Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “float right ads”

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 “float right ads”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 17 of the top 20. 3 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

MaxBoxy: Make WordPress Floating Content, Popup, Alert Bar shows at wp.org #11 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 50+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Easy Custom Auto Excerpt places #10 on merit, 4.5★ from 151 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155) wp.org #1 2 Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons 100K+ · 4.8★ (5333) wp.org #5 3 too low 3 GeoDirectory – WP Business Directory Plugin and Classified Listings Directory 10K+ · 4.8★ (716) wp.org #7 4 too low 4 Cool Timeline (Horizontal & Vertical Timeline) 20K+ · 4.7★ (333) wp.org #10 6 too low 5 FlatPM – Ad Manager, AdSense and Custom Code 10K+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #2 3 too high 6 MyRewards 2K+ · 4.7★ (58) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 Broken Link Checker 500K+ · 3.8★ (605) wp.org #8 1 too low 8 MP3 Audio Player – Music Player, Podcast Player & Radio by Sonaar 20K+ · 4.8★ (302) wp.org #13 ↓1 5 too low 9 AdX Ad Inserter – Adsense and Ad Manager Ads 80+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 6 too high 10 Easy Custom Auto Excerpt 6K+ · 4.5★ (151) wp.org #18 ↓2 8 too low 11 DevVn Float Left Right Ads 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #4 7 too high 12 Responsive Thumbnail Slider 1K+ · 4.4★ (23) wp.org #16 ↓2 4 too low 13 CookieBoxs – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent & Google Consent Mode v2 200+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #19 ↓2 6 too low 14 Init Ad Engine – Flexible, Multi-Format, Secure 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 8 too high 15 Ultimate Classified Listings – Classifieds, Directory & Marketplace 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #15 ↓2 16 PubExa – Ad Manager, Ad Inserter & Website Monetization 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↓1 4 too high 17 FICTBASE 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 ↓2 3 too low 18 Xtreme Forms – WP Contact Form Builder, Lead Capture, Form to Email & Webhooks 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↓2 3 too low 19 Sanil Ads Kit — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 B2B Product Catalog – No E-Commerce, Global RFQ & Bulk Quote 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #23 ↓3 3 too low 21 MaxBoxy: Make WordPress Floating Content, Popup, Alert Bar 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 ↓1 10 too high 22 CookieKita — GDPR Consent & Cookie Banner 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 KU Sticky Video for YouTube — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓2 1 too low 24 Manago AI & Leadoo AI 900+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #17 ↓2 7 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.