Blog Stats – What do they mean?

I consider myself a generally positive kind of person, and so any Blog activity is good. I am, however, a very detail oriented individual and so have an inherent need to understand what numbers really mean.

At the time of writing this Post, I had 1741 Followers. That sounds very good, but am I really understanding it completely? To date, my Blog has received 68,552 Views and 21,327 Comments. Sounds very good to me also … but let us look at those statistics.

Followers: I don’t actually have 1741 people around the world eagerly awaiting a new Post for their reading pleasure. What I do have are 1741 email addresses that are advised when a new Post is published. Whether the owners of those addresses actually respond to a new Post advisory is only known if they Like or Comment against my Blog Post.

Views (aka Hits): It would be nice to believe that 68,552 people have been interested enough to visit my Blog, but it is my understanding that is not the case. People can arrive at my Blog by accident, as a result of their Google search (e.g.) showing my Blog (or a Blog Post) near the top of the search results list. They click the link hoping to find what they were looking for, and arrive on my front page. They are apparently recorded as a View.

Comments: I would love to think that my Followers have commented 21,327 times to date, but that is drastically misleading. The problem (Is it a problem?) is that my comments are also recorded, so if I respond to your single Comment, then there are now two Comments. I have to approximate that Comments are really about half of what the stats show.

Likes: This is a good one because of the various reasons why Like would be clicked. Do you Like my Posts because:

You liked the photograph? You didn’t read the Post, but wanted to reward the obvious effort? You usually Like my Posts? The Post was too long to read, but it looked okay? You had more important things to do, but wanted to be seen as active on my Blog? Perhaps you read the Post and did indeed like it?

So do the stats serve much of a constructive purpose? I would suggest very much so. Followers, Hits/Views and Likes are relevant if compared against past performance. i.e. as long as my Followers number is consistently getting higher, then obviously more people are requesting notifications of new Posts which can only be good. Likewise the Hits/Views and Likes. Consistently higher numbers can be interpreted as increased interest.

The Comments stat is , to me, very different. It is an excellent guide as to the effectiveness of my Blog. All the other stats mentioned are “single click” generated, but a Comment takes some thought and deliberate execution. Because I freely dialogue with my Commenters, I know that my Comments stats are approximately double what I would expect, but even having half of 21,327 is a great reward for creating a Blog and publishing Posts.

Finally, while I love to see my Comments stats slowly increase, what I really love to see are names that are familiar to me. These are the individuals who have been commenting regularly for some time now. Some of you go back to when I started this Blog. Newcomers are extremely welcome of course, and it is always my hope that they too will become familiar names as time passes.

As for the stats? Given their inherent shortcomings, use them to your best advantage as a general motivational tool …. but celebrate the Commenters. They really are my future in Blogging, and I suspect are also yours!

57 thoughts on “Blog Stats – What do they mean?”

  5. It is always good to take time and reflect on stats, they help you identify which ones are the more meaningful ones. You can then decide what it is that you what to focus on, building followers, likes, hits, views or comments and how you might grow your blog to increase the number that is more meaningful. So many people focus on the hits and the likes rather than the engagement that good content inspires. I really appreciate that you take the time to engage with your readers and respond to every comment on your posts 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  6. Being just about the only non-blogger that I know…this post is quite enlightening to me. I have noticed the space that says “join ‘x’ other followers” and that seemed self explanatory. I am intrigued by the amount of followers on a blog. The views/hits seemed pretty straight forward to me too, although I found the numbers quite astounding. I would guess that more years of blogging would add substantially to the total hits. The little word “like” confused me most, actually it still does. If one comments is that already a “like”? As a follower, it is gratifying to know that comments are appreciated. I will be more diligent in commenting…sometimes, I am tired or negligent or just think my one comment is unimportant. I am what I consider to be The Happy Follower…I wander in and out of blogs, meandering here and there. Sometimes, I visit for a short while and sometimes, I stay. Thank-you for making my stay pure pleasure!

    Liked by 3 people

    • It’s always great to hear from you Ellen. The “Like” can be confusing. When somebody blogs about a traumatic experience and are clearly stressed, is it appropriate to “Like” it? No Comment is unimportant because such Comment is representing the perspective of the writer, and isn’t that the attraction of blogging …. to share and appreciate alternative perspectives? Looking forward to hearing from you again. 🙂

      Like

  7. You can count me as a follower, a viewer, a liker and now a commenter 🙂 I’m a newbie blogger since losing my darling Milly a couple of months ago and avidly check my stats all the time. I figure as long as at least one person other than my mum is viewing then it’s a win! Have only found you very recently so I have a lot to catch up on… all best

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi BM, and welcome. The next time you have some free time, I hope that you’ll come back … put your feet up … chill out with a drink of your choice, and just browse whatever category appeals to you. 🙂

      Like

  10. I usually read the blog and all the comments too. Sometimes I comment on the comments! I only comment when I can add to the conversation, otherwise, I leave a like to show that I found it interesting and well worth reading.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. I go along with this Colin. The stats are just numbers, and when I get a new ‘follow’ I try to check it out to find it’s a commercial site or no longer exists. I see a lot of familiar blogger names and feel pleased they are still logging in and reading.
    I like the interaction with my regulars and newbies alike. It’s the comments that help me improve my blog or throw me a tangent on which to base another post. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  13. I think your future in blogging is secure Colin. This is me commenting to encourage you to keep the presses running!! As you know, I am not a fellow blogger, but I found those statistics interesting. I learned something new today!!
    🔹 Ginger 🔹

    Liked by 2 people

  14. For me the only thing that counts are the comments. Followers and likes aren’t dependable indicators but nice to see them increase. I’ve seen bloggers with over 5000 followers but each post has comments in the single digits. I would find that discouraging no matter what the follower count was. Also, it’s all relative. People who post daily or multiple times daily will see greater activity than people who do not post daily. What really counts is not the frequency but the quality of the writing. I find myself scrolling by posts that don’t intrigue me. At the end of the day all that matters is that the blogger is satisfied. Great post.

    Liked by 2 people

  15. With the “like” button on Reader, you can’t be sure the person actually clicked over – which makes comment gold. Stats are great for feedback and progress, but best to take them as you say with a grain of salt. Sometimes regular readers get busy and just graze on cell phones which many find annoying to use for commenting. WP is constantly undergoing changes which has resulted in emailed notices not going out to subscribers, people getting dropped from subscriber lists, and tossed into spam – among other connections pulled.
    Stats can be a huge game – it’s easy to increase numbers if you seriously sit around and read and comment on tons of blogs each day – most return trip. Sustaining that number is quite time consuming. And then it gets into stats are important not the posting, right? You’d like to think people come by because of content and want to come back – that is gold. Stats are an indication, but not always reality. People are busy, I’ll give everyone a pass if they haven’t time, but it;’s so much fun to hear from people when they do have time. Life is out there. Please everyone get out there – and wander back around to tell what you’ve found.
    Astute post – enjoyed it.

    Liked by 2 people

  16. Good post!
    I may not be real detail oriented, but I do like to see my numbers keep rising. That shows me that apparently I am doing something right with my blog, but I am in complete agreement that the comments are the best part!
    Its through the comments that you get to know your followers. In the comments they become much more than just a number!
    There can be such variety in the comments. Sometimes you can learn things from them, often they can warm your heart, (perhaps…maybe warm your cheeks at times) bring a smile to your face and most of all they add to the delight in the adventure of blogging!

    Liked by 3 people

  17. Comment content is the only real stat – as it indicates that the post has been read, understood & generated a response. ‘Like’ is not always available unless you are signed into WordPress

    Liked by 3 people

  18. Though it is exciting when a post is suddenly popular (who knows why!) and equally disappointing when one is not, I agree with you that the interaction with fellow bloggers, some of whom become virtual friends, is the main reward. Blog On! 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

  19. Well said…comments are indeed the true indication that somebody really read your piece….I liked this analysis of yours. Of late coming across many bloggers talking about the relevance of stats. Good one.🤘👍👍

    Liked by 2 people

Comments are closed.