The readership demographics for this blog have taken a dramatic turn in the last six months. It's pretty easy to break them down because google blog allows me to see where my readership is coming from. For example, if I see the traffic source as "just common sense @ google blogspot.com I know I'm getting "hits" from those who have either subscribed or "follow" my blog. You might be interested to know that, of my 50 "followers" and the other 50 or so "subscribers", I only get about 20 of you who visit the blog daily.
And yet I actually average somewhere between 400 and 500 reader "hits" a day, the vast majority coming on to read a blog essay written months ago. This is rather remarkable because it is the same number of hits that I used to get when I was able to "pimp" my blog by promoting it with links on Craig's List in half a dozen cities. When Craig's List began banning the use of URL links I thought my blog would slowly wither and die. That didn't happen. Here's why.
I would bet my bottom dollar that I'm one of no more than 1% of bloggers who blog every day. So the sheer numbers of blog essays (963 to date) over the three year life of my blog, and addressing such a wide diversity of topics, has boosted me to the top of Google's search pages. AND, I did it without paying a single "traffic herder" to send business my way! For example, in the first six months of this blog, if you were to google "lost in america" you'd find the name of that old Alfred Brooks movie of the same name, or the title of a book, or even a similar sounding blog. If you looked hard enough you would find my blog link buried somewhere around page 8 of the google search....territory that most google searchers never get to. However, today, 963 blogs later, you'll find a link to my blog right on google's first page..about 7 entries down from the "mega hitters"...again not bad for someone who doesn't pay a "herder" to drive traffic to my blog. Even more pleasing is if you google "lost in america blog, there I sit right at the top..the first entry you'll see..with many excerpts from my previous blogs trailing along the pages like loyal puppy dogs.
A good example of "passive traffic" that drives up the hit count happened yesterday. i began seeing an inordinate number of "hits" for my blog on Burger King and other franchises fleeing from the military bases because of Obama's $10.10 minimum wage mandate. So, I see something like 200 hits the first thing yesterday morning, then it begins accelerating. So I run my Google blog numbers and find that three other sites liked the blog so much they put a link to it on their front page. By the end of yesterday more than a thousand people had read that one blog essay. And I'm seeing more of this kind of unusual activity as the word spreads on some blog essay someone liked. Also popular this week, with several hundred "hits" were my essays on "Arizona; Where America Still Lives" and "Weinergate, Filner's Follies"...my take on the Democrats' war on women.
So what does this all mean to you and I? Well, first of all, the daily 20 "hits" coming from my loyal readers is kind of a bummer. It tells me a couple of things....it says I write too damn many blog essays! ...as least far more than my loyal readers are willing to read. Secondly, it serves as a disincentive for me to write every day....if I can get as many hits by not writing as I can when I do, why the hell gin out a blog a day, right?
Well, what keeps me churning out blogs is that I keep finding stuff that pisses me off enough to write about it! So, at least for the short term I'll keep pounding em out every day whether you want to read them or not. (I've got blogs in draft to last a month or more, so profound is my level of dissatisfaction with the world around me!)
But my health is not what it used to be.....so last week I emailed my daughter and asked her what the password for this blog is...(I've arranged for her to print out something like a "blog obituary" should I up and croak some future night). I was testing her, kind of like we used to run emergency war ops in the Air Force. I also want my daughter to have control over these blog essays because my dream has always been to have the best ones...the ones still timely and meaningful, compiled into one or two or three books entitled "Musings of An Old Curmudgeon". (Part I, II, or III). Perhaps I'm vain but I think I've got a few hundred that are as fine as anything I've read by anyone else lately..so who knows? (One of these is the blog I have scheduled for Memorial Day...yes, it's a repeat...but I can't write any better than that one.)
In the meantime, while I like the attention of the 400 or so folks who drop in from elsewhere, my heart will always be with those loyal readers who drop by every day to see if I'm spewing sweetness or vinegar....the folks who have been with me since I was lost on page 8 of a google search....:)
13 comments:
I read you every day and have no idea how I found your blog. I agree with you 70% fifty percent of the time. I continue to read your blogs because you are a great writer, even when I may disagree with you 100% on any given issue. As I have said before, if you didn't approach me with a baseball bat I could get more into the conversation. After some time I have realized that it is the anger that is fuel for these blogs. I accept that even though anger seldom gains converts.
I am an everyday reader even though I may not always comment.
Jerry, i really appreciate your 70% support fifty percent of the time. I'm sorry about the "baseball bat"...while you may not need it, sadly, the majority of liberals do, so drunk on the KOOL-AID or so ignorant of basic facts on civics that they must be bludgeoned into thinking for themselves.
Like it or not, we live in a world that is no longer conducive to civil discourse so...I dare you to read the comments in a liberal publication...they are far worse than mine.
And just want to add something on my "anger as motivation". Perhaps I oversell that; my "anger" is a bit unique...a life of learning has taught me not to waste my time or health "hating" people or risking a stroke by allowing my anger to affect my physical well being.
I will admit to often taking the "easy way" sometimes and that includes generalizing. For example, I am very hard on the failure of the Black culture to become good, productive citizens. Fortunately, my Black friends know that I love and respect them and, even when they don't agree with me, know that I'm trying not to just work to make us a better culture, but to make their own lives richer and more productive. Same with illegal immigration because I have family who are Hispanic who either completely agree with me or do not see illegal immigration as a plague on our country to the extent I do..but love me anyway.
Am I capable of civil discourse? I think so....I have become admiring of you enough so that I work hard not to savage you when we disagree....maybe that's the best I can do.
If you are looking for a kindler, gentler "me" you have to go to my other blog, "The Good News Journal".
Since your daily blog is delivered to my emailbox, it's not necessary for me to come to your blog every day. Sometimes I'll come here to respond, as I'm doing, or to look up an old article for re-reading.
I'm very happy for you to have risen to the top of the google world! As like you, I didn't pay a penny for being pushed to the 1st page but my soap business has been there for a while now! Finally!! Dedication and excellent presentation/product will do it over time.
Enjoy your day!
I would buy the books. And I come here almost every day. I get bummed if there isn't a new post!
Jilly
I also would buy your book.
Carol, I'm so happy to hear you are getting great attention on google...and you are so right...the victory always go to those who plug along and persevere over long years of effort!
Thank you for always visiting me in the morning and having coffee with me!
Anon (Jilly); you warm the cockles of my heart...I love that I have readers like you who make my efforts so worthwhile.
In just a few short years I've become "friends" with so many of you. When I lose one it hurts and, because I don't know what happened to them, why I don't see their comments anymore, I imagine the worst and am saddened. One of them was a lovely lady named "Jo" who lived in California and had such lovely comments and relating her own personal experiences...then I lost her and even now mourn her. There are a few others whom I miss as well.
So,thanks for dialing in every day, and thanks for taking the time to write.
Anon, re potential books, I'll be sure and let you know if I ever figure out how to extract some of my special blogs for book form.
Thanks so much!
Sometimes I get by here more than once a day...really, I do! I love your writing. I'm sorry to hear that your physical limits might not make it possible to see you here, I will definitely buy all three books and may gift some to folks I like. You have touched my heart more than a couple times, bringing a tear to my eye. Most of all, I have learned a great deal here and you've taken time to point me in the right direction to find what I was looking for.
Now isn't it something to live in a day where we know we have made it by finding ourselves on the number one "Google"!!! Congratulations for that, you deserve the distinction!
Fear not, Ken! I know of nothing at the moment that would stop me from writing my blog. Yes, I will admit to days where I feel my age, and even whine and keen lightly when one or another ache and pain hits me....but I'm still full of spit and vinegar..and that's bad news for liberals! :)
As always, thanks for your regular stop by's and for taking the time to comment.
I read your blog during the week, rarely on the weekends. Just need a rest from the news and sort. I enjoy your stories, they take me back to when I was young and the news information to get my blood boiling.
There are a lot of times I have comments, but someone already posted what I was thinking so I don't want to be repetitive. I agree with your views 99.99% of the times and enjoy you and Jerry's bantering. I think I came across your blog from craigslist here in Sacramento, and have turned a few of my friends onto your blog.
When Monday comes around I can't wait to see the little morsel you have left us. Somedays it's funny, or informational other days it's frustrating (the crap our lame ass represenatives and doing).
Hope you continue and I would buy the books to. So keep up the writing and congratulations on the blog success.
I try to read your blog every other day or so, pending on the work schedule. I would also purchase your book if it were ever to manifest.
I wanted to also address your latest post on the "Good News Journal" about baseball. If you want my opinion, scratch baseball this year, it's become a summer league for multi-millionaires who could care less about the sport. I suggest watching the Men's Lacrosse Semi and Finals on ESPN/ESPNU. If that doesn't get you hooked I'll be extremely surprised. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend everyone.
Thanks, Trevor. I'm appreciative of your visits. You have a great Memorial Weekend as well.
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