Studying Visitors

I have a counter on my blog. It counts every visit and makes a note of how long every visit is, where they came from, and how many times they been back – and what they looked at.

A couple of times a day I look at the counter report and muse and wonder at what I see.

Over last weekend I titled a posting something like “UGA Is Dead” and suddenly my visitors increased. For three or four days my count is up near 200 more each day. It will fizzle out soon I hope. They arrive here and in less than 2 seconds see there is nothing to it and move on.

I think a bunch of people everyday run a Google on UGA and that is why I had so many visitors.

I have said other words that suddenly increased my traffic…. And again, once they looked at what I had to offer, they left in a second or two.

So, temporarily when I say something that attracts a mass of people my visiting number goes up, but also at the same time the return visits and lengthy visits percentage decline. They don’t stick around very long and don’t come back. So, what I feel is my quality numbers decline.

I think the visiting numbers can be misleading.

I really feel complemented when I see a big large percentage stayed over 10 minutes and really feel great when people stay longer than an hour. And even more so, if they are returning visiting… they are coming back for more trash from Eddie – to see what words of wisdom I mutter…. Hah!

What I don’t like is people being attracted here for other reasons than I intended. A good example is a couple of brothers I have observed through the past ten years that live in their late grandparents home, as far as I can tell, and they live in a make-believe military world. I think now they are over 21, maybe even pushing 30, and have only one thing in mind – look like commandos. By their appearances they remind me of Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum and have named several blog postings that when I wrote about them. For a long time I have been getting hits searching out my Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum, mostly from England but also other parts of Europe, and sometimes Australia.

Another good example is when actor Peter Boyle died I had a bit about him and named the post “Joe is Dead”. I called him Joe because that is what my wife Anna and I nicknamed him years ago and have been calling him that ever since. That was the first movie we saw him in, “Joe.” I get still get several hits a day searching for my “Joe is Dead” post. Once they see it, it is not what they had in mind, whatever that is, and they quickly exit. The people that hit “Joe is Dead” are mostly European.

Three of my posts of local eateries get several hits a week. Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs, Sam and Dave’s BBQ and the Old Mill in Acworth.

Alton Brown’s House and Rock City Bird House each probably get about a visit a day. Alton’s visitors are from all over the U.S. and the Rock City Birdhouse tend to be mostly in Tennessee.

With the exception of Will Elder stuff, my comic book posting are rarely visited. My historical stuff is hit often more locally.

Speaking of which, several people, who consider Marietta their home, have told me face to face or by email how much they enjoy my local stuff I tell... I try to oblige them - not only for them, but also for me. It is good mind exercise to swim around in the ooze of your brain to see what you can remember... or at least I hope it is good exercise, I hope I can always climb back out.

Another thing that baffles me is my blog’s July 2007 Archives. At least a dozen people a day visit to see that month’s archives. I have no idea what is so attracting there. But they seem to in bunches every day, from all the world.

Do I have an International flair of what?