Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Statistics, ranking, pageviews, blah, blah, etc

I am quite obsessive by nature. Once I start something, I want to do it as best as I can. As a blogger, I want to be the best blogger I can be. Fortunately and unfortunately there are figures everywhere that you can watch and judge yourself.

I attach my personal worth to these numbers. I don't compare myself to others, but I compare myself to me, yesterday or last week.

As they go up, my heart soars and I am all smiles and good times. Like James Cameron "I am the king of the woooooooorld". As they go down, so does my mood. "Nobody loves me, I'll think I'll go eat worms" (children's rhyme).

Last week it was the first blog anniversary of my blog. One year had passed and I had some goals I had set that I was hoping to achieve. This caused me to watch these figures even closer. It was very exciting because I was getting pretty close.

Then Blogger had a brain fart and all my statistics were reset. I was back to 0 page views. After 1 year of blogging, I was back to the beginning. At first I felt sick and anxious. All my hard work and nothing to show for it. Then, I went away, had a run and considered my options. If the past was erased, then I could start all over with a clean slate. Scary, but doable.

Then my figures reappeared.

It made me realise what is important to me and it's not the figures. It's the journey.

I think the best thing we can do for ourselves and our readers is to remember what is important. Content! Never forget the wise words of Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams "If you Build it, he will come".  I think he was referring to readers and your blog too. Have good content, engage your readers, give them something and they will come.

AND...have fun.

I'd like to say that I won't watch statistics anymore. But this is a lie, I know me. I am going to try not to obsess on them anymore.

Do you watch the statistics too?

PS: On Tuesdays, I link up with Jess from SAHM for IBOT

65 comments:

  1. Hi Rachel, I think also we look to the statistics to know that we are doing 'good work'. At school we get grades and teacher engagement to let us know we are on track and being rewarded and similarly at work we have job appraisals, number of sales or commission to reaffirm our efforts. As a blogger I guess our stats and audience engagement help give us this appraisal for what can otherwise be lonely work despite all the online engagement. They are also useful to help us know what does and doesn't resonate with our readers. The hard part is not to let them dishearten us when they take a dip x

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    1. Yes, thank you. It is really important not to be disheartened. Rachel xx

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  2. Even if you'd lost all your stats for good, it would only take a day for them all to reappear (in the sense of the business you've built - award nominated business. So once you get to a certain level, the stats are good to analyse but the overall ebb and flow has momentum of it's own - that you've created.

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  3. How scary that you were watching the stats and POOF they disappeared!
    I watch the statistics SOMETIMES but I find it just goes up at the same rate so I got bored :P

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    1. Yes, it's was very scary. I was a little confused until I realised it was happening to a lot of people. Rxx

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  4. I've been keeping up with a few people who wne to the problogger event the other week and one theme that comes up is wrtie for your audience and the stats will take care of themselves. I'm trying to do that now but like you, I acn't help but watch the numbers.

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  5. I'm a statistics nut :) I'd like to find a way to see more statistics for my blog, but I haven't figured that one out yet :)

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  6. I like to see if anyone has read my latest post.. that's how slow things are over in iSophie land. lol

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  7. I just went and looked at my stats, not too bad. I often forget to look but on my new blog it is abit obsessive.

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    1. Good on you for your stats. I'd love to forget to look :)

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  8. I love Rach, how real you always are, and how truthful and honest you are with yourself xx

    #TeamIBOT

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  9. I was devastated when the stats disappeared the other week! Not that it really means anything to anyone else, but it's hard not to look at them, especially if you have posted something you are particularly proud of, you want the measure that you have been seen.
    I do find though that if I try to set certain goals for these stats, my writing is not as good because I am not focussing on the content as much as the volume and that means inevitable disappointment.

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  10. I think we are all guilty of stat watching but you are right... it isn't all about the numbers, but the journey. Creating new content, engaging with readers and having fun along the way.

    xx

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  11. The good thing about deciding to blog only as a hobby is that it makes it easier not to care when you don't get any hits! But honestly, who doesn't love comments and views going up?

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  12. I'd forgotten about the "Blogger Apocalypse" from last week! LOL.
    Honestly... I think we'd all be lying if we said we didn't watch or care about our stats. Half the fun of blogging is seeing how many people over the world we can reach out to!
    I think it's important not to take it too seriously though. Good stats mean you're doing all the right things. If stats start to fade over a few months, that's when we as bloggers need to work out where we've gone wrong and then find a way to improve again.

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  13. I nearly cried when Blogger lost my sats! I was just about to hit a milestone so had been keeping a close eye on them. You are right that they shouldn't matter, we are not our stats x

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  14. I look at my stats very occasionally but really don't place much stock in them - I am too dim to try to work out what they mean in terms of whether people keep coming back or someone pops on for 2 secs, skims a post and then disappears never to be seen again.
    For me it is about finding a place where I feel accountable and using it to help me achieve my goals - if I engage people along the way, that's great, but if not, that is great too !
    Have the best day !
    Me
    PS - popped over from IBOT

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  15. I look at how many views I had on my site but not really at all the stats like: what is the most popular post or how many views I had on a particular post... Maybe I should. But at the moment, my blog is more like a hobby so maybe if this change I would be more interested by stats.

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    1. I think you have a great attitude towards the views. It sounds less stressful. Rx

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  16. Oh - I take stock of my stats. I wish I didn't, but numbers on a table put some sort of physical value to what I am doing.

    I am glad you took something that was such a shock to you, and turned it into something great. You are all sorts of cool Mrs Redcliffe Style...

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  17. Ok, I thought that I checked them too often, but that might not be the case, seeing as how I missed the whole blogger stat stuff up thingy :)

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    1. Haha, if you missed it then you aren't too obsessive. Rx

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  18. I think stats are a techno equivalent of how cool a person is. When I was at uni 100 years ago, the coolest person was a dude named Roman. Roman spoke, and everyone listened. I'll bet Roman's blog would have great stats!

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    1. Roman sounds awesome. I would totally follow his blog

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  19. i wish i didn't but i base my blog's success (or lack thereof) on the amount of followers i have. I know i shouldn't but it's hard to ignore. Sometimes I think it isn't worth the effort but then i get lovely comments and it encourages me to keep going.

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  20. I had a few palpitations when my stats disappeared as well. BUT, it wasn't the be-all and end-all for me. Sure, I look at the stats to set goals, but I don't obsess or find my worth in them.

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  21. I can't help it. I look at the stats too, and when I don't get a lot of views, I take it personally. I can't help but feel I'm not good enough.
    Now though, after feeling so pressured before my break, I'm determined to worry about the stats less. My blog was supposed to be something I enjoy, not a noose around my neck. We'll see how I go....old habits die hard! :)
    xx
    PS Congratulations on your one year anniversary! You should be very proud! xx

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    1. Excellent. It's great you had a break and can come back fresh. I think I need to do that too. Rx

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  22. I think i would have come very close to crying it all my stats disappeared. Luckily they all came back.
    Congrats on the one year anniversary!

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  23. I had only just figured out where my stats were when they disappeared in a flash last week! Even though no one can see them but me, I was still devastated!! Silly really, but I am glad they are back up and I'm trying not to become obsessed!!! (easier said than done though).

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  24. Yeah, I try to pretend I don't care, but I do really.
    For what its worth, blogger stats aren't actually accurate though. They can be double to triple your actual numbers, so don't give a good analysis. Analytics is much better. :)

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  25. I am a bit the same, I check them, I base my own blogging self worth on them. I tend to take it personally when a post I worked hard on and thought was a winner turns about to be a dud according to my stats and then the post I rushed and didn't think much about becomes a top post!?!
    I know it is wrong but not sure I can stop :(

    Happy 1st birthday!! Awesome achievement in one year x

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    1. I am relieved that I am not alone with my obsession. Rxx

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  26. Stupid Blogger! Obviously they don't know who they're dealing with :)
    I wrote about stats and stuff on one of my posts last week after being completely inspired by Problogger.
    I look at my stats maybe once a week. And even then it's just a quick overview. Don't even know my most popular posts.
    You're doing great. Forget about the rest :) x

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    1. I want to be just like you!! Love your attitude G. Rachel xx

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  27. Happy First Birthday Rach ... you're an absolute super star in my books x

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  28. Congratulations on 1 year of blogging!
    I am forever fascinated by where my audience is. There have been a large number of page views on my blog from Russia and I can't for the life of me work out why?! It amuses my husband to hear my mutterings on this subject no end...He suggested I blog about it and see if they answer!

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    1. Russia, that is interesting and cool. I wonder why?

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  29. Yay, congratulations on your one year blogiversary!

    Luckily I didn't notice my blogger stats disappear. I think I may have cried. I try not to care about stats because blogging is a hobby for me but I do love to see the numbers go up like everyone else. I think comments are more important to me. Knowing that someone likes me story enough to engage with me makes me feel good.

    V.

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  30. Hi Rach,

    yes mine disappeared one time and I had a little heart skip.
    I moaned oh know.
    I really had forgotten the stat watching for a long time in blogger - but recently changed to wordpress - so I guess for a while I have to check in from time to time to make sure of things.
    I know this will pass too and I just do what I need to do best - that is blog.

    have a lovely weekend

    Loulou x

    (ps: even though I may not comment I want you to know I read and enjoy your blog and pop in when I can :)

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    1. Hi Loulou, I'd love to know how your change to wordpress went. That is something I think about a lot :) I really appreciate your comment today. Rachel xx

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  31. Fabulous Post - I had to read this after seeing your link title on Nikki's Linky - I love that you have reminded me that it is not all about stats, though I do still look about weekly, and it inspires me when I see them growing, you are right, there is more to it than the figures, and I take into account a lot of other things when I think about how my little fledgling blog is going! Congrats on 1 year of blogging - you made me realise that I have just hit one year too! :o)

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    1. Once a week is healthy. Congratulations on hitting one year too. It's a great milestone. Rachel xx

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  32. I'm about to start from ZERO too ... starting a new blog shortly which is completely different to the Footprints one. Will people still like me? Will they follow me on the new one too? Will I find new fans? Oh HELP!!! And ... will I be able to keep churning out content? I remind myself I have already been blogging away happily for a couple of years so I'm sure it'll be fine. It's just starting something NEW and different that has me a little bit freaked!!!!

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    1. You'll be great Janet. I can't wait for your new blog :) Rachel xx

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  33. This is me - I obsess every day over my blog figures but my blog is tiny and I still obsess, or maybe I obsess more because it is tiny so every extra page view seems huge.

    Anyway, I love your attitude and I need to take a leaf out of your new book!
    Bec
    littleivyblog

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