+ · 4.0★ (162) wp.org #5 ↑2 1 too low 5 GetGenie – AI SEO Assistant & Content Writer with Keyword Research, AEO & GEO 70K+ · 4.8★ (119) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too low 6 CTRify AI SEO Content 100+ · 3.9★ (7) wp.org #4 ↑2 2 too high 7 SEO Booster 800+ · 4.8★ (54) wp.org #23 16 too low 8 PushEngage – Web Push Notifications, WooCommerce Automation & Chat Widget 8K+ · 4.3★ (37) wp.org #18 ↑2 10 too low 9 Embedder for Google Reviews 6K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #10 ↑3 1 too low 10 SendPulse Free Web Push 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #13 ↑2 3 too low 11 CapstonAI – AI SEO & GEO Optimization 20+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 ↑2 5 too high 12 HashBar – Announcement, Notification Bar & Popup Campaign 9K+ · 4.2★ (38) wp.org #22 ↑2 10 too low 13 Website Optimization – Plerdy 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #11 ↑1 2 too high 14 Actirise – Advertising & Monetization 200+ · 5.0★ (13) wp.org #20 ↑2 6 too low 15 SiteSEO – SEO Simplified 400K+ · 4.0★ (8) wp.org #7 ↑3 8 too high 16 SEO Repair Kit – Spam Monitor, Meta Manager, Schema Manager, Internal Linking, SEO Content Monitoring, GSC Integration 2K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #12 ↑2 4 too high 17 Auto Ping Booster 900+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #9 ↑2 8 too high 18 LLMagnet – AI Visibility & AI SEO for Claude, ChatGPT & More 600+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #21 ↑2 3 too low 19 AdPresso – The Modern Ad Manager for AdSense, Banners & Ad Tracking 40+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #17 ↑2 2 too high 20 CTA Button Styler 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #19 ↑2 1 too high 21 Rankiva – SEO & Keyword Insights for Google Search Console 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↑2 7 too high 22 Rankology SEO and Analytics Tool 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↑2 7 too high 23 DominoPost – Advanced Post Editor with AI Writer, Link Building Suite, Free Google Search Console & GA4 Analytics 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 ↑2 7 too high 24 CitedSEO 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24

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.