Mere Happenstance?
Here are the top 5 search providers, as ranked by Comscore for March 2010. Just for fun I’ve added % growth since January 2009, when Jeremy Zawodny (formerly at Yahoo) replaced craigslist’s old search architecture:
| 1. | 13,996,000,000 | 19% | |
| 2. | Yahoo | 2,839,000,000 | -5% |
| 3. | Microsoft | 1,883,000,000 | 58% |
| 4. | Ask | 719,000,000 | 11% |
| 5. | craigslist | 685,000,000 | 38% |
Wonder how CL would rank if we were actually in the search business?
May 18th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
There were around 60*60*24*31 = 2,678,400 seconds in March … so you’re saying craigslist users do 685,000,000 / 2,678,400 ~ 256 searches per second. Is that right ? — Stephan
May 18th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Hmmm… I thought it would change a bit, but not that much. WHOA!
Awesome move CL, you have old man Jeeves on the run now!!!
Joe Rollins
Kesher Media
May 19th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Stephan: actually the numbers are far higher than that at peak times (there’s a fairly predictable curve that our query rate follows).
May 21st, 2010 at 3:12 pm
I do love searching and finding on Craigslist.Org but, I probably spend more time there searching than I actually do finding. It sure would be great if Craigslist was to go further into the search business and came up with a way to do the searching for us. A subscription service that offered saved queries run by Craigslist would be a huge time saver. It would also feel more safe than having to rely on shady third party websites to help speed up the seek and find process.
Thanks for making the great Craigslist service better everyday and here’s to hoping that things will continue to improve in the future as well as they have in the past.
May 21st, 2010 at 4:21 pm
The new & improved search architecture is much appreciated, though if I could be just a little fussy, I wish you picked something other than the “|” to do “or” searches (just because I have to open character map, since there isn’t a key for it on my laptop). But even so, it makes doing searches a lot easier. Also good would be a wildcard “*” to put at the end of search words so that you can get the singular & plural occurrences.
Other than that, the only way CL searches could be improved on would be to get rid of all the people guilty of keyword abuse and those who name every item they have for sale in each ad they put up, so you don’t just get a hit on the relevant listing. But if you could figure out that one, you’d be a megastar.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Ohh great everyone wants a piece of Googles traffic, but seeing how Craigslist is a great recourse and has been around for a long time it could be the next runner up if they put forth the marketing efforts to do so.
May 25th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
mmm… business niche is completely different it is like compare apples and oranges i think… but nice info….
June 16th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
These numbers are pretty astounding. The fact that craigslist is in the top 5 without doing an ounce of marketing (that I have seen anyways) is astounding. I guess it can mostly be accredited to the constantly changing content that must really enhance the SEO of a site like this. Thanks for the post
June 21st, 2010 at 5:19 am
I do love searching and finding on Craigslist.Org
June 21st, 2010 at 11:39 am
I wonder how do Craigslist ads appear in Google searches results so fast? For example, I Google the title of an ad that was posted yesterday and Google retrieves it between the first 5 results. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, try google for example long lines between quotes like “RECLINER IN GOOD CONDITION” or “THE BAR IS IN NEED OF SOME PAINT” and there, you have craigslist results from yesterday, or today.
So my question is, if I have a website, how do you do to make Google check your site every hour or so and put your results on top? I believe it has to do sthg with the website changing a lot, but if you have the knowledge, please enlighten me.
June 22nd, 2010 at 3:51 am
wow that’s a huge chunk of overall search from craigslist
June 25th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Dear Craigslist
Just sold my 1981 Cutlass Low Rider,
Thanks and keep up the good public service.
Larry Mandrell
Olney, Texas
July 11th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
AFTER 23 YEARS OF SEARCHING OFF AND ON FOR MY DAUGHTER’S FATHER, I PLACED AN AD IN THE LOST N FOUND, AND 2 PEOPLE CAME FORWARD THAT KNEW HIM…..SO THEY MET FINALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND HAVE HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP EVER SINCE….THANX CRAIGS LIST FOR CLOSING A CHAPTOR, AND A LIFE TIME GOAL IN MY SEARCH.
July 12th, 2010 at 10:42 am
I would back up the craigslist algorithm off-line. Always back-up your old algorithm, when trying a new algorithm. I recommen always testing a new algorithm on a non-production server for a few weeks before putting it on-line. Was Jeremy at Yahoo in 1994?
Have you ever seen The Truman Show? Craig’s red VW beetle is in the movie.
P.S. Congratulations, Larry!
note: 1994-Yahoo was Miami-architecture. Fast, efficient, and accurate.
July 13th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Why Honduras is not listed on the Americas section a a country? How or do get in touch to request to add Honduras as a country? Thanks
July 14th, 2010 at 7:00 am
We own and operate an excavation company.
‘Heavy equipment operators”, under jobs would be great. That could cover
truck drivers and all equipment operators. Or just ‘equipment operators’ might work.
Thanks, We have found cars, truck, laborers and renters on your sight.
Wonderful!
Dawn
July 15th, 2010 at 4:55 am
Craigslist is like a freight train that can’t be stopped.
Expect more “Jelous” people to attach you in the future.
Such is the nature of success.
July 15th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Those numbers are incredible.
July 15th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Wow, that’s very impressive. Maybe, you guys should consider branching off into the Search world. With as much traffic as Craigslist gets, and the rate you are growing, I’d say you’d give Big G a run for their money.
July 18th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Thank you so much for the valuable service that you have provided for millions of people. I agree with you that newspapers overcharge for their services. I have been greatly blessed by what you have provided to the public for free.
Getting millions for the work you have done could not have happened to a nicer person.
Thank you
Carolyn
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:01 pm
I use the London CL - very impressed with the stats you show.
July 23rd, 2010 at 1:34 pm
everyone wants a piece of Google traffic. Thank you so much for the valuable service that you have provided for millions of people.
July 24th, 2010 at 4:06 am
It looks like Microsoft is planning something
July 25th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
I want to work for you, Jim. Is there any room there for a seasoned IT/process/systems manager with a similar sociopolitical outlook?
July 25th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
I like Craigslist and my ad always works and visible for everyone.
August 7th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Jim,
I love your blog and I love craigslist! It is an amazing phenomenon. I am a writer, planning a book about its incredible contributions to modern society. Because you and Craig have kept your moral compass firm even while under attack for human trafficking, you’re setting a standard similar to Net Neutrality and holding off anyone who would try to turn it into something else. Keep up the good work!
August 19th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Yes Cl has long been my favorite classified place to advertise. There is no other classified ad site that can measure up to Craigslist and provide the same quality. I wonder what it be like if CL entered the search business like Google,etc. Thanks for creating this site!!
September 4th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Thanks, Jim Buckmaster for your insight, charity and contributions to humanity. If more people were like you, the world would be a much, much better place.
November 8th, 2010 at 9:33 am
These numbers don’t surprise me. Fantastic growth. Maybe CL should get into the search business… Google needs quality competition and CL would provide this…