Concerned About Your WA Ranking? No Need To Be
Hi Folks
There have been a lot of posts about the Ranking System here at WA of late, so I thought I'd get my "Four Penn'eth" in, as we say in England.
Due to the recent school holidays and some rather pressing 'stuff of life' issues prior,
I've seen my WA ranking drop gradually down the scale over the past couple of months.
However, I did get a bit of a surprise this morning when I logged into my account and saw that my previously 'gradual' slide in rank had turned into a single plummet over night of around 1100 places!
We have to remember that the ranking system has been quite contentious and open to misuse - hence the changes Carson and the IT Team are now making. There were a few people way up at the top who were 'faking it rather than making it'. Previously, putting up meaningless posts about one's pet cat being ill or asking excessive questions when the answer was right under ones nose had one actually bothered to look were a very easy way to enhance one's rank. Something needed to be done.
I made it into the Top 200 within about 3 months of joining Wealthy Affiliate which suggests I was far more competent and qualified than I really was. My seemingly impressive 'progress' was far more down to my level or interaction within the Community than my slow but steady progress through the training - although I'd like to say my interaction was not in the manner I describe above.
Hence, I was not particularly comfortable with being in the top echelon of affiliates when there were no doubt people nowhere near me in rank who had far more experience and knowledge - and who were earning decent money by applying what they've learned here.
The necessary changes aren't going to be an over night process. They will be a work in progress probably for some time and we all need to consider that the end result when it arrives will still not please all of the people all of the time despite the best efforts of Carson and Co.
Our focus - without exception - should be to do the trainings and bring in the commissions. We're all here to earn money and simply being in the Top 200, Top 100 or an Ambassador isn't going to have any baring on our pay cheques.
This week, I've started right back at the beginning again and am repeating all of the training I've done so far to bring myself back up to speed after being out of the Driver's seat for some time. When I catch up (Monday next week) and progress after where I left off, I will find my rank improving. That's how the new ranking system is intended to work and that is how it should be.
But hey - maybe this post will bump me up a few by tomorrow - lol! :-)
Have a productve and prosperous day everybody - cheers!
Rich
Recent Comments
51
I couldn't agree more with you, Rich.
The rankings are not based on the level of experience one possesses and even less on earnings. It's true that as a community, we want to help each other, but we are here to build a business. It's always good to log in once in a while to help a member, but we should also consider spending valuable time to build and maintain our websites.
I hope this post serves as a reminder to members who are getting distracted by WA rankings.
Have a great day!
We have to find a balance. I find interacting beneficial and motivational. Without it, I'd find it more difficult to get into the training. That's just me though. I've struggled to find the right balance between the two and I definitely did too much interacting and not enough training in my first couple of months.
Rich :-)
What if the rankings were primarily based on earnings? I would certainly take advice from someone who is making money with WA.
Here would be my weight order for ranking points. Earnings, Certification training, Affiliate Bootcamp, training posts, and answering questions could weigh for about 90% of the value. General posts and questions could make up the other 10%.
There's a lot of merit in what you say there, Rudy. With regard to rank being rated by earnings, though, unless you've done the Bootcamp and are promoting WA your earnings will be via your affiliate niches and external to WA, who would have no visibility of those earnings and would be unable to factor them into the rank. That would exclude people from the rankings who may be doing well from their niche sites but who are not promoting WA.
Rich :-)
Very well said!
I would much prefer to receive initial advice from those with experience and who are making money.
I believe the advice would be more 'professional' and to the quickest way to our objectives.
However, the community at large does play a role, as it represents a sample of the 'public' from whom we all need approval /sales.
Well said. However, I don`t think you need to eliminate the system altogether. I like the idea of getting the same training from a number of people in that it can give a different slant on the topic. Also the trainer needs to practice somewhere before they go off to the "real world" to do their stuff and if they like the reward of being at or near the top then they are on the right track.
The ones who "play the system" are normally pretty easy to detect after the second or third post and a click on the unfollow button means its no longer a concern for you. If enough people do that, the "players" will soon get the message!
Paul.
I'd never suggest eliminating the system, Paul. It's a great bench mark for your own personal progress and meaningful contribution to the Community. The new algorhythms should hopefully weed out the players from the start before people start to unfollow them.
Rich :-)
Hi, Rich.
I have always believed that too many people here at WA, and especially "newbies" become obsessed with trying to get ranked as high as possible and as soon as possible after first joining the program.
As you stated and has been stated by members who posted before I did; the focus should be first on the training that is offered as part of the program. Following that, it should be a person's mission to build up his/her online business in whatever niche(s) that the individual has chosen to pursue.
Another member of WA, Grace, ("Littlemama") about 10 or so days ago posted an incredibly brilliant and well-articulated article on the dashboard proposing her feelings that there should NOT be a ranking system in the organization.
In addition to the fact that a percentage of members here, again obsessed over being ranked as high as possible, have attempted to "game" the system by often posting ridiculous "look-at-me" dashboard articles that offered absolutely NOTHING to the community; Grace also believes that a member would be better off focusing his/her attention on the online business development.
Here is Grace's article: What If We Have No WA Rankings? .
I know for a fact from a member who reached Super Affiliate status a few years ago that the subject of dropping the ranking system was actually brought up at the Las Vegas conference in Feb. of 2016 by several of those in attendance. However, Kyle and Carson rejected that idea.
If I could tell these two gentleman personally face to face, I would suggest that they think a little more eliminating the ranking system. I say this because I strongly believe that Kyle and Carson would actually be doing a huge favor to a healthy percentage of the members here at WA, (especially the new ones) if there were no ranking system in place. Then, if these people were truly serious about learning how to build a profitable online business, their attention would be completely on that mission.
Not in trying to reach #1 in the rankings which, apparently unbeknownst to them, would never happen anyway!
Some members' attitude would no longer be like the following:
"I'm going to try and get into the top 10 in ranking within 5 months of my joining WA as a member. Even if it requires that I post 5 articles daily on the dashboard!"
Earth to that individual: Why don't you spend time with the training and also creating new and relevant content articles to be posted on your website? Wouldn't the time that you wasted writing dashboard articles be better served by developing your online business instead?
I also hate to keep dwelling on it, as I've stated the following in several other threads posted in response to people who have created dashboard articles on the subject of WA's new ranking system; Kyle and Carson do NOT hand out bonus money each month to people who get into the top 50.
It SHOULD BE about a member learning all that is available here in the various training programs to help him/her build up a profitable online business, in fact being able to have steady passive income being created and going into their bank accounts.
Too bad however that a percentage of members here at WA are sadly blinded by the ideal of getting ranked as high as possible.
Truly it means NOTHING regarding the success of one's business.
Very well articulated, Jeff - and by Grace too.
I wouldn't personally be in favour of getting rid of the ranking altogether. If they are a little more resistant to 'gaming' they can be a bench mark for ones progress and contribution to the community. Definitely food for thought though.
Rich :-)
I think Phase 2 of the update will help. Carson has said that content will then be divided up into streams, Business, Social, etc. and members can select which one they want to see. I'm also hoping that referrers will also be able to choose which stream their referrals land on too!!
I pontificated on this previously, here: The Hidden Best Friend in content writing :)
I agree 100% about your comments and now! How about this post? I guess your rank improvement depends on weather or not this info posted is actually helpful to GROW our business. In other words Is the info helpful for us to succeed or not...I believe it is very beneficial if only to stop the unnecessary posts; which I know has greatly improved....
I think a lot of the 'gamers' now realize they've been found out. We're seeing a few less pointless attention grabbing posts now by the looks of things. I hope it stays that way/
Rich :-)
There seems to be too much emphasis on ranking these days.
This can take the focus off the reason why we are all here.
Ranking is great but some have ranked high for wrong reasons, great kudos to them.WA is on the case, I believe.
I don't think Google wants to know if you rank high in WA, it's our sites that puts money in our pocket.
I'm forever telling members not to worry about WA rank, it's merely a reflection of your activity and engagement within the community here, it's not a benchmark of "success" in any shape or form and it certainly won't earn you a dime.
It's also true that some of the most financially successful members here don't rank in the WA league table at all, they're far too busy earning to engage on the level required to maintain rank.
Unfortunately, some members get distracted by following, socialising, blogging and "competitive" ranking within WA to the detriment of their training and then end up complaining they're not getting anywhere business-wise.
I have lost count of the number of high ranking members and even ambassadors who after a year or two at WA start whining they are still not earning. It often only takes a casual inspection to realise they've ended up with hundreds - if not thousands! - of pieces of content here at WA, in order to rank highly on the WA "leaderboard", but hardly any by comparison on their own websites, where it would actually have done them some good.
I honestly believe they'd have been better off playing Candy Crush instead !!
Spot on, Rich. Engagement and content are great if they benefit the community and aren't just about ranking. I'd rather be ranking in the thousands and getting a pay cheque with the same digits on it than ranking under 50 with a pay cheque with well....the same digits on it. Not tarring everybody with the same brush - I think we all eventually get to know the ones to follow and the ones to avoid.
Rich :-)
LOL - I've been the 'Skint Ambassador' and I couldn't agree with you more. I joined long before the ranking system existed and I was used to answering questions - so when the system came in, it wasn't long before I hit the bar for becoming an Ambassador. When I rejoined recently- it was a delight to see my ranking at 33K plus!
As @@Rich says there have been endless conversations about this - and we have seen the disappointment people get when their sites are making no money. You're wise - that cheque with lots of digits is far more important.
Some people are too stubborn to be told - so if they want to waste their time, or it fulfils some other need - who am I to criticise? My only sadness is that sometimes new people get caught up in some of the nonsense and waste time they can ill afford.
Beverley
I wondered about this very issue. I joined in March and in no time at all I was up in the 500's. After a break for a couple of months I now find myself down in the 5000's. Which, given that I have not completed the training or made any money seems quite reasonable to an unassuming Englishman. Cheers Robert
My thoughts too, Robert. I was very uncomfortable with such a high rank so early on.
Rich :-)
Great message! I have been finding myself wondering about the ranking system myself! Seeing someone in the top 200 that just made their first sale was what made me think...I figured those in the top 200 were well on their way to making this a full time job already!
You are right, the focus should be on the training and building our business!
That's what made me uncomfortable about my own ranking in such a short time, Abby. It makes me glad I've slipped back as there was very little credibility. I like to think the posts I've put up and the comments I've made on other's posts have contributed positively to the Community and have helped some people, but it is in no way reflective of my technical competence at website building and monetizing, which is what this is all about when all is said and done.
Rich :-)
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I agree 100%, Rich. I have no idea what the new criteria are for rank here in WA but I have seen my rank go from where you are now down to 211 in just a couple of weeks since the "new criteria" came into being.
I know that it's not important and doesn't equate monetarily. For me it's just a number and, yes I have been a lot more active especially since I started a new website. This probably accounts for 90% of my activity.
The other 10% is just responding to post others have written. It's interesting just to see where it will be the next day.
Good post...needed to be said.
Wayne
Thanks, Wayne. Personally I enjoy interacting in the Community but I don't do it for ranking. Quite the opposite in fact - I felt the need to hold back on my interaction previously when my rank started to rise out of all proportion to my competence and experience.
For me, I get a lot of value from some of the posts I read and I also get that 'warm fuzzy feeling' when I read positive feedback on the posts I put up. It helps me when I know that despite my relative inexperience, some of what I say may well be helpful and beneficial to some people.
These things actually keep my interest levels up and motivate me to get on with the trainings. If I stop interacting for a while, I have to almost drag myself back to my computer to log back in and start training again.
I just had to find that all elusive balance between interacting and training. Earning money is what I signed up for in the first place, after all, just like everyone else here.
I've been in other programmes where there is no interaction and that was one of the reasons I couldn't stick with them.
Rich :-)
Yup, yup and yup. I haven't been in other programs and I to find that if I am too involved with the community It takes away from the training. So, now I have to practice what I preach and get on with the training.
All the best, Rich
All the best to you too, Wayne. If you manage to find that balance can you let me know where lol! :-0)
Cheers
Rich