Google Analytics shows where your readers are from. And how long they linger on your site. For example, I've discovered that most of my readers are Australian, and the majority are from Melbourne. This makes sense as I'm a Melbourne writer – and I also happen to adore this city. I've also discovered that the COLOURED posts are SO much more popular than the monochrome ones. (Are we Melbourne people the only ones in the world who like black and white?) But what was most surprising was that readers in other parts of the world came from the most unlikely places. Such as Alaska. And the UAE.
Google Analytics also shows you which sites your traffic is being referred from. And what keywords they're using to find your blog. (For example, my readers seem to like gardens, travel, hotels and Paris.) These kinds of analytics help you to figure out what your readers really like, and where you should perhaps be concentrating your writing energy.
If you're not using Google Analytics, try it. Just don't look at the "bounce rate". If it's not under 40% it can be a little depressing!
PS If you're a newbie blogger and disillusioned by your stats, don't be. It takes years to build up a readership. And everyone thinks they don't have enough readers. I once met a lovely girl in Savannah called Layla, who writes a blog called The Lettered Cottage. She has – wait for it – 40,000 readers a day. And yet she still feels it's not enough. Don't let your blog stats define who you are.
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