Tracking Your Web Site Traffic : The Scoop on Using Blog Statistics Services
Let's talk about Web site statistics next in the Blogging 101 for Pastors series ...At some point after you've been blogging for a while, you'll want to see who's reading your blog ... or who's logging on to your blog and the numbers of hits and visitors you're getting.
This is where a good web site statistics program comes in ...
I use two free stat services for this blog:
- Google's Analytics -- my favorite, allows you to see who's referring traffic to you (i.e. who has linked to you) and lots of other cool stuff, like a map showing where your site guests are located
- Sitemeter -- emails you a basic report of your hits and guests
With both free services, you'll need to insert a code script into your blog template. This is really easy to do and both give you basic information for doing it.
Here's some thoughts on what to do and not to do with stats programs:
What not to do: Don't obsess over your site statistics like I do. Or get dismayed simply because in your first two weeks of blogging, you haven't hit the Technorati Top 100. And that the masses aren't just flocking to your site.
Write good, quality, interesting content, blog about the subject you're most passionate about, post on a consistent schedule, invest in the blogging community by participating in other blogger's posts (and in your own writing voice), and the traffic will come. Just not necessarily overnight.
What to do: With statistics programs, you can see where your traffic is coming from. For example, when someone puts a link to you or mentions you in a blog post, then someone from their site clicks it, that's called a "referral."
Looking for these type of "referrals" is a wise use of your blog stats. When I see I got a referral from another site, I'll go to that site, see where they list me, then give them the Internet equivalent of a 'thank you card' -- by sending them an email thanking them for the link, or better yet, participating in their blog community by making a comment on a post.
Also, look through the keywords that people are typing into search engines and seeing your site listed in the search results and clicking on. If it's a keyword you want others to find through search engines, write a blog post with that keyword in the headline. (But write for people, not computers ... you can do both with a little effort, but remember: people first.)
If your buzzword isn't in your stats, it may be because you're not ranked high for that keyword, or you haven't "optimized" your blog for it. One way to "rise above" in the rankings is to write blog posts and headlines with the keyword.
One more caution: Seriously, don't obsess over stats. I did and still do and probably will for the foreseeable future. I love to check my sites three-four times a day. It's not healthy. So I include this post with some hesitation. It can very easily become a distraction and hinderance. Use it wisely.
[ Read all the previous posts in the "Blogging 101 for Pastors" seres here. ]
Other Great Posts on Search Engine/Stats: