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

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 “search analytics”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 5 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

WooCommerce Analytics shows at wp.org #15 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 20K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.5★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 27821 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 Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012) wp.org #1 2 Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #3 4 Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157) wp.org #4 ↓2 1 too high 6 Koko Analytics – Privacy-Friendly WordPress Analytics 70K+ · 5.0★ (245) wp.org #8 ↑3 2 too low 7 Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519) wp.org #11 ↓1 4 too low 8 GA Google Analytics – Connect Google Analytics to WordPress 400K+ · 4.9★ (158) wp.org #9 ↓1 1 too low 9 WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758) wp.org #10 ↑10 1 too low 10 Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter 70K+ · 4.8★ (266) wp.org #12 ↑5 2 too low 11 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #19 ↑2 8 too low 12 Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin 90K+ · 4.9★ (1562) wp.org #13 ↓7 1 too low 13 Search Analytics for WP – Site Search Tracking 3K+ · 5.0★ (30) wp.org #6 ↓3 7 too high 14 FiboSearch – Ajax Search for WooCommerce 100K+ · 4.9★ (1815) wp.org #16 ↓4 2 too low 15 Search Insights – Privacy-Friendly Search Analytics 3K+ · 4.9★ (29) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 Advanced Woo Search – Product Search for WooCommerce 60K+ · 4.8★ (248) wp.org #18 ↓9 2 too low 17 Plausible Analytics 10K+ · 5.0★ (29) wp.org #21 ↓2 4 too low 18 Analytics Insights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress 10K+ · 4.6★ (34) wp.org #17 ↓1 1 too high 19 BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Beehive Analytics – Google Analytics Dashboard 20K+ · 4.5★ (13) wp.org #14 6 too high 21 Clicky Analytics 10K+ · 4.5★ (25) wp.org #22 ↓3 1 too low 22 Google Analytics for WooCommerce 100K+ · 2.8★ (119) wp.org #23 ↓10 1 too low 23 Advance Product Search- Voice & Ajax Search for WooCommerce 9K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #24 ↓2 1 too low 24 WooCommerce Analytics 20K+ · 4.5★ (4) wp.org #15 9 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.