Monday, May 04, 2009

Who surfed my blog?

I subscribe to Google Analytics to get a few details of my blog. Who visited, when, from where, how did they arrive, all sort of such stuff. Most of the time, I am interested in looking at the range of cities from where people visit my blog.

Recently, I realised about the search engine feature in Analytics. The feature allows you to see what search terms were used to arrive at your blog. Many times, the search terms used surprise you, sometimes they baffle you. You begin to think "What, this combination of search terms puts my blog on the top few pages?" This is based on the assumption that an average surfer would not go beyond the third page of a search engine. Most of the people who use the search engine would have not even gone through the post completely. They do not contribute anything as readers. I mean, I don't expect comments from every reader, but then they do not go away with the satisfaction of having read something nice/good/interesting.

The largest number of hits that my blog (or posts in the blog) received were from a search term "orkut testimonials". Over the past eight months it continues to occupy the top slot for every month's statistic. Now, I know that none of these readers would have appreciated my post on orkut testimonials as most of them are looking for testimonials that they can use. But surprisingly, my blog received the cumulative maximum number of hits from queries related to orkut testimonials. Why would one google for testimonials? I don't understand. As I have said in my post on testimonials, it should indicate the depth of friendship. Not to be used to flatter friends.

Another term that generated a lot of hits and surprises me is "Raj Thackeray". I have only one post related to Raj Thackeray, but the hits contribute to nearly 14% of the month's hits. That most of the people searching for Raj Thackeray are not exactly his fans, such gang of readers do not read and give a thought to the post. Those who are his fans, read and get happy because of the content. But only a few actually try to realise the problem.

While we have our own thoughts about the way people will try to reach our blog, search engine statistics throw up a lot of surprises. When you go through that report, the world appears to be much more stranger than earlier.
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14 comments:

  1. Very nice post Vinay. It shows senisitvity towards your readership and also towards places. Search terms are always curious things.

    I liked your choice of topic :) ...cool one!

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  2. thanks Anne! For your comments!

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  3. Bang on! Search terms are curious things

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  4. thanks Neha! has your experience with search terms been similar?

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  5. Since you have use Google Analytics, there are more that you can find out. I have two posts today dedicated to what I found out from my website analytics...

    http://hemalshah.net/xhtmlblog/2009/05/11/users-on-mozilla-spend-more-time-on-website/

    and

    http://hemalshah.net/xhtmlblog/2009/05/11/big-time-april-and-may-stats-firefox-eating-into-internet-explorers-market-share/

    As for the search terms, I find one term that is haunting me a lot. I have a Feedjit widget that tells me who visited my blog and if they visted searching something then what was the keyword.

    That one is "Freida Pinto". All the search results are coming from US and all of them come via Live.com Search.

    My website does not figure in top 50 results, but this keyword actually has got me 79 visits as of today.

    Search Keywords are very curious things...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey man, can you help delete this id? The my old blog domain has been stolen and it is no longer in my control (hemalshah.net) hence, either you can delete the comment or take out the hyperlink.

      Thanks in advance!

      Delete
    2. *Hey man, can you help delete this comment?

      Delete
  6. Hey Vinay..
    I knw u guys would now consider me a lesser mortal now, but the fact is that I didnt knew abt google analytics :(
    lemme also add this to my blog!!
    BTW thanx 4 the info.. :)

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  7. @Hemal,
    Thanks for the info, I'll just look into it. Read your posts, I guess I too can find out interesting stuff from Analytics.

    @preposterous girl,
    It's okay. I have been using Analytics for over a year, but realised this search terms feature just a few days before I posted this article

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  8. I also use google analytics. I found out that technology related blogs are widely liked. and they get max hits for me.

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  9. Good one .. came thro indiblogger

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  10. @Daisy Blue
    Thanks for your comments!

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  11. When our blog was new, people reached us by searching bamboos. Or the Gay Bar with the same name. But, of late such visits have decreased. Thank God. Most of the search keywords (70 %) are directly targeted to us.

    But still there are some keywords which are very surprising. The most recent being "How to propose a girl?" I don't know how they reached us by searching it.

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  12. @Prasad Borkotoky

    Well, here is my embarrassing moment. I found a hit to my blog using the search term "desibaba". I swear by God, that I haven't used this term anywhere in my blog.

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