Like most bloggers (or at least I hope it’s like most bloggers, otherwise this is going to come off as pretty vain) I seem to have somewhat an obsession with stats. I visit StatCounter several times a day, and Typepads Stats occassionally. I like StatCounter the most out of the various stat programs I’ve tried, it’s free (a big seller) and offers many different facets of your stats.
A couple of things I usually look for are the search strings that bring people to the blog (nothing really unusual lately, although people looking for the shocking dog collar video from America’s Funniest Home Videos and people looking for Sgian Dbuhs have been big lately. And the everpresent searchers for Purple Saxifrage still visit me at least a couple of times a day. Mostly though I look at returning visiters and new visitors that visit a lot of pages.
I look at returning visitors because it’s kind of interesting where people who keep coming back are from. Some I know because of the comments they’ve left, but most quietly keep coming back. It is especially nice to see new visitors who go back and read through the archives. Both are satisfying because obviously they are enjoying what they are reading. Yesterday, one new visitor went through most of my archives (49 page views).
Although I know who the new visitor is (they sent me an email and are interested in visiting Arctic Bay) and know who some of my regulars are, most are anonymous. I generally get about 150 to 200 hits a day, of which between 35 and 40 are returning guests. My curiosity gets the better of me wondering who they are. Who is the visitor from Japan? It’s not too hard to figure out which visitors are my parents, but whos dropping by just a frequently from Fresno California? Hannah North Dakota, if memory serves me right has all of 25 people who live there (it’s on the border of ND and Manitoba), but someone from there stops by on a regular basis. I know who comes by from Bella Bella, but not Sarnia.
So thank you to all who pop in, I hope it is worth your while. Maybe just this once, leave a comment, say hello. It’s nice to meet you.
Comments
22 responses
Having spent a year in Arctic Bay 94’I enjoy keeping somewhat connected through your website. I always pay close attention to the photos to see if by chance I recognize anyone. Keep up the great site and keep on bloggin!
I enjoy reading your posts, even though I rarely comment. Looking through stats is fun. I find that international visits are gratifying, but I am most pleased to see local visitors taking advantage of my site.
I’m the bloglines subscriber from a medium-sized city in Upstate New York. I am a previous resident of Manhattan and I am fascinated by the idea of such a polar opposite in terms of living conditions and experiences.
Hi Clare! I have turned into a northern blog junkie. I check out everyone up here everyday! I find that we all have a lot in common right across Nunavut!
So hello again from Kugluktuk!!
kara
Hi Clare! I do comment every now and then, I do check your blog almost everyday though.
What makes your blog so interesting for me is the way of life you describe up there, compared to my life here in Southern Germany.
I have gone through your archives before, I find the floe edge and construction posts to be the most interesting (I am a cabinetmaker/ carpenter)
Wolfgang
Clare, the visitor from Sarnia is my dad. He wanted me to tell you that. 🙂
He’s recently retired and is interested in moving to Nunavut!
P.S. I wanted to add that I’m obsessed with our blog stats…mainly the “came from” section (I use statcounter too). I have considered compiling a list of all the weird things people Google to get to us. Weirdly enough, we get a lot of “nunavut sucks” Googles…hahaha.
I like the little map on my website with all the red dots showing people from here and there around the world. I’m anxiously awaiting a hit from Australia! I don’t know statcounter or typepad counter but now I am very curious about them. Want to guess where I am going to surf to next Claire or will you just follow my trail? : )
Clare
It’s always great to check your site – and leave it to beaver – you know when and how often I check!! Always great to see the pictures, read your analagies, learn about birds – and now that I’ve seen your house and view, what more is there! When you appreciate where you are – I can appreciate the same! Visiting a couple of weeks ago was wonderful! Once a Mountie, always a Mountie!
All the best
Anna Marie
Hey, you are right! I am also obsessed with statistics. I like to know who and when visit my sites and whether they are interested and return –not that many do.
So you know: I am now in Birmingham, UK. I know it doesn’t count, but I was born in Argentina…
BB
Hi,
I’ve been to your site many times. I loved your description of the floe edge and the hydrophone. I live in Northern California and was just curious about life way up there, it just seems so different. The dark winters, the northern lights, living in the cold, the Inuit people, etc. Your site has been very enlightening to someone who once couldn’t fathom why anyone would live voluntarily in such a harsh environment.
Thank you,
Sheila
I’m here at least twice a week from upstate New York. BTW, wonderful post and photos for “They Grow Not Old”. I can’t wait for the day when I can move again. I won’t be able to get high enough or far north enough. I promised myself that one day I would live again with Gray Jays and Martens as my neighbors.
Thanks y’all.
It’s been good meeting another person who has been here Jim. Looking forward to those photos.
John – I’ve also enjoyed the visits to DC and following the bird life there. Guess I’m part of your “international” visiters. And as far a my local visiters, I think there are about four people from Arctic Bay (plus some “ex pats”) who stop by regularily.
Karen – After your previous comment I stopped by. Was fascinated to learn just how close the plane crash had been to your former apt. Had to visit by Google Earth just to appreciate where it was.
Hey Kara, always nice to have you drop by. Might head that way this summer and try and get the Fort Hearne.
Wolfgang, you’re one of the few international visiters who I do know about, again because you’ve left comments and I could match the stats with that. Nice to see you come by so regularily.
Say hello to your dad Jaime. And I’ve never had a hit for “nunavut sucks” but that might change now that it has appeared in my comments twice. I guess that probably comes from some young nunavumiut
For some reason gary I’ve avoided the map with the little red dots. I’ve been fortunate to have several regular visiters from Down Under. When Statcounter introduced their map I sort of obsessed with having a visiter from the six populated continents showing on the map at the same time. Usually the best I could do was five (Statcounter only logs the last 100 visits, at least the free version does). Finally about 2 weeks ago it happened. I was going to post a screen shot of it but then it seemed like a bit of an anticlimax, so I didn’t.
It was great seeing you again Anna Marie. When are you going to start your blog so we can see what life in Bella Bella is like.
Barbara, I think the vast majority of visiters, at least the ones that come by google, are just looking for some specific info and when they find (or don’t find) what they are looking for they move on. I find it particularily satisfying that some of them stop long enough to look through the archives, and that some of them keep coming back for more.
Hi Sheila, I loved my trip through northern California and the redwoods. And found it very different from what I imagined. And just so you know, my wife can not understand why anyone would live in such a harsh environment as California — all that heat, all those people.
Always nice to have you stop by Carl. Grey Jays (or as I know them – Whiskeyjacks) are great companions. Although it has been quite some time since I lived amongst them. Always enjoyed them sharing my lunch with me in the woods.
It’s andrew, your cousin. Your blog is on my daily blog roll. Hope you had fun hosting my mom this summer
Hey Andrew! It was loads of fun having your mom up here. I’m not sure if Leah and her sister’s have quite recovered from the volume of questions asked though.
When are you doing another show on Cuba?
Hi Clare, I probably show up as being from Ottawa. I visit fairly regularly and also see your comments on other blogs that we both frequent. I have friends and family who have traveled in the north. Haven’t been up there myself (yet).
That’s me in Gatineau! I have a counter on my webpage too, and one interesting thing that I’ve found is that years after a certain thing has been removed from the page, someone searching for that term will still get referred to my page. Nothing ever dies on the internet, not even obsolete search terms!
Hi Bev, It is very interesting how connected this “family” is, how many of us visit the same blogs, and have many of the same visitors.
Nancy, you’re right about that. It reminds me of the time I went to a workshop put on by the OPP member who started Project P, the anti-porn section. He said that once a victim’s picture made it on to the web, it could never disappear, that they would keep being victimized over and over again. Not quite the same as obsolete search terms I know but a powerful reminder about just what stays around in this cyberworld.
Hey Clare. You already know you have a friend and fan in the Bronx.
Well, here’s a big hello from Port Townsend, WA. I haven’t stopped by in a while, but I thought I’d come over today and check in.
I don’t check our stats very often. Not sure why. We get an email once a week from sitemeter and they tell us how many visitors we’ve had. Every now and then I log in and take a look at the map. I am curious about visitors from very far away.
Hello,
I check out your blog regularly along with all the blogs listed on the Nunavut blog roll…I have commented a couple of times…about bacon!
I am a nurse in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. I also read your blog when I lived in Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay.
Great reading!
Courtney
Hey Mike, and you know that you have a fan from up here.
Hi Robin Andrea, It has been a long time! And I’ve always enjoyed your comments. The stats from the places far away do seem more exotic. You never know when you’re going to get a comment from someone from Canada AND Arctic Bay (wink)
Aha, so you’re the visitor from Gjoa Haven Courtney. I’ve been wondering.