What (and how?) Do Beggining Bloggers Use To Track Readership?

[Christopher]

Let's say you just started a blog. And it's been a few weeks. And you haven't really checked in on how the site is performing. You don't have Feedblitz Pro because you think that because you just started you don't really need to start paying for it yet cause you don't have list or something.

What dooo you do? What else can you use? How else can you use it?

Editor's Note: Props to Chris Lang, and the rest of the commentators for the enthusiasm for Google Analytics. Not only is GA very useful, there's a ton of support for it. If you're gonna track your stats, might as well start with the Almighty Google (hallowed by thy name).

Here's a video budding bloggers can use to get initiated with GA.


Feel free to share your thoughts about tracking with Google, Rss, and other kinds of tracking you may use.

[george brandt]

I might use the free services of Statcounter and / or Google Analytics both have plugins for wordpress. Or maybe if I'm not ready to sign up for anything I go to cpanel and check my server provided stats.

Also sign up for free feedburner stats on your rss feeds, simply have to change rss url to the one provided by feedburner.

Regards,
George

[Chris Lang]

Google Analytics does it all. I am through with RSS analytics, I want my blog feeds pointing at my sites, not into Google or some other site.

[Michael Lofton]

Yo Chris,
Google Analytics... yep, love it!
Could you expand on "I want my blog fees pointing at my sites, not into Google or some other site"?.
Thanks!
m.

[Chris Lang]

Google Analytics, just watch the referrer numbers, that tells you where they came from. The new Google stuff is pretty hot, forget the log files, George. You cannot track conversions with a log file program like I can with GA.

[Michael Lofton]

Further,
... did some additional researching tonight and found support in (additionally) 'analyzing' the "keyword theme string(s)" in both quotes and non-quotes as relevant returns. Just something to consider as another.
m.

[george brandt]

Chris,
I completely agree established blogs need better analytics, and Google's is among the best.
I think the phrase "Let's say you just started a blog" was the reasoning behind the other choices.

Also, while I agree that RSS feeds do well pointing to your own site, for a new blog a few clever headlines might pick you up some readers through feedburners PRO services. They tend to have a much broader audience reach than most new blogs would have.

That said, I don't claim to be anything other than an experienced novice ...

I liked your response and appreciate your reasoning, you are after all more experienced in these matters. Just good to finally get a conversation going.

Regards,
George

[Christopher]

"finallly get a conversation going"

kinda the point here, just doin my gig. Google Analytics does seem to be the cats pajamas.

Wonder if there's value other people find in other tracking sources?

[Jack Humphrey]

I still check mybloglog morning and night. Analytics I'll check once in awhile - but MBL tells me from where people come at a glance and what's hot at the moment. I should check GA more often. :)

[Chris Lang]

If you are anything close to as swamped as I am Jack, I barley have time to.... Well you know. BTW did you see the Google slap this weekend? I saw it happen in real time through the browser. Man, sites were flying like popcorn. They still have not settled down.

[Michael Lofton]

Any more on this slap...?... specifically as to how one might change their social marketing approach as it relates to this group.
best,
-m.