This year due to the change in the type of demand there is for Notaries, we changed our algorithm at 123notary. We used to emphasize quality of the Notaries. However, we reduced the size of the site down to 5300 and lost so much market share compared to Notary Rotary that I decided that my former business strategy no longer applied as the market changed. So, I proceeded to add many more notaries to the site and put a greater value on click averages.

The quality based algorithm (still a major factor in our overall algorithm but toned down a bit) was based on how Jeremy (that’s me) felt about the quality of the notaries. That algorithm helped for many years, but lost its effectiveness recently. So, now I am basing placement of free listings and discounts for high placed listings more on click averages. Click averages are an indication of how popular you are with the users. Since my goal is to attract users, I decided to give preference to those that they liked rather than to those that I liked although I still give some points to those who are pleasing to me on the basis of phone manners and notary knowledge.

Now we have 7600 Notaries on the site and a modified algorithm. The new system has attracted 20% more clicks and a lot of new high placed sign ups.