When I first began this blogging lark, I cared not a whiff for my blog's vital statistics. This is probably because eighteen years ago there were no blog stats to peruse.
Blog visitors who choose not to publish their own blogs will probably be unaware that behind the scenes every blogger can check out a range of statistics. There are even associated graphs. For example you can find out how many "hits" each blogpost has received. You can see lists of your most viewed blogposts in the last twenty four hours, the last week, the last month, the last year and throughout the life of the blog.
You can see how many comments each blogpost has received. I am not obsessed with these stats but I do occasionally glance at them - just because they are there. Perhaps this makes me a sad old git - I don't know.
Some bloggers are very prolific - churning out over 365 blogposts a year while some others might only post monthly. 2022 was my most prolific year because I published 345 blogposts in those twelve months. This year I wanted to surpass that number and I am happy to report that as 2023 dwindles away, this is my 353rd blogpost of the year. Back in 2005, when "Yorkshire Pudding" began, I only published 42 posts.
Another goal I wanted to achieve was an average of over 200 visits for each post and this has been achieved too. I know there are much more popular blogs than mine but I find it pretty motivating to get 200+ visits every time. They are visits from around this country and around the world but with 89% of my visits now coming from The United States. It used to be that 40% of my visitors came from The States, around 40% from Great Britain and the other 20% from the rest of the world but things have changed.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my regular readers. It is an honour that you come here to check out what I have written and observe the imagery that accompanies my posts - including photographs I have taken.
Another feature of blogging stats is "Followers". Now I have never investigated this phenomenon and nor have I striven in any way at all to achieve more followers. In fact I don't know what it is all about but I note with some curiosity that I currently have 58 "followers". Whoever you are, welcome to my party!
Onward to 2024 - but before then - the annual Laughing Horse Blogging Awards
I'm not sure when I began following you (I could probably find out somehow) but it has been a pleasure, even when you are at your feistiest. I look forward to your posts and relish your friendship. Best in the New Year.
ReplyDeleteIt is an honour to be followed by you Sir Bruce.
DeleteIt's a bit interesting to read the statistics for the blog; I find some posts that were big hits were my least favorites and some that got few views I liked very much.
ReplyDeleteOnward!
I have sometimes felt the same way about the popularity of my posts.... Onward Sir Lancelot!
DeleteI probably started blogging around that time as well. Mine was a release, a place to vent and spew about raising a disabled daughter. It was called Tired Mummy and I was, tired.
ReplyDeleteI still write about personal stuff but it has slowly changed over time, less whining, more reflection (I hope).
I like coming here for the photos and the humour, and the awards, obviously.
I am glad to have made your acquaintance through blogging Nurse Lily. Your resilience is awesome.
DeleteI started blogging for several very fuzzy reasons. I knew very little about blogging so how could I decide what or how to write. Blogging has been an interesting series of blunders. I certainly enjoy your blog and the things you make us think about. You also tell about your life in an interesting and humorous way.
ReplyDeleteBlogging takes us to places we would never have otherwise known - like Red Deer, Esk and Arctic Canada.
DeleteI never look at my stats, I'm not interested enough I guess. I do wonder sometimes how many people visit and don't bother leaving a comment to let me know they've been there. I checked my followers just a couple of days ago and found I have 200. Yet my most frequent commenters number maybe 6 or 8. This could partly be because I don't post everyday and haven't for sometime now, and partly because I am just not interesting enough.
ReplyDeleteYou, on the other hand, keep me interested enough to pop in here everyday.
I welcome your visitations Elsie. You tell it like it is.
DeleteYour blog is undoubtedly one of the most popular ones I know. You have a good mix of great photos, current topics, family matters, a book or film review every now and then, and of course your walks.
ReplyDeleteI hope you keep blogging for many more years!
I better not look at my own blog stats. Fewer and fewer visitors find their way to my blog, and even fewer comment. I blame the boring content I come up with, my weekly reports filled with endless pictures of sunsets and descriptions of when I worked at the office and how many minutes my train was late. But I still enjoy writing, and often I look something up when we talk about when we‘ve last been to a particular place or similar.
As you already know, your visits are always appreciated for they are kind, friendly, thoughtful and supportive. This says a lot about your character Meike.
DeletePerhaps you could monetise your blog and make a fortune from all those hits.
ReplyDeleteThe advertising returns are so tiny that I can't be bothered with that stuff.
DeleteI like you do look at statistics, not all the time, just to see what post are popular, and which don't get too many views, I write for myself, a diary, which I have for the life of my blog printed into yearly books, I am working on 2022 now, it's hard work, but my grandchildren love to read them as do I. I don't blog everyday, just 3-4 times a week.
ReplyDeleteI fear that my blog will simply disappear one day. In fact this happened to Andrew - author of "From The High Rise" - and he still doesn't know why.
DeleteIt's always interesting to know who is visiting, from where and what's popular. I've had a stat counter on my blog from almost the beginning but it only stores the last 500 visits so I have no ongoing record.
ReplyDeleteI follow you but I'm not a "follower" so put your number up by one :)
I suspect that if you do a bit more digging around behind the scenes Kylie you will find your in-depth "Stats".
DeleteI love getting comments and answering them. It's great to communicate with others in blog land.
ReplyDeleteOur horizons are widened through blogging.
DeleteI never think to look at my stats and I'm not sure it would make a difference even if I did. I don't have many people comment or visit although strangely enough on my home page it says I have 226 followers. It's strange that none of them comment
ReplyDeletePerhaps they think you are a goddess so they are followers in that sense.
DeleteThank you for creating interesting and fun content, it is pleasure to get to know you. I have made a few real friends through blogging. A few of us are meeting in NYC in early January for lunch.
ReplyDeleteI am quite shy and also economically challenged David so I won't be there.
DeleteI used to look at stats but I never do now. No matter what they say I'm going to keep doing what I do because I simply love it. I love the writing of my posts, I love reading the posts of others. I love the community. How else would I ever have come to know such diverse and interesting people? People like you, Mr. P.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to be enthusiastic about blogging even after a lot of years have passed by. It is our special window on the world.
DeleteI've enjoyed your blog and am glad I found it. I find most of the blogs I read through other blogs I have visited. I do enjoy when the blogger replies to my comment as it makes me feel as if we are penpals. I appreciate all of the work you do to create your posts, Neil. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI am strengthened by kind and supportive visitors and you are certainly one of them Ellen.
DeleteWhat made me start, once upon a time, was above all something not mentioned in those statistics: Curiosity. What made me continue was the first on that list (outlet for creativity) combined with making new friends around the world. The rest on the list never really occurred to me at all... As for my own statistics, I don't know when I last looked at them - before I had a glance at them just now, because you reminded me of their existence. I still don't really "get" them, though. (I suspect quite a few listed viewings are probably just my own! - going back to check something, or read and answer comments.)
ReplyDeleteI also have some concerns about the gathering of numbers for the so-called "Stats". Happy New Year Sverige!
DeleteYour post prompted me to check my own stats -- they're about like yours. Roughly 200 views is about right for my posts too. Weirdly, I had one completely uncontroversial post this month that supposedly racked up 18,000 views, which I find unlikely. I think Google's stats bot sometimes malfunctions!
ReplyDeleteI don't use the "followers" function so I don't pay any attention to that. I just go right down my blog sidebar each day and read everyone I'm linked to.
In several ways we are like-minded when it comes to blogging.
DeleteI've never had the desire to write my own blog, but I do enjoy reading others. There are blogs I read or comment on regularly, some only occasionally, or just read and don't comment at all. Yours is one of those I read regularly, and comment on most days. Your photos are a particular delight, and I enjoy the wide range of topics you blog about - they often get me thinking!
ReplyDeleteI never wanted my blog to fall into the trap of predictability. As Danny said to Sandy in "Grease" - "I'm glad you came along for the ride!"
DeleteI've been blogging (on one platform or another) for close to 20 years, yet I've never made much effort to expand my readership. I don't know that I've ever had 200 views on a single post! (or even half that) Of course it doesn't bother me or I'd have given this up years ago. In the past, I took a different approach and my posts were more interactive, but these days I'm probably in a bit of a (comfortable) rut.
ReplyDeleteWell I am coming over to see you now - to investigate what is happening in your comfortable rut!
DeleteI used to be much more interested in stats than I am now. I enjoy reading a variety of blogs from different places in the world/country and love learning about others' lives. I'm fascinated by culture, cuisine, opinions and daily happenings. And beautiful photos, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm in 21st year of blogging, having passing into is a few months back. I have have really never looked at the stats other than amusement and then only a handful of times. For me, writing a blog has always been a free form of therapy for myself.
ReplyDelete