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← Rankings

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

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 authorship”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

W

Ranked above its merit

WP Google Authorship shows at wp.org #2 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 200+ 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

Simple Author Box places #8 on merit, 4.3★ from 115 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 wp.org
1 Molongui Authorship – Author Boxes, Guest Authors & Co-Authors for WordPress 10K+ · 4.7★ (158) wp.org #1 2 Starbox – the Author Box for Humans 10K+ · 4.5★ (203) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 FV Simpler SEO 2K+ · 4.6★ (12) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Social Preview and Open Graph Tags 50K+ · 4.6★ (122) wp.org #11 ↑1 6 too low 6 Social Sharing Plugin – Social Warfare 10K+ · 3.3★ (186) wp.org #10 4 too low 7 Post Export Import with Media 1K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 Simple Author Box 90K+ · 4.3★ (115) wp.org #19 ↓2 11 too low 9 Media Library File Download 1K+ · 4.3★ (7) wp.org #7 2 too high 10 Opace AI Scribe: SEO Content Creator & Humanizer for OpenAI, Anthropic & Gemini 100+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #9 ↓1 1 too high 11 W WP Google Authorship 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 9 too high 12 Visibility – Lightweight SEO, AEO and GEO for Search and AI 600+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #12 ↓1 13 AEOmatic – AEO for AI Search: llms.txt, Schema & AI Crawler Check 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #13 14 Niquelao Image Optimizer 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 ↑1 6 too high 15 wAnswers – SEO-First Q&A 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↑5 1 too low 16 Opace AI Content Checker & Detector — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓2 2 too low 17 Bender – Mosaic Image Protection — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too high 18 ContentTrace — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↓1 3 too high 19 Supan SEO – AI SEO Score, FAQ Schema & llms.txt — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓2 1 too low 20 Redkirin Clinic Schema — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 ZMonstrs EEAT SEO — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓3 1 too low 22 Mivídeo Geo Audit Content — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓3 1 too low 23 EEAT WP 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↓2 6 too high 24 IF Media AOE — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓2

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.