Ripples, Puddles and Google Analytics…

I’ve just been awoken by Statistical Analysis… Yes, I’ve graduated to a WHOLE new level of web geek.

It’s Monday morning, and a little after 2 am.  I’ve been awake for an hour, and, having been unable to get back to sleep, have been trying to look at, review and understand the various statistical breakdowns that are supposed to be critical to a Blog’s success.

I believe that much of the traffic that is drawn to my site, comes from Twitter.

So, I turned to a Twitter Analyzer with the thought that perhaps my Tweets are driving the traffic.  I have recently been talking with people about the use of Hashtags (#) as a search device, and so I find it not surprising that 51.9%of my Hashtag comments are #Canucks related, with a further 16.5% being attributed to mentions of #Canada, after the #WJHC(World Junior Hockey Championship) in December, which contributed 4.7%.  With the Winter Olympics imminent, and the inherent NHL Break, I expect #Canada to do some serious catching up !

While the Hashtag stats are interesting, I saw nothing there that would give me any aid or guidance, in being a better Blogger… So, moving on.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics – Starting from Zero…

Google Analytics tells me that 54% of my traffic comes direct to my site, while 27% gets referred, and 19% from Search Engines.  I guess this is a baseline, and I can see what the relative numbers do, going up or down.  On an unrelated note, I think it’s interesting that the 5th highest source of visits is Facebook, although I haven’t pushed my Blog there.  Hmmm !

Owen Greaves on his Blog,  has written a number of thoughtful and insightful articles, and says that he has found that the best time of day to Post a blog is between 5 pm and 10 pm.  I’m not able to grasp that level of detail, but there are some revealing stats, and being a bit of a numbers geek, I am looking forward to reviewing this again, sometime soon.

But what has awoken me just recently, is mind-numbing in its simplicity… elegant in its mathematics… and daunting in its implementation.

I think more than anything else, I view my Blog… like one of the science experiments we did in Elementary School.  I’ve got a bunch of seeds, (my postings) some get sunshine, (viewers) some don’t… some get more water, more fertilizer (multiple mentions) others not.  And at the end, we get to see on a very organic level, what works… and what doesn’t.

I was getting bogged down in minutiae.  Stuff that doesn’t matter.  So what if I overuse the word “Awesome” in my Tweets, and use the salutation “Cheers” too many times ?  (Other than perhaps being minorly annoying…  It doesn’t matter !!!)

What DOES matter, is the resonance of your message, and the distance it carries.  Thus, the ripple and the puddle analogy.

On Twitter, my account @BobSongs has 750 followers.  Owen Greaves has 15,200.  Jaff Jarvis has 34,000, and Gary Vaynerchuk has 846,000.

Even if EVERY single one of my followers reads one of my Blogs, I will still get less hits than @GaryVee gets in an hour.

Scale of economy.

This should NOT have been mind blowing to me… except for some reason, I believed something different.

I have a music website, www.BobSongs.com that I don’t tweak or overtly promote… and it smacked me in the face to know I got NO TRAFFIC !!!

In the drop of water that is that puddle, my Music website has no ability to create a ripple.

And similarly, with Google Analytics… I can’t get bogged down in the very fine print… yet.

So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go get a bucket, and find a tap… because my puddle needs to be bigger !!!

Cheers !!!

😀

Prorogues Gallery…

I’m not sure what I thought I was going to write about on my Blog.

When I started it, I thought maybe it would be a way for me to “stretch” the writing muscle that had lain dormant for too many seasons, and give it a bit of a run !

As you can tell, the postings have been… eclectic, and far from serious, but today’s events change that, for today, Canada’s Parliament was Prorogued (suspended) until March 3rd.

This appears to have been done at a time in the news cycle when News Media are focused on Holiday Events, Team Canada annoucements, and Year End List compilation.

I was raised in a Household where politics were discussed, and my Dad and his colleagues from CBC Radio would embrace discussion of different points of view, and as my Dad worked the “Victoria beat” for many years, would often have discussions with members of different political parties, and then differences would be put aside, and a dram or two would be had.

Today, I questioned the timing and reason for the Prorogue on Twitter, and I was replied to by someone whom I neither follow, nor know… and called, amongst other things, a “Liberal Spinner” and a “Harper-Hating Dog” !

Apart from the fact that I am more of a Cat Guy… I think it is sad that questioning the actions of a politician, after that individual does something that seems to be extraordinary in nature, gets someone I don’t know, riled up enough, to the point where he calls me names ?!?

I’m not sure, in the age of Blogs and Social Media, where someone like me fits in.  I still believe in the Golden Rule: “Treat others, as you would like to be treated”

I extend someone I don’t know, the same courtesy, that I give to someone I am friendly with.  This includes Business People, and the folks on the other end of Twitter.

Just because someone doesn’t know me, they can afford to insult me ?  Sounds like Anti-Social Media, to me.

But, I digress…

And, on that note, I shall probably also transgress, because I am now going to Post the e-mail I sent to Her Excellency, the Governor-General of Canada, today… (and I’m not sure if etiquette permits that… but I wrote it, and I stand behind it !!!

And so, My Blog becomes a politically-charged target, for all things mud !

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.
Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A1

Excellency:

As a Canadian, I am deeply concerned by two events, which appear to have occurred today.

The first is that our Prime Minister apparently has made a request to Prorogue Parliament.

The second event, is actually the confluence of a number of events, ranging from the sad loss of five Canadians in Afghanistan, a car-jacking of some Hollywood Actors’ car in Vancouver, to the naming of the Hockey Players on our Olympic Team.

The second has impacted the first, so much, that there has been no discernable News coverage of the Prorogue.

I would suggest that in this time of uncertainty, where Countries are just beginning to see a glimmering of hope in the mists of our future… and we are already coming off an extended break for the Holiday Season… that this is an unfortunate choice of timing, and uncertain times demand strong, not absent, leadership.

As a Canadian, I am saddened by the loss of our Canadian Soldiers and a Canadian Journalist, although I believe that Canada should help, when oppression rears its head.

I am also saddened that, on this day, gamesmanship seems to have replaced ethics, and hard work and persistence have given way to time off and disinterest.

In the last 15 years, I have voted for Conservative, Liberal, NDP, Reform and Independent candidates.  I have never held any affiliation with any political party.  As each election arrives, I decide which Candidate will best represent me, and my Riding, and I don’t care what Party they represent… I want to know how they, as an individual will represent me.  Yes, I am that naive.  I am also foolish enough to believe that Leaders should lead, and when they grow tired of leading, should stand to the side, for another to take their place.  Just because they are the leader, they do not get to call the journey off…  whether they get scared, or are uncertain, or have doubts.  They will have moments of pause, certainly, but by the nature of the Title… a Leader must lead.

I feel that this Prorogue is an extreme dis-service to the Citizens of Canada… and serves, from what I can see, no purpose, other than to prevent business from being done in the House of Commons, where questions can be asked, and answers given.

There is a Driving School, called Young Drivers of Canada… which teaches young drivers to always ensure that there is a gap beside them, in case they suddenly have to veer, when cut off.  I believe that Canadian Politics should not be run by the “Young Drivers of Canada Brake & Avoid” system.

Best wishes to you, and your family, for a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Most sincerely,

Bob Gray