Let's talk Web stats - wanna share?

[andalee-oriental]

I love Google Analytics and I've been finding out some cool stuff.

Last month I had 223 Absolute Unique Visitors but unfortunately, they're only spending 2 minutes on the site. ..c::

78% were new visits

Top referring sites:
1. ncbellydance.org 22 (go Haala!)
2. bhuz.com 20
3. bellydancedownloads.com 12 (go Kiyaana!)
4. images.google.com 11 (?)
5. raleigh.craigslist.org 10
6. pages.google.com 9
7. benefithafla.weebly.com 6
8. twitter.com 6
9. emilyalane.com 5
10. electricshimmy.com 3 (go Amara!)

Top key words:
1. andalee belly dance 13
2. belly dance 8
3. belly dancing 5
4. andalee 4
5. andalee oriental 4
6. (content targeting) 3 (what's this?)
7. andalee + gallery 3
8. oriental dance 3
9. belly dancing classes 2
10. belly dancing classes durham nc 2

29 Visits to my site via Google AdWords PPC

Top pages:
Home page (of course)
For the ladies (my adwords campaign)
Classes
Gallery

Anyway, I realize that I have a teenzy-weenzy Web site. It's not the most professional thing in the world, but I've put a tremendous amount of work into fixing it up (thanks to a lot of bhuz advice!).

I really want to buy a private domain and do a real site, considering that I have a Web developer boyfriend! However, I am so overwhelmed with the idea of starting from scratch. I've done so much work to get my site to be this successful and I don't want to lose people in the switchover. That will be another topic though.

Anyone care to share or brag about yours? Ideas or techniques on increasing visibility and SEO?

[laura 2]

I'm such a market analysis geek - I'm in!

According to my stats, I've averaged 587 unique visitors a month over the past 15 months.

Top referring URLs:

1 bhuz.com
2 message.snopes.com
3 google.com
4 images.google.com
5 search.yahoo.com
6 search.live.com
7 munax.com
8 shira.net
9 search.msn.com
10 partypop.com
11 danielabellydance.com
12 msgboard.snopes.com
13 gypsymagda.com
14 keywordspy.com
15 chicagomecda.com

Top Search Queries:

1 galatea
2 belly dancing milwaukee
3 belly dancing classes milwaukee
4 belly dance milwaukee
5 belly dancing classes in milwaukee
6 milwaukee belly dance
7 galatea belly dance
8 belly dance classes milwaukee
9 galateadancer.com
10 belly dancing in milwaukee
11 milwaukee belly dancing classes
12 bachelor parties*
13 galatea bellydance
14 milwaukee belly dancing
15 belly dance classes in milwaukee
16 galateadancer.com
17 belly dancing lessons milwaukee
18 belly dance lessons milwaukee
19 milwaukee belly dancers
20 galatea dancer
21 belly dance class milwaukee
22 desert wind dancers
23 dance classes in milwaukee
24 belly dance wisconsin
25 belly dancers milwaukee
26 galatea dance
27 belly dancing classes milwaukee wi
28 dance classes milwaukee
29 belly dancing lessons milwaukee wi
30 belly dance

I love that people are searching specifically for my name on search engines. It took a long time for that to happen! And I believe * "bachelor parties" is coming up because I state on my site I DON'T do bachelor parties.

Visits Ranked by Day of the Week

1 Sunday
2 Monday
3 Tuesday
4 Wednesday
5 Thursday
6 Friday
7 Saturday

OS's used by Site Visitors:

1 Windows XP
2 Windows Vista
3 Macintosh
4 Windows 2000
5 Windows 98
6 Unix
7 Windows NT
8 Windows ME
9 Windows CE
10 Windows 95

I find this interesting because a lot of us assume everyone is so techy these days. As you can see, I have visitors to my site that are still running Windows ME, 98 and 95.

Browsers used by Site Visitors:

1 Internet Explorer
2 Firefox/Mozilla
3 Safari
4 Netscape (compatible)
5 Mozilla
6 Opera

As much as I dislike IE, it is far and away the most common browser - nearly 4 times as many who were on my site using Mozilla Firefox, the 2nd runner up.

[andalee-oriental]

How do I up my rankings on msn and yahoo?

Also, I find it interesting that you have a lot of search terms using Milwaukee...I only had Durham come up once (in the top ten of course). I need to see where else Durham is falling.

Wouldn't it be cool if they created a program that showed you what sites you are directly competing with? As in your name was on an ad or search results, but user clicked on another site instead...

[laura 2]

It may just take time - my site has been up and running for almost 3 years now.

[Asim]

How do I up my rankings on msn and yahoo?

They are both used LITTLE. And, well, for good reason -- MSN, akak Live Search, is pretty miserable; Yahoo's might be better.

Anyway. I've done, and do, the "numbers thing." I've been watching numbers in one way or another for years, now, on the web. And really? It's kind of fun -- but I think numbers, in this case, can lie -- or, perhaps worse, lead to the wrong kinds of conclusions about how to appoach your web presence.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. CONTENT. CONTENT. CONTENT. (See? I even said it 3 times!) The only really viable way to get a site with good and regular visitation, over and again, is to put stuff up that people'll point to, and to keep updating it again and again.

That's not to say you can't do many other things, some of which are "cheating". But truly? Nothing beats content over the "long run" -- and not to speak for Shira, but I think she's great proof of that.

Another? Look at the Google Search on the term "Apostate". Despite it being a well-known religious term, note that my dance blog of that name is in the top ten results! That's the effect of years of posting, linking, and content -- even though I sometimes get lazy, and don't post there for awhile.

It doesn't have to be article-length blog posts. Post your content from Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, even Flickr and YouTube! Encourage people to snap pics and video of your shows that you can vet, and post to your site. And this reminds me I should be posting the workshops I'm attending, as well as reminds me of the performers I see update their sites with the shows they perform at-- even (respecting privacy) the private ones. Not only does it give people (including potential clients) a sense of your activity level in the dance, but it also, again, encourages Google et. al. to boost you in the ratings, even time you update.

Sorry if this sounds rant-y. ..c::

Oh, and Andalee? As far as your own site, are you meaning you want your own domain, or a full blown site?

[beafarhana]

For March

Total pageloads - 1,997
Unique Visitors - 736
First Time Visitors - 619
Returning Visitors - 117
(from Statcounter)

Visit length
53.7% (73) - Less than 5 secs
8.8% (12) - From 5 secs to 30 secs
16.9% (23) - From 30 secs to 5 mins
8.8% (12) - From 5 mins to 20 mins
3.7% (5) - From 20 mins to an hour
8.1% (11) - Longer than an hour
(from Statcounter)

Top referring sites
1. beledi.ru
2. bhuz.com (Yay bhuz!)
3. my livejournal
4. emmabellydancer.co.uk (that's Emma here)
5. bellydance.start.bg
6. bellydanceclasses.net
7. club.osinka.ru
8. planetegypt.co.uk
9. shira.net
10. saqarah.co.uk
(from Google Analytics)

Top keywords
1. beatrice curtis (42)
2. egyptian dance moves (14)
3. baladi dress (10)
4. egyptian dance (10)
5. bea curtis (6)
6. egyptian dance steps (6)
7. baladi dress patterns (5)
8. baladi dress pattern (3)
9. costume colour combinations (3)
10. tube skirt (3)
(from Google Analytics)

And my favourite part of the report- the map overlay
1. United Kingdom (321)
2. United States (72)
3. Russia (51)
4. France (31)
5. Canada (18)
6. Ukraine (15)
7. Bulgaria (12)
8. Germany (12)
9. Egypt (7)
10. Belgium (6)

The main reason I have a big hit count from the Russian sites (beledi.ru & club osinka) is that I have some skirt & baladi dress patterns/instructions on my site and they are often linked to (or the same link gets followed a lot) on their costume forums. I'm always thrilled to bits to have visits from all different countries all over the world, but *especially* thrilled when I get visits from Egyptians!

[andalee-oriental]

Oh, and Andalee? As far as your own site, are you meaning you want your own domain, or a full blown site?

Understood (your rant that is). been working on that, especially with Myspace, twitter and my blog.

I was thinking about my own domain. andaleedance.com or something, with a completely new redesign.

[*Shira*]

For those who enjoy examining and analyzing your web stats, here's another toy: Alexa

See Alexa Internet - Website Information

Put your url into the "site lookup" box and enjoy analyzing the stats, comparing your performance to that of your rivals, etc.