Appeal becoming more selective
I am, of course, obsessed by Google Analytics (one of the great services offered by Blogger), and I'm still puzzled by the huge drop-off in traffic. This shows traffic between May 12 and today, and the difference between the peak (1,004 visitors on May 16) and the current average (between 40 and 90 a day) is marked. Anecdotally, the amount of comment seems the same. I'm certainly blogging as often again, now my local difficulties have been ironed out, but a tenth as many visitors are dropping by. I have one theory: The Apprentice, which ended in June, may have accounted for a lot of referred visitors, or visitors visiting for a specific fix, who have since walked away. Also, average number of pages viewed per visit, which flatlines for most of that boom period, has perked up a lot since, suggesting that individual visitors are looking at more pages (up to 7 some days). The best theory is this: don't worry about it. It's only a blog.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 1:09 PM
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23 Comments:
Hmmm, tchsk, I note that the bounce rate hasn't improved though has it. Oh dear.
Even though it's not just A blog, it's YOUR blog, I'll try not to worry then.
Perhaps everyone is just on holiday in July and August?
I'm not convinced by Google Analytics' accuracy (or at least whether I've installed it correctly on my own site!). It's figures seem to differ massively from the stats package provided on my server. Do you have another stats package to check Google against, or at least access to the raw server logs? (and, indeed, the time to really be that bothered about it!)
A theory - does it count RSS hits? I read your blog pretty exclusively through an RSS reader. Only came here today to comment!
I've no idea if it counts RSS feeds, but I'm hoping that the scintillating nature of this latest post will bring the punters flooding in.
Your theory seems to have some weight on the Apprentice, most of those hits look like being on Wednesdays and Thursdays to me.
It definitely doesn't count RSS feeds - use Feedburner if you want to monitor those - so some loyal readers who don't visit the site will only be counted when they go to post a comment.
And yeah, Apprentice and holidays and stuff...
Andrew,
You've got too much time on your hands. If I were you I'd write another book.
Paul
Dunfermline
P.S. The Good Lady saw that Richard Herring in Edinburgh last week. Said he looked like a tramp. Have a word!
So did the site show up when people googled the Apprentice? Strange. I came here via a link in a post on Empire on line. It seems popular for a blog.
I came for The Apprentice but I'm still hanging around.
I'd like to be able to leave sensible/well thought out comments but, mostly, I write them then don't publish them, because they sound trite/facetious when everyone else has been perceptive/funny.
Stats are scarily compulsive though aren't they?
Maybe some of the traffic from your..ahem..controversial posts has fallen off. There's also could be a seasonal element. I know that sounds mad, but the roads are quiet, our normally overflowing car parks are half empty. In call-centres around the country, you'll probably find the number of calls has dropped right off.
You need to trend against this time last year.
Conversely the traffic on my blog has gone up. But that's tied in to being 'onward linked' from this site. For which I thank you.
seems alright
Like others who have commented, I read it via the RSS feed, so I'm not counted. That's probably quite common.
Also, perhaps there's a slightly lower profile now that you're not on the radio? When did you finish on 6music, does that tie in with a drop?
Also, you seem far too sensible to get loads of traffic from the mass of nutters out there, these days ;-)
I think that a lot of people are on holiday at the moment. At least if a lot of the blogs I visit are anything to go by. That might have a lot to do with the drop off. I certainly wouldn't worry about it.
Hello Andrew,
Like at least one of the commenters above, I always read your blog entries through RSS, and I'm also not sure if that registers on your Google Analytics graph... and also like another commenter above, I think you should write another book!
Phil
I am another person who reads the blog entries through RSS. Based on the other comments, there seem to be quite a lot of people in the same position.
PS A counter system that ignores the RSS readers is surely of limited use - your REGULAR readers will usually be using the feed, rather than the web site, it seems to me.
What you've measured is a decline in casual readers. Which may, or may not, matter to you.
Whether there's a decline, or incline, in regular readers needs something that can measure the RSS traffic.
there isnt actually any drop off in the numbers of people reading your blog AC, we just all meet up and read it together off the same computer
I actually do feel a bit daft for caring this much. It was only that huge drop-off that made me start theorising about it. If I'd never had 1,000 visitors in a day (which does sound unreal), I wouldn't even be counting.
The fact is, I appreciate every single one of you. (Except those ones who sometimes come on at weekends, pissed, and have a childish pop at me and use bad words. And Ben Goldacre/Richard Dawkins groupies, obviously, but we've had little bother from them of late.)
"I appreciate every single one of you"
When are you going to take us out to lunch then?
Chris
I'm not single - am I still appreciated?
Nor am I, Beth. So, yes.
I'd been reading since before The Apprentice. However, I did start telling my friends about you at that point. If you re-issued your Heroes posts, to sync with the run on BBC2, I'm sure the hordes would return.
By the way, have you seen that Analytics can tell you the network your visitors are on? It's quite cool seeing that how many people from the BBC or the Guardian are reading your blog.
I like the map as well, it reminds me of Risk.
I'm a bit late onto this, but you'll be pleased to hear that you're not alone in noticing a drop-off in traffic. I had noticed it (in my own small way) and I read a piece about it the other day on a well established blog that hosted a poll. Apparently google have done something that has affected the ranking that blogs get in their search results or something.
I think I originally started reading here regularly during last year's apprentice, but I used to enjoy the bits you did on that programme with Caitlin Moran and Johnny Vaughan back in the day, and I'm a Northampton boy too, so....
Anyway.
It's only a blog.
ST
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