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Corporate Blogging 101: Analytics

By: Susan Iskiwitch | 10/20/2008

My colleagues and I were sitting in a meeting a few weeks ago with an organization that is just getting their bearings in the online space. We asked if they were using any Web analytics software -- Google Analytics, StatCounter, SiteMeter, etc. The idea of analytics was completely new to them, but they were intrigued by the idea that by installing a simple piece of html code into their blog, they can understand exactly how and why their site is visited.

Analytic software is usually free and is simple to use. By utilizing it, you can learn:

• Who is already watching you (and satisfy the craving of knowing which competitors are Googling you – any company worth their stuff will be keeping tabs on the competition)



• How people are finding you:
  
  
  
  • Via search engines: words people are putting into search engines that somehow link to the blog
  
  
  
  • Via referrals from other Web sites: links from other blogs or Web sites, feed readers (like Google Reader or Bloglines), from e-mail accounts
  
  
  
  

After you know these things, you can strategically create content in order to drive desired traffic.

You can:

• Continue writing in the vein of what has already driven traffic to the site


• Create strategic content to drive new traffic organically (check back later for a post about organic search engine optimization)

Other posts in this series:
Corporate Blogging 101: What to Consider Before You Blog
Corporate Blogging 101: The Importance of URL and Blog Title
Corporate Blogging 101: Choosing the Right Blogging Software
Corporate Corporate Blogging 101: Writing Tips (Content)
Corporate Blogging 101: Writing Tips (Tone)

Posted in Social Media, Digital Communications