Robert Scoble looks at the need for better web metrics, focusing on a need to measure “engagement” on a website. He illustrates his point comparing two sites, and what would happen if they added a link to your website on their page. He posits that a site such as The Register would result in few clicks over to you, which a mention on Digg would send a ton of traffic your way.
Robert expresses the value of engagement to advertisers:
“So, why should engagement matter to an advertiser? Well, as an advertiser I want to talk to an audience who’ll actually DO something. Yeah, I’m hoping to get a sale.”
Scott Karp found irony in Scoble’s piece:
“New Media folks may be ahead of the curve on formats and hip notions like “conversation,” but they’re actually playing catch-up on the deep, intractable problems of media — like how to prove the value.”