Reflection Break, Let's Check Out The Numbers

Just to provide a break from the seriousness and reflection of the last post and the several upcoming posts, I decided to go ahead and look and see what Google Analytics has to say about Methodical Mayhem in 2009. I did the same last year, so I guess I'll start doing this on an annual basis.

One good thing about this year is that it is the the first full year I have stats for. I’ll just follow the same format as last year. So let’s see here….

Traffic sources: 24% direct, 49% referring sites, 27% search engines

Visitor locations: 35 countries, including the US; 43 states in the US

Returning visitors 60% / New visitors 40%

Browser usage: 55% Firefox / 34% Internet Explorer / 4% Safari

(So far none of this is dramatically different from 2008 – except new visitors are up 6%)

Top 5 Referrers:

• Tigerdad.wordpress.com (my Dad’s blog)
• Blogger.com
• Facebook
• Dixiemagnolia.blogspot.com
• Google

My Top 3 Favorite Posts (in no particular order):

• Is, Was, Thinks, Feels, Wonders, and Possibly Even Says
  
• An Open Letter to All Those Interested in Being on the News
• It's Time to Go Back
  

My Top 3 Most Read Posts (in order, according to Google Analytics):

• 25 Things About Me
• The Mind of a 4-Year Old (from 2008, still one of the top in 2009)
• Three Guys, Two Girls, and a Car Battery (another from 2008 in the 2009 top)
• It’s Time to Go Back
• Mouths Open, Brains on Standby

(OK, so that was five. But I'm not really counting the two from 2008)

And in case you haven’t checked out the following posts on my friends’ blogs, here's a list of my personal favorites from each, in no particular order -- all of which are very worth checking out. I have to give tremendous props to Otis though as he had two standout posts this year, neither of which I could choose between as my favorite of his.

• One Night In South Carolina by Otis
• She Showed Me Her No-Penis by Otis
• Crosses at Ocean Lakes Family Campground by Timmy
• Cheeseburger in Paradise … with Fries by Melea
• From Mommy to Mom to Mother by Katie
• Happy 3^rd Birthday Sam by Sari
• Swagclub Manifesto by Kamran
• Howards Rock in Greer by Jennifer
• God’s Power by Kim
• Someday by Anne
• The Void and Avoidance by Chelle
• How to be a cool parent by Tim
• Really, I Didn't Know Buffalo Had Wings by TigerDad

One other post of note I would like to point out which is one of my favorite blog posts of all time is one published this year called "Sincerely, John Hughes" about the death of John Hughes. Please take time to read this. It's really heartwarming.

Come back in another 12 months to find out how 2010 went. Or come back more often. You might find something humorous to laugh at or a new thought to ponder.