How to find similar websites?

May 21, 2006 1:42 PM

What are some techniques you use to find websites similar to a random website that you come across and like?

So the first thing I do is a google search for keywords that I think are related. This works well if the keywords to use are fairly obvious and specific.

Alexa seems to work if the related sites are rather well trafficed.

Any other ideas?

posted by mrkohrea to Computers & Internet (13 answers total)

Type the domain name into Google and click on "Find Web pages that are similar to". It's not that good though.
posted by wackybrit at 1:47 PM on May 21, 2006

Type this into Google:

related:www.metafilter.com

Or just enter a site's name, then click on "Similar Pages".
posted by meehawl at 2:37 PM on May 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

Why stop at Google? If you have keywords, put them into del.icio.us or some other tag-based sites. Tags are your friend.
posted by scalefree at 3:08 PM on May 21, 2006

Stumbleupon?
posted by public at 3:25 PM on May 21, 2006

You could try similicio.us since it's purpose is exactly what you're looking for. I'm not sure how well it works.
posted by Anoxs at 3:32 PM on May 21, 2006

Often, if I read a particularly funny or intelligent comment on MeFi, I'll click on that person's username. If they have a blog or some sort of homepage where they list websites they frequently visit, I'll check them out.

If I tried hard enough, I think I could play Six Degrees with all the blogs & websites I visit daily for news and entertainment.
posted by invisible ink at 3:42 PM on May 21, 2006

Like [meehawl] suggested, but sometimes I use who "link to" a site (i.e. try the "Link To" link after typing the domain name into Google) -> This might take you to someone who like that site, and they might also link to other similar sites / or it could be a page of similar pages... might be worth a try.

(Sorry I'm not being very clear, but I hope you see what I mean)
posted by Dub at 4:03 PM on May 21, 2006

Blogstreet
posted by mlis at 4:49 PM on May 21, 2006

I put the site into Google directory (not search), see what category it's filed under, and then click on that category to see what else is there.
posted by Zinger at 8:31 PM on May 21, 2006

I use firefox with the following extension, Search Status. It allows you with the click of a button to show backward links from yahoo, google, & msn. You'll find that pages that often link to that page have similar links.
posted by allthewhile at 8:37 PM on May 21, 2006

http://www.alexa.com/data/details/related_links?q=&url=http://www.metafilter.com

Just replace the end of the URL above, "www.metafilter.com" with the URL of your choice. It will show you related links via Alexa.
posted by banished at 10:19 PM on May 21, 2006

woops, I kinda missed Alexa in the question, haha my bad.
posted by banished at 10:21 PM on May 21, 2006

I would also suggest Yoono!, which has a toolbar/extension for both IE and FF. It has a feature for it that will allow you to see what other people have suggested as similar sites to the one you're on.

I'll be honest and say that I actually don't use it for anything else other than to keep my bookmarks synched between my home and work computer, which, out of all the others I've tried, it does the best job of.

But it does have that feature, so it may be worth a try for you.
posted by mrhaydel at 10:29 AM on May 22, 2006