wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “google analytics wordpress”

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 “google analytics wordpress”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 6 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

HT Easy GA4 – Google Analytics WordPress Plugin shows at wp.org #12 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 6K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.5★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 7519 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012) wp.org #1 2

Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #3 1 too low 3

MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #2 1 too high 4

Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186) wp.org #4 ↑1 5

Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167) wp.org #5 ↑1 6

Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #10 ↓2 4 too low 7

GA Google Analytics – Connect Google Analytics to WordPress 400K+ · 4.9★ (158) wp.org #7 8

GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155) wp.org #6 ↓2 2 too high 9

Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #9 10

WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (759) wp.org #11 ↑11 1 too low 11

Koko Analytics – Privacy-Friendly WordPress Analytics 70K+ · 5.0★ (245) wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too low 12

Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519) wp.org #19 ↓3 7 too low 13

Translate WordPress – Google Language Translator 100K+ · 4.7★ (620) wp.org #18 ↑2 5 too low 14

WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387) wp.org #23 ↓2 9 too low 15

XML Sitemap Generator for Google 1M+ · 4.8★ (2233) wp.org #20 ↓5 5 too low 16

Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1668) wp.org #24 8 too low 17

Lara's Google Analytics (GA4) 8K+ · 4.7★ (122) wp.org #22 ↓3 5 too low 18

Analytics Insights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress 10K+ · 4.6★ (34) not PHP-current wp.org #15 ↓1 3 too high 19

Google for WooCommerce 800K+ · 2.7★ (268) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #8 11 too high 20

Beehive Analytics – Google Analytics Dashboard 20K+ · 4.5★ (13) thin reviews wp.org #13 ↓2 7 too high 21

WEBKINDER Integration for Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager 10K+ · 4.8★ (20) thin reviews wp.org #21 ↓3 22

ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin) 200K+ · 2.5★ (1546) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #17 ↓5 5 too high 23

Google Analytics for WooCommerce 100K+ · 2.8★ (119) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #16 ↓7 7 too high 24

HT Easy GA4 – Google Analytics WordPress Plugin 6K+ · 4.5★ (8) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #12 ↓2 12 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.