What is the use of Alexa search engine

alexa is use for check the rank of website

Alexa's directory ranks its related links based on popularity, so if your website is popular (many people link to your site, or visit it from Alexa) or if you're listed in a major web directory (Yahoo, DMOZ, or LookSmart), chances are, your site will be well placed in Alexa.

An interesting difference from all other search engines is Alexa's toolbar; it doesn't just allow searches, it also supplies web site statistics, and list of related web sites. While Google has a toolbar, it's purely for searching. Alexa's toolbar was first released in September of 1997. Today, the toolbar is version 6.5, and features information about the web site being viewed, a list of related links, and a link to Alexa's information about that web site. Within that page, there are web site or company reviews and a Traffic Details section.

its like one type of tool which provides traffic analysis of your website.

Hello buddies!

Alexa provides users with beneficial tools that cut down on information filtering time, which enhances the decision making process. The Alexa Search and Browse function grants users quick access to information by supplying thumbnail snap shots and information balloons about websites. Alexa also offers a Web Information Service, which allows users to access a web information database. This service is broken down into five categories, which include: URL information, Web Search, Browse Category, Web Map and Crawl Meta Data.

Alexa is popular to measure the traffic rank of your website,its check your log file of the domain on your server and on that bases it decide the traffic rank.Alexa's directory ranks its related links based on popularity,so if your website is popular or if you're listed in a major web directory.

Thanks Andrew, I was surprised on the PR for two reasons:

one the post quality is good and there are a high number of people making posts;
second I read somewhere recently that forums where a grossly under rated value add for search engine rankings (ie webicy's web site rankings not mine)