I had some short stories, poems and photographs to share ... and so here I am

We Love Statistics

What a joy combing through the statistics!

It's a wonderful thing being able to analyse the traffic to my blog, to see who's coming and going and the more detailed data on offer. To any blogger who doesn't have a counter, and access to these valuable facts and figures, I would say you are seriously missing out.

My blog is now three months old and I've been surprised at how it's grown in that time. I've watched every step by regularly consulting my counter. It has been fascinating to see where my readers are and how they got to connect to me. It's a buzz to see so many coming back for more, to see people staying for a decent amount of time, really taking time out to enjoy something that I've created.

Some people come via other blogs, many come via search engine searches - it's entertaining to see what words are entered in the search line - and many are now coming from their own bookmarks, having added me to their 'favourites' list. People also come via blog listings, to which I have blitzed my details. Being mentioned on the likes of Books, Inq also throws up a whole wave of hits - thank you to the wonderful Frank Wilson!

I rely on three different statistics tools, each of which have unique gems; the ensemble covers every little aspect of what we need to know. I've found it's also useful having more than one counter because they can often go on the blink, and you don't want to be deprived of proof of lovely hits while the engineers are sorting out their server problems! One counter went off for four days once, but luckily the other two shone through.

One thing I have discovered is that most of the people who visit my blog are from the UK and the US, which is understandable I suppose. However, I want to know why other English speaking places are not figuring highly: India, South Africa, Australia? I am going to start a new drive, to get listed on 'writing and book blog' directories in those places. I want to have a broad readership, to welcome in people of all creeds and backgrounds. The more the merrier!

So, thank you to all those who are part of my statistics. Of course you are more than just numbers!

9 comments:

Debi said...

Aaaaagh! You're freaking me out, Shameless!
I keep thinking I should set up all this behind the scenes stuff in order to get the most out of All This. But I spend so much time doing posts on my blog and comments on my regulars, my book writing time is getting more and more squeezed.
Am I really missing out by not checking? Is it something I really need to prioritise?
Those are serious questions - I need to be convinced they won't be just a way of extending displacement activity ...

S. Kearney said...

I know what you mean about displacement activity ... I'm prone to it! But I think it is worthwhile knowing there is a readership to make the pain worthwhile - how many visitors, where from, how many regulars, what size computer screens, what they actually like spending time on. Maybe I'm fooling myself, but I do enjoy looking up all those figures!

Unknown said...

Congratulations on the '3 month' mark Shameless, a point where many give up!
I installed a site metre and was, at first, horrified at the number of people who wafted through my blog.
Frank sends huge numbers through and the more I link, the more I get!
It's worth doing Debi, it's better than telly and you even get a little map (night and day) to see where they've all come from!!

S. Kearney said...

Yesss! The map! Isn't it wonderful!

Maxine Clarke said...

Frank is great, and very generous.
I have to admit, I never look though. Site meter sends me a summary email every week which I glance at and delete, it always seems to say exactly the same number.
But I am not in it for hits or to make money or anything other than to provide myself with freedom of expression and personal psychotherapy, and (as I have discovered after achieving the first), have connected to a small group of lovely people who I am pleased and proud to call friends.
I know that you blog for a different reason (with some overlap), Shameless. Authors like you and Debi and Minx are to some extent blogging to attract interest in your books and other writing (I know that isn't the only reason), so traffic is probably more important for that reason. But, Debi, I would say, if it doesn't interest you, don't bother, so long as your blog is "you", they will come, in particular in your case as you have a very interesting, attractive blog and you write nice things to the nutty people like me who come and comment on it -- so we come back for all these reasons. And tell our friends. So it is all going on without you having to look, even.
(sorry if all this is a bit manically bonkers, it is "that time of night" again (minx knows what I mean) ).

S. Kearney said...

Another thing quite good is that you can trace back to the website of people visiting, and then link up with them. If there weren't any statistics, I wouldn't have been able to that with those who don't leave comments. Nice, also, to see some visits from important places: US state dept, house of commons, New York police (hopefully just to read a poem!) and also to see that authors are checking out the reviews I've written. I admit though that I will probably grow tired of always checking. It will all grow so big that it will be impossible!!

Unknown said...

Absolutely, but I have had afew giggles of the 'google search' ones -lots of Arab nations looking for a certain sort of Minx!!! One was looking for a Mini-Minx, the mind googles!!

Debi said...

It's too late, Maxine - though thanks for giving me permission NOT to do it.
I set up the site metre yesterday straight after posting this comment.
Wow! It's fascinating innit? There seems to be a lot that stay for 0 secs - are they the spam merchants? And what's the difference between visits and page views?
Oooooh - a new toy ...

S. Kearney said...

Welcome aboard, Debi. Visits are the actual hits to the address, pages are the actual number of posts being read. I'm not sure the O sec visits are very reliable .. one of my counters records visits as 0 secs, while another will give it as 1.23s mins, for example. I'm also still trying to work out what a unique daily visitor is, compared to other types of visitors. Have fun with it!