WordPress Analytics: A driving force or a moot point?

I have a hard time tearing myself away from the “stats” button. Even if I haven’t posted anything in days, I check it constantly. I’ve never thought of myself as an analytical person but all signs are pointing to the contrary.

Do you do the same? As a person with a modest following, to say the least, I can go days without a view. But I check the stats page countless times a day. I like to try and breakdown the views vs. the “likes”. If this post had 32 views and got 12 likes, then for every 2.67 people who viewed it, someone “liked” it. But then, I’ll take a step further, day by day comparing page views to number of posts in a month, and so on and so on. I think it’s close to bordering on addiction at this point.

But at the end of the day, those stats are what spurs me on. It’s what drives me to type something, edit and publish a post. We all have our own motivators, and I guess this is mine. When I started this blog I knew right away that I had fallen in love. I had never really written before. And as the days, months and years have gone on, I find myself striving for more. To have more views, likes, and followers then the day or post before. To be better, to be seen, and even liked.

I know that’s not everyone’s journey in the realm of blogging. Some use it as an outlet; not caring if a single soul reads it. Not needing it for validation or to fill up their confidence cup. I do. I do use it for that. That little push. That little ‘atta girl. And perhaps I use it too much. As a form of validation.

What is your relationship with the “stats” tab? I’m genuinely interested in how much stock you put in the analytics behind WordPress.

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Darci Petrov

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21 thoughts on “WordPress Analytics: A driving force or a moot point?”

  2. I usually check my stats most days just out of morbid curiosity. Although I would like to believe all views and comments are because of what I write, I know that many of the people that follow me only did so so that I will read their site and maybe buy something. One day I got three new followers and when I checked them out, they were all business blogs. But I know my blog is eclectic so not everything I write interests everyone. Different people follow me for different reasons. Some like poetry, some humor, some memories, etc. Some days my views will go through the roof and the viewers are few. Then I know one of my followers just caught up. For me, I think I live for the comments. If you liked it enough to take the time to enter a comment, I feel like I was successful.

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    1. Oh yes. I think I knew that. Wonderful! We’ll have to get together. I’m also trying to restart a wordpress blogging group in Portland. I just found it the other day and contacted the admins to see if anyone was still active in the group. Not sure if you’d like to join. But would love to have you!

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      1. My first blog was a mum blog and I guess I was wanting to see if I could “make it” as a writer. My second blog was about fertility and I didn’t really look at stats much there. It was more out of interest there seeing what resonated with people on the same journey. I felt compelled to write then as that journey is just so tough. Now I’m just writing (or not as the case may be – ha!) for shits and giggles and I definitely have no ambition surrounding it so maybe that’s why i don’t look at stats so much?

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      2. Writing about fertility issues must have been tough content to write. I can’t imagine putting that out there. Good for you! Those things need to be talked about more. My husband and I went through a long journey with that. 2 years and 11 months. But whose counting, right? I think a lot of people use blogging for a therapeutic outlet. That’s how this blog started. And now more then anything, I use it as a form of self-care.

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  6. I love the stats! I don’t focus on the numbers as much as I did in the first two years, but I still check the stats frequently to see which posts are getting attention. I couldn’t keep posting if I didn’t have readers. It’s too much work! Readers motivate me, even if they’re just being nice or reciprocating because I read their blogs. At this point I’m probably maxed out on the number of blogs I can follow and read, so my audience probably won’t continue to grow, but that’s totally fine.

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      1. That’s so nice of you!! As I mentioned before, you were the first blogger to follow me. Before that I had two readers–my mother and a friend of hers. I had no clue about the “social network” aspect of blogging. I started reading someone who had commented on one of your posts–Tracey at yarnandpencil–and through her found some terrific blogs about autism, which I knew nothing about. It was an unexpected journey that started with one of your posts (which wasn’t about autism). If you hand’t been open to new things and willing to put yourself out there, Tracey wouldn’t have found you and I wouldn’t have found some of my favorite blogs. So it’s no exaggeration to say that your blog made a positive impact on my life, even though you didn’t know it. 🙂

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      2. That is so kind and generous of you to say. Thank you. And the same goes for you and your blog. Your idea is so unique. It just draws people in. I knew it from the moment I saw it that you had something fun, that would engage people. That’s exactly what every blogger wants.

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      3. Thank you for such kind encouragement! I should have reiterated above that I love the way you write. It takes a lot of time and effort, undoubtedly, but the results are worth it. I hope you find the time to continue!

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      4. Haha. Yes. Time is what I am lacking these days. Haha. My son, whose 1, is currently napping after having his 5th straight night of no sleep. I working on another post as we speak (type). And its inspired by the last post and your comments. Thank you for the inspiration!

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