2017 in (blogging) numbers
2017 just finished and I wanted to take a quick look at how my blog performed these past 12 months. This is just for fun, though, as my blog is not a business or anything and I don’t earn money with it. Heck, I don’t spend any money on it either, hehe. Thanks for the free plan, WordPress!
2017 saw quite a bump in the number of views and visitors my blog got. I am not sure why this happened, as I didn’t do anything special and I still don’t have a Facebook page or do anything else to promote my posts. As you can see on the graph, the number of views and visitors in 2015 and 2016 was more or less the same. Regarding the number of comments, more views definitely don’t translate into more comments, on the contrary: I got way more comments in 2015 and 2016 than last year, when people came, saw, and remained silent.
My blog is going to turn 4 in a few days, by the way. Don’t think there will be a party or anything, although I’m very glad I still write regularly!
Regarding the most visited posts of last year, the absolute winner (by a huge difference) was my article about dangerous food combinations, although it was published in October 2016. I wrote that post in a humorous tone and I don’t think it can be taken too seriously, but every day people are finding my blog because they search in Google if this and that thing can be eaten together. Especially persimmons! Although there were other searches, like “can I die drink milk after eat pineapple” (I don’t think you can), “are pineapples and pears a good combination” (doesn’t sound too appetising to me, but whatever rocks your boat), and even “is tomato and egg dangerous food poisoning” (definitely not, scrambled eggs with tomato is a very popular Chinese dish). Posts about food are usually popular, and my third most viewed one is also about food: 10 Chinese dishes that foreigners find gross, also written in 2016. The second most viewed post was one written in 2017 (at last), and it was about the beauty standards in China.
Who would have thought this was going to be my most popular post…
How did people arrive to my blog? Most of them ended up here after doing a web search (probably related to persimmons, haha). The silver medal for bringing me traffic goes to Facebook, where some people must have shared some of my posts. The third position is for the WordPress reader, where the people that follow my blog get new posts. Other independent, external websites that appear in my top 10 referrers are Speaking of China, Real Gunners, When West Dates East, We are Suzhou and Nihao Cassandra. Thank you, guys!
And where do my readers live? Most of my views come from the US, although this number is not reliable as it probably includes many people who are in China and use a VPN. The second position is for China, thanks to the fact that WordPress was unblocked a couple of years ago. Other countries in the top 10 are, in this order: Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Spain, Hong Kong and India. I had visits from most countries in the world, though! (All the coloured in yellow-orange).
And those are the numbers from 2017! Let’s hope I manage to keep finding topics to write about in 2018!
Congratulations! I like your blog!
Thanks a lot, Ivana!
Woohoo, Hong Kong represent here! 🙂🙂
I only stumbled across your blog in December and I’ve already forgotten how I came across it. I think I was Googling something – though what, I can’t remember.
Hope to see more posts from you this year! ❤️
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I hope you were not googling persimmons, haha. Heck, I don’t even like them! xD
Thank you, Charmaine!
My blog sent people yours? Very cool! I can’t take credit, though. I am sure it was all your funny commentary.
Yeah, I have more traffic and fewer comments, too. Here’s hoping they aren’t all bots. :)
It was mostly from your “other unicorns” page. Maybe people were expecting I would have a horn and a colourful mane xD
I guess glasses and a wedding dress don’t count?
Well done Marta. I hope you find lots of interesting things to write about in your blog too. Keep up the great work. I really enjoy your blog.
Thank you, Sue! I will try… lately I don’t feel too inspired!
I enjoy all your posts particularly the day to day
activities, also the prep for wedding and family
relationships. I learn about my 2 daughter’s
birth country too!
Kathryn from N. California
Thanks a lot, Kathryn!
I am one of your new readers in 2017. I found your blog through a Google search, not for persimmons though, haha! I like to read blogs from people who live in different parts of the world to me (I live in NZ), and to get different perspectives on life to my own. One day I also want to travel to all these places! Thanks for your blog, it’s an interesting take on life in China!
Thanks for commenting, Trudy! I love hearing from people. I hope I can visit NZ some day!
I’ve enjoyed your blog, I like the everyday life topics. I lived in Suzhou 2006-7, my office did the Jinji Lake Master Plan. The Suzhou office was about 20, like family…I really enjoyed. Later I worked in Shanghai, Chongqing and Foshan.
A few years ago you wrote about the Qingming Festival, tomb sweeping day. I always wondered where the cemeteries were in Shanghai? I once heard, after the revolution the state relocate these out to the nearby suburbs and made the land into city parks. I like cemeteries, they are part of any city; but my Chinese friends never appreciated this.
Have any insights for another blog?
Alan
Portland, Oregon
Oh, interesting! The Jinji Lake is having construction works again on the north shore, I think a new walkway is being made.
I haven’t been to any cemeteries in Shanghai, but I guess they are in the suburbs, yes, like in Suzhou. In Suzhou I have been to two, they are basically in the countryside, like 1 hour driving. I know C.’s maternal grandparents were “transferred” to that cemetery at some point, so what you said must have been done in all cities.
I also like cemeteries and although the Chinese ones are not so “artistic” and all tombs are similar, I still think they are pretty and peaceful.
I love the topics you write about – might be for the fact that I also live in China and I can totally relate to what you’re writing about. I have just really stated blogging myself and it’s in a way motivating to see you describing the usar posts you had and how it’s impacting on your blogging experience. Thanks for sharing and keep it coming!!!
Thank you! And congrats on your new blog!
Congratulations! I wonder how long I’ve been following your blog and I believe it is also since 2014.
For the the numbers for the blog are a bit different as I had my “prime time” in 2015 and it is declining ever since then dramaticaly (often only like 5 views a day now compared to several hundred) ;D
Anyhow I will be following your blog also in this new year and I really enjoyed your blog posts over the years
Yes, you’ve been there from the start, hehe. I guess it goes by cycles and you can’t really do much, unless you actively promote your blog. But now you have more important and interesting things to do ;) Thanks for being there! I also look forward to reading your posts this year.
Congratulations Marta! Me encanta tu blog, sigue así yo siempre te leeré <3 e intentaré comentar cada vez que pueda
Muchas gracias!