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Which Factors are Considered in Clutch's Rankings and Research Methodology?

Learn more about Clutch scores and rankings.

Table of Contents

Clutch determines directory and leadership matrix rankings based on a variety of factors relating to the companies and needs of the page. Each directory has a ranking formula specific to the purpose of the page, and companies may rank differently on different pages.

Common factors include:

    • Company Ability to Deliver, which assesses a company’s reviews, market presence, clients, and experience
    • Information available on each service provider’s website and social media, such as case studies, client lists, past industry recognitions, and blogs or other press
    • Information available on each service provider’s Clutch profile, such as their description, service focuses, reviews, and locations

What is my Ability to Deliver Score?

Your Ability to Deliver score is a numeric assessment of your company’s reviews, clients, experience, and market presence. 

Ability to Deliver considers a company's client reviews, past work experience, former clients, and brand presence in its target market. Together, this information influences how your company ranks on Clutch directories.

Ability to Deliver is out of 40 points, and is made up of the following components:

    • Reviews score
    • Clients and Experience score
    • Market Presence score

You can view each individual score in your vendor dashboard.

 

How is my Ability to Deliver score calculated?

Your company’s Ability to Deliver score is comprised of three components: Reviews Score, Clients & Experience Score, and Market Presence Score. 

Your Ability to Deliver score is the sum of the three scores mentioned below, totaling 40 points. The breakdown of weighting is:

    • Reviews score out of 20 points
    • Clients and Experience score out of 10 points
    • Market Presence score out of 10 points

What is my Reviews Score?

Your Reviews score is a numeric assessment of your company’s reviews based on several factors.

Reviews Score is a score out of 20 points and assesses a company’s reviews based on their overall rating, recency, and verification status. It is the most heavily weighted score in the Ability to Deliver score for a company and will have the most impact on a company’s rankings.  

What is my Market Presence Score?

Your Market Presence score is a numeric assessment of your company's brand presence in your target markets.

Market Presence score is a score out of 10 points and assesses a company's web presence, domain authority, industry recognition, and thought leadership.

How industry recognition is scored

The industry recognition section of your Clutch profile is where you add links to awards, "best of" and "top firms" lists, and similar third-party recognition. Each link is assessed on its own for verification, recency, and independence, rather than counted as a flat total. Recognition a buyer could independently verify counts for more; recognition that can't be verified counts for less.

Three factors determine how much each entry contributes to your score:

  • Verification. A link counts when it points to a page that names your company on the awarding organization's own website. This mirrors what a buyer does when they see recognition on your profile: if they can click through and confirm it at the source, it carries weight. If the link points back to your own site, blog, LinkedIn, or a press release you issued, it can't be independently confirmed and carries less weight. Broken links are excluded automatically.

  • Recency. Recognition from the last 1–2 years carries the most weight, because it reflects the work your team is doing now. Older recognition still counts, but carries less weight over time.

  • Independence. Recognition from several independent organizations is a stronger signal than a long list from a single source. Corroboration across multiple sources is harder to manufacture than volume from one.

Taken together, a focused set of strong, verifiable links will outscore a long list of weak ones. To keep your Market Presence score accurate, review your industry recognition in your Vendor Dashboard: remove links that point to pages you control or that don't name your company, fix or remove broken links, and add recent recognition that links directly to the awarding organization's site.

What is my Clients and Experience Score?

Your Clients and Experience score is a numeric assessment of your company’s former clients and past projects. 

Clients and Experience Score is a score out of 10 points and assesses a company’s past experience based on their clients and projects. We look at the type and quality of clients you have worked with, as well as case studies that demonstrate your experience in different areas. 

An important input to your Clients and Experience score is the portfolio section on your Clutch profile; make sure it contains up to date information.

 


What Is the Most Important Factor in My Clutch Rank?

Your company’s rank is most influenced by your Ability to Deliver score, and Reviews are the most heavily weighted portion of Clutch's scoring methodology. 

Your reviews score takes into account the recency of your reviews, the associated budget for the client mentioned in the review, and the overall star-rating offered by the client.

How Often is my Ability to Deliver score updated?

Your company’s Ability to Deliver score is updated based on data available on your Clutch profile, website, social media, and elsewhere. 

As the data about your company evolves, so does your Ability to Deliver score. Your score will update real- or near-real-time dependent on the information provided. 

 

Why do other companies have a higher rank or score than my company?

Every company’s Ability to Deliver score and rank is dependent on the current data available about that company. 

If a company is ranked higher or has a higher Ability to Deliver score, that is likely due to the different information that we have about the other company or the ranking formula specific to that directory. It is likely that the other company meets more of the requirements than the competitor.