As a dedicated Blogger enthusiast, I'm very interested to learn more about the sites hosted on Google's free blogging platform.
So I decided to find out which popular sites are powered by Blogger to
build upon the list curated in 2008 in order to find the most popular
Blogspot sites (including those which use custom domains).
After gathering a huge amount of links to sites hosted on Blogger
(whittled down to 350 for the final analysis) I set about scoring and
ranking each site according to the following criteria:
- Pagerank
- Inbound links
- Alexa Rank
- Facebook shares
- Twitter Mentions
- Google+1s
- Google Reader feed subscribers
With the exception of Pagerank, these sites were scored in relation to
each other, with each element scored on a scale of 1-350. Data for these
rankings were gathered between July and August 2012.
Alexa ranking was scored first as this value is unique to each website.
In instances where sites had an equal value to another, scoring would
secondly depend on this Alexa score in order to give each site a unique
score.
Pagerank for each site was allocated as Pagerank*10, where 0 is the lowest score and 100 (PR10) was potentially the highest.
The total possible score for each website is therefore on a scale of 6-2200.
In order of total score, here are the most popular Blogger powered sites for 2012:
Score: 2131
PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in
their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. It began
as an experiment on January 1st 2005, and has gained a worldwide
following through the weekly updated website, book releases and
exhibition tour.
Score: 2092
Hyperbole and a Half is a combination of web-comic and blog, maintained
by Allie Brosh. Through intentionally crude images drawn in Paintbrush,
Ms. Brosh retells stories from her life and childhood, and was named as
one of
PC World's Funniest Sites on the Web.
 |
| From Hyperbole and a Half |
Score: 2092
The official blog of one of the world's most frequented sites (ranking 8 with Alexa). Yes, it's powered by Blogger =)
Score: 2031
The personal site of Joanna Goddard, who has also blogged for Glamour Magazine and Conde Nast.
Score: 2003
A community-gathered site about the modification and repurposing of Ikea products.
Score: 1965
A fashion-photography blog featuring "the most stylish and creative older folks" from the streets of New York.
Score: 1958
Daily commentary on global economics by Mike Sherlock with a huge reader following.
Score: 1954
An awesome (mostly) photography blog maintained by Tavie Gevinson, the
sixteen year old founder of Rookie, a website for teenage girls. Tavie
takes photographs of herself using a self-timer, wearing wonderful
outfits which she picks up from thrift stores.
Score: 1952
Also known as Gina's Skinny Tastes, this website offers low-calorie
recipes "from my family to yours" and has a great following among those
watching their weight.
Score: 1935
A photoblog by "a man out and about in london and beyond: eye candy for the style hungry".
Score: 1890
Blogger's official blog, presenting news and updates for those using the platform.
Score: 1889
Written by Richard Byrne, this site offers free resources and lesson plans for teaching with technology.
Score: 1887
Nominated as one of The Times' 25 best financial blogs, Calculated Risk
is a highly popular Economics blog, curated by Bill McBride.
Score: 1886
"Systematically and mercilessly disassembling, flushing, greasing and repacking the cycling culture."
Score: 1856
Mankiw is a Professor at Harvard University and presents his "random observation"s for students of economics on his blog.
Score: 1855
How About Orange features craft project how-tos, decorating ideas,
printable downloads, useful design resources, and lots of inspiration
for people who like to create things.
 |
How about Orange?
|
Score: 1844
A site which started as a New Year resolution to use a slow cooker each day of 2008.
Score: 1842
Architectural conjecture, urban speculation nd landscape futures
Score: 1835
A Canadian design blog dedicated to supporting the beautiful, the decayed and the handmade.
Score: 1817
Eclectic historic science and art images from rare books and prints.
Score: 1798
Unofficial news and tips about Google. A blog that watches Google's
latest developments and the attempts to move your operating system
online.
Score: 1797
Watch, listen, learn, and enjoy! Hundreds of free, original video recipes, done by Chef John Mitzewich.
Score: 1795
Is it possible to make a living as a genre fiction writer? Yes it is.
Score: 1791
"Misinterpreting bad punctuation since 2005".
Score: 1787
Gluten-Free Goddess Karina serves up fresh, creative recipes with juicy photographs. And a side of life
Score: 1780
Free vintage and Victorian clip-art - a great resource for crafters and designers
Score: 1761
One of the favorite destinations on the web for all things weird and
wonderful, updated daily. In-depth articles in many fascinating
categories make DRB a highly visual online magazine.
 |
| Dark Roasted Blend - a Thrilling Wonder Publication! |
Score: 1756
Cute witty comic strips about a cat and it's owner, curated by Yasmine Surovec.
Score: 1754
Everything you wanted to know about cupcakes from true cupcake fans, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Nichelle Stephens and Stacie Joy.
Score: 1741
Tips on home and lifestyle organisation combined with style. Find also
DIY and home improvement projects to help you maintain an organised
system.
Score: 1733
A truly mouthwatering site through which Kevin Lynch chronicles his adventures in discovering new food tastes.
Score: 1698
The personal blog of 24 year old freelance photographer, actress, and street artist , Katie Sokoler.
 |
| Color Me Katie is choc ful of colourful goodness! |
Score: 1698
A food and lifestyle blog with beautiful photography by Molly Wizenberg.
Score: 1685
Arguably the best collection of lowbrow art in the world, curated by John Struan.
Score: 1681
A long runner among gay blogs, JMG features news, culture and politics in a candid and distinctive voice. Now in its ninth year!
Score: 1675
Personal website of clothes designer, Keiko Lynn, featuring some beautiful fashion photography.
The personal blog of journalist Antonio Martinez Ron (in Spanish)
Score: 1667
Curated by holistic nutritionist, Sarah Britton, My New Roots is an
award-winning food blog which has become known "not only for its
one-of-a-kind recipes, but also for its amazing nutritional information
and mouth-watering photography".
Score: 1661
The blog of Jen Amos of Made by Girl paper goods, featuring photography, art and inspiration.
Score: 1657
Liberal politics, interviews, and Stephanie Miller appearances, all done rudely.
Score: 1650
Budget Bytes is "a web log of good food cooked with very little cash",
featuring nutritious low-cost recipes and even costs per serving!
Score: 1640
A journal of news and opinion about US politics, both domestic and foreign, from a progressive point of view.
Score: 1639
A popular productivity blog featuring posts to save time, money, "or simply keep you sane".
Score: 1634
A British-based website which celebrates the art of printed surface patterns.
Score: 1631
Amazing concept spaceship art from film, TV, videogame and personal sources. Stunning site, truly worth a look!
 |
| Concept Ships - Epic Spaceship Art |
Score: 1616
Personal stories told through hilarious comic strips by Adam Ellis.
Score: 1612
Features beautiful images and fashion photography.
Score: 1608
An unusual photoblog documenting the adventures of "milk teeth" ickle and Lardie.
Score: 1604
Musings on art, architecture, design, fashion, photography, books, events, and everything else habitually chic!
Score: 1603
Commentary and photography on the fashions worn by the Olsen sisters, by a self-confessed addict.
Sore: 1297
The official website of the group founded by the artist, Drake.
Score: 1596
This blog is now maintained in memory of Avery Lynn Canahuati in order
to raise awareness of the genetic disease, SMA. Her story is incredibly
touching, and through this site Avery's family hope to raise funds for
Dr.
Kaspar's SMA Gene Therapy programme to help find a cure for her friends.
Score: 1596
"A never ending celebration of monsters", this blog publishes unique
imagery of fantasy worlds and strange creatures, designed by both the
author and other interesting artists.
Score: 1587
Le Love is a collection of reader-submitted posts dedicated to love: the
good, the bad and the unknown. Featuring beautiful photography and
touching prose, this site is curated by the author of Le Fashion and
Olsens Anonymous.
Score: 1574
A friendly visual match between two cities told by a lover of Paris
wandering through NewYork featuring stylish infographics (also available
as posters) and posts in both French and English.
Score: 1572
Sarah shares her knowledge of simple, inexpensive ways to decorate your
home, using thrift store purchases and high-street finds.
Score: 1565
A photoblog featuring bent object sculptures and photo scenes of
inanimate objects brought to life with witty captions by Terry Border.
Score: 1552
Warning: this blog includes adult content!
This site was a bit of a wild card. I honestly hadn't expected a site
featuring such adult themes to rank so highly in the list of Blogger
sites, though it has a high number of social media shares and an
excellent Alexa rank. I won't go into detail about the content as the
title is pretty self-explanatory. For those who would like to click
through, there is a content warning before clicking through to the site,
and no explicit images on the home page.
Score: 1551
Sandra, a student at the London College of Fashion, posts gorgeous
photographs of herself wearing the latest trends, and always high heels!
Score: 1549
Updated almost daily, John Hill posts inspiring architectural photography and musings from New York City.
Score: 1546
Another beautiful fashion photography blog, maintained by Cat Khan.
Score: 1539
"This is my maternity leave hobby. While my baby is taking her nap, I
try to imagine her dream and capture it." Truly, this site is well worth
a look for the beautiful pictures of sleeping babies which has inspired
a bug and a great fan following!
Score: 1539
An unofficial Google Maps blog tracking the websites, mashups and tools
being influenced by Google Maps. It's easy to get lost wandering through
the inspiring and interesting maps and applications featured on this
site!
Score: 1538
Making local iPhone OS restores possible...
Score: 1538
An ongoing series of personal and
cultural observations, featuring wonderful historic images and posters,
which have inspired many Facebook shares and inbound links.
Score: 1538
A publishing industry watchdog group which shines a bright light into
the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and
pitfalls. Also features industry news, writing advice and "a special
focus on the wacky things that happen at the fringes of the publishing
world."
Score: 1534
Provides updated forecasts and comments on the current weather and related topics.
Score: 1525
Don't be fooled by the title of this site! Sexy People offers a
collection of user-submitted photographic portraits from past and
present which makes for interesting browsing.
Score: 1524
John Kricfalusi, famed for the Ren and Stimpy cartoon, discusses cartoons and the animation industry.
Score: 1520
Having survived a near fatal airplane crash with 80% burns, Stephanie
Nielson cherishes life and writes about her family's adventures on
NieNie Dialogues.
Score: 1519
Alice Pyne is a brave 16 year old girl with terminal cancer who is
living her life to the full. This blog features updates from her daily
life, the work of her charity and - of course - details of her "bucket
list".
Score: 1517
Named one of the best 25 blogs in 2011 by Time Magazine, this is the
site of Emmy Award-winning writer/director/major league baseball
announcer, Ken Levine, who is famed for his involvement in TV series
Cheers, Mash, The Simpsons and many others.
Score: 1517
Professor Mark J. Perry's Blog for Economics and Finance.
Score: 1516
500 Photographers aims to become an archive of amazing photographers and
their work from the 21st century. Photography fans will find that
browsing through the archives is a visual and cultural treat.
Score: 1511
A photography blog dedicated to images of "Tomboys", a celebration of
confidence, rebelliousness and adventure: "To define a tomboy requires
searching beyond the simple notion of wearing boy's clothing".
Score: 1502
Featuring a collection of post-it notes left in public places, Things we Forget offers wit, humour and lessons in life.
Score: 1494
The photoblog of former lawyer, Vanessa Jackman, who is "totally in
love" with her Nikon camera and the subjects she captures with it.
Score: 1486
The lifestyle blog of Kandee Johnson, featuring beauty, fashion, hair, DIY/crafts, and a whole lot of inspiration.
Score: 1484
The personal blog of Ann Althouse, a professor at The University of
Wisonsin Law School, who often writes about law amidst her more personal
contributions.
Score: 1482
A writer and director of television shows for kids, John Kenn likes to
spend his spare time creating "monsterdrawings" on post-it notes, which
have spawned a book (and reprint) as well as a huge following.
Score: 1482
Sharing ideas about the future of education, this blog offers insights
into the role of technology in education, the benefits of homeschooling
and much more.
Score: 1480
One of global Catholicism's most prominent chroniclers, Rocco Palmo has
held court as the "Church Whisperer" since 2004, when Whispers in the
Loggia was launched with an audience of three. Since then, the site has
grown by nothing but word of mouth, and has been kept alive throughout
solely by means of reader support.
Score: 1463
A blog about real life, personal style and "stuff that's kinda funny
sometimes". This site features a gorgeous design and colourful
photography.
Score: 1450
This is the personal blog of Kaylah, a thrifting queen, amateur
mycologist and lover of cats, where she posts about film, personal style
and nature. With plenty of cats!
Score: 1449
Mattias Adolfsson is a freelance illustrator who has worked with many
mediums from computer games to children's books. On Matia Inks he posts
many of his hand-drawn illustrations and offers an insight into the life
of an illustrator.
Score: 1446
Karen is a fashion blogger from London who now lives in New York. After
being asked "where did you get that" so many times in response to her
wardrobe choices, she decided to create a log to answer that question.
Score: 1442
Keeping you up to date with the latest and greatest art, style and design from all over the globe.
Score: 1442
Danni Hong is a designer who posts visual stimulation and inspiration in a beautifully presented site.
Score: 1437
A liberal politics blog whose founder has been called one of the
"leading and most admired commentators" of the progressive blogosphere (
link).
Oddly,Hullaballoo does not produce a feed, so no subscriber count was
included for it's score, indicating it would have ranked incredibly
highly if a subscriber base was present.
Score: 1436
Blogger Plugins features tutorial, gadgets and layout for those using
Blogger to publish their sites and scored incredibly highly for Alexa
ranking making it the most popular Blogspot resource site (and with good
reason!).
Score: 1430
"This website is about one thing: Learning how to use off-camera flash
with your DSLR to take your photos to the next level. Or the next ten
levels." Probably the web's most popular site about flash photography.
Score: 1428
It's difficult to believe that Carscoop is a Blogger powered site!
Incredibly well designed, this site covers the latest news in the world
of auto-mobiles and is among the top 5 trafficked sites in this list.
Score: 1427
Spoiler TV offers a comprehensive and up-to-date spoiler service of all
the latest US TV shows and movies. It has developed an extensive
community, and often posts exclusive spoilers making it a first-stop for
fans of the latest programmes.
Score: 1422
Xiaxue is the personal blog of Wendy Cheng Yan Yan who posts about her
adventures in life with loads of photography and videos. Based in
Singapore, Wendy is famed for her striking appearance and has amassed a
massive fan base since starting the site in 2003.
Score: 1410
Maintained by Kathleen Frances, Grosgrain is "A blog by an artsy
craftsy, penny pinching, party planning, playdating, fashion finding,
sci-fi loving, stay at home mother of three little girls *and one little
boy who always keeps her sewing machine plugged in and loves all things
charming"
Score: 1410
This hilarious blog documents the night ramblings of a sleep-talking
husband (as heart by his wife). After the couple found their blog in the
front page of Reddit in 2010, the site has generated a huge following
and now serves to entertain people from all over the world.
Score: 1410
Dedicated to creative uses of Mod Podge, this craft site features
hundreds of decoupage projects with clear instructions and often
accompanying videos by crafty mum, Amy Anderson.
Score: 1407
Homotography presents a beautifully curated collection of male-subject
photography. This site features "homoerotic sensuality", therefore some
of the images are not suitable for children (though all are tastefully
presented and there is no nudity).
Score: 1402
The Clothes Horse is an artistic personal style blog that features my
daily outfits as well as magazine editorials, movie reviews,
illustrations, and other various visually inspiring things.
Score: 1401
Not for the faint-hearted, Morbid Anatomy explores the interstices of
art and medicine, death and culture, with excellent photography and
commentary.