El Valle de Anton Panama
Why should bloggers check statistics?
I checked my blog traffic metrics earlier yesterday for the first time in a while.
Yeah; notoriously stat-resistant me.
My intuition told me to do it. I did it.
I noted 86 views on my new post 6 minutes after I published it. I partially distributed the sucker at that point.
This was all I needed to see for now. Although I noted some of my page 1 Google posts generating views without me doing anything of course. Google did the work after I published detailed, targeted content. I will check monthly totals 30 days from now. But that concerns me not. I am about creating content. That’s the reward. The spoils follow exactly how it was intended to be.
Growth occurs regularly at Blogging From Paradise based on simple engagement metrics; at least recently.
I am not big on traffic stats for that reason.
Like anyone at this game for 18 years, I experienced highs and lows. Mountain tops and valleys. Excitement and doldrums.
Checking stats typically throws me off. I know I am doing OK; I have fun blogging and resonant people show up to increase my referrals.
Yet seeing a tangible traffic number goaded me to write this post.
Stat-checking proves to be helpful as a growth or regression indicator. However, bloggers harbor an unhealthy bond with numbers. Struggling individuals maintain a deep psychological attachment to stats. Failure follows. Or stressed success follows. Either way, addressing stat-checking motivators guides you to look within the recesses of your mind.
Facing, feeling then looking past stat-related fears amplifies your growth.
Why?
Letting go of outcomes focuses you heavily on loving and working the process.
The process cares for the outcomes…..if you get lost in the process. That’s fun.
Why do bloggers check stats?
Check out these reasons.
1: Boredom
Bloggers check stats once, twice or twenty times daily for being bored.
Imagine a cyborg-like activity. Fire up the laptop. Grab your phone. Check stats. Visit Facebook. Scroll. Check stats again. Visit Google. Check stats again.
Beware boredom stat checking. Stop wasting time. Find a strong purpose. Tie that purpose to blogging.
2: Hopelessness
Goodness.
I remember the hopeless stat checking days well.
I confirmed my worst fears every time I opened up my metrics. I expected low numbers. I observed low numbers.
Conquer hopelessness. Become aware of your mindset. Face, feel and look past the hopeless feelings manifesting in the mind.
Find blogging hope again. Follow guidance from pro bloggers. Surround yourself with successful bloggers. Learn from the best. Follow their lead. Succeed to conquer your doubts.
3: Prove Spammers Wrong
I thought about something after gazing at Blogging From Paradise metrics today.
How wrong were all those spammers warning me about my inadequate traffic?
The masses told me one thing: my blog suffered from low traffic. I knew this was silly. Yet observing my quick surge proved how far off these spammers seemed to be.
I do recall generating 30,000 visits monthly a while back. After that, I knew all these outreach jokers were full of it.
Avoid building a spammer hit list to prove these folks wrong.
But gain confidence by backing yourself up with metrics.
Look past spammers because your numbers prove: spammers have no clue.
4: Gauge Progress
Straight up: #4 and #5 matter.
Check stats to gauge progress.
Observe growth.
Keep doing what works.
5: Gauge Lack of Progress
No one enjoys observing a lack of progress but this stat-checking driver is critical.
How can you defeat failure until you look directly at failure?
My biggest blogging turnarounds often occur after looking at deflating statistics.
I:
- looked at meager metrics
- felt the sting of failure
- followed the appropriate correction
- amplified my success
Check stats to right your blogging course.
Spot anemic numbers.
Move in the opposite direction with successful blogging strategies.
6: Distraction
Distraction is different than boredom.
Stat checking pulls bloggers away from doing work to increase numbers.
How can you publish long form blog posts while distracting yourself with incessant stat-checking?
Gauge metrics infrequently enough to do the work but frequently enough to spot trends.
7: Fuel Delusion
Big numbers are just big numbers.
Big groups of people are just big groups of people.
Beware deluding yourself. Stats are just stats.
Helping people who engage content consistently matters most.
Service wins.
Organic traffic stats and blogging income metrics are still just numbers.
Happiness is found in helping people with content.
Remember that before number-worshiping.
8: Brag About Personal Accomplishments to Prospective Customers
Bragging about stats to prospective customers is one common strategy.
Feel free to prove your worth.
What’s even better?
Knowing your worth.
Knowing your true helpfulness influences people to:
- buy your stuff
- hire you
Numbers prove credibility in this world. I get it.
Confidence does too; especially among like-minded people.
People buy my eBooks because:
- I believe in myself
- I believe in my eBooks
- I help people with free content
Customers trust:
- me
- my eBooks
- my free content
Trust inspires customers to pull the trigger. I never asked for one eBook review; ever. Not my style.
I let glowing reviews flow organically from genuine bloggers who find value in my work.
I’m not into metrics bragging.
But to each his own.
Go for it if this feels right for you.
9: Fuel Impatience
Statistics fuel impatience.
You got 100 blog visitors today. What will tomorrow bring? How can you succeed in the next 24 hours? The next day has a big effect on your blogging career, you know?
The above scenario is ridiculous. Blogging is a marathon not a sprint. Yet impatient bloggers think this way.
Relax.
Cool your blogging jets.
Bloggers go pro after publishing helpful content consistently for years.
Micro metrics spanning 24 hour stretches do not influence the whole in meaningful ways.
Think cumulatively.
10: Judge Relevancy of Blogging
Lazy blogging is dead.
Smart blogging is alive and well.
Numbers allegedly prove it. Stats prove that people visit blogs.
But the proof is in your mind.
Bloggers who commit to blogging intelligently find it to be alive and well.
Bloggers who take shortcuts wrongly believe blogging to be dead because it draws no human readers.
The mindset determines relevance not numbers.
11: Get Clear
I wrote this post to get clear on my stats.
I felt a surge of fascination the moment my new post generated 86 hits in 6 minutes (Remember; Blogging From Paradise sports over 600 blog posts). But even if it were 86 humans – of course it was not – who cares? 86 humans visiting a blog is just 86 people sitting around me learning from my blogging guidance. Great. Now I can get clear of attachment to stats to focus on what matters: creating the next detailed blog post to help people who want my help.
Get clear of attachment to stats.
Focus on the process. Love helping people.
Let the content handle the outcomes.
Glance at stats here and there to see what’s shaking; that’s all.
Conclusion
I hope you feel better about checking blogging stats after perusing my post.
Feel free to share your thoughts on your relationship with blogging stats below.
Suggested Blogging Resources
