Google/Blogger Statistics and Analytics

  The analytics that Google provides are great. They are also addictive, as much as they are interesting.

   "I just got Romania! Now, how to get a Bulgarian... It's the blogger version of the game "Risk", without the dice. Now if Google would just let me buy countries.... Ba ha ha! I must fill the map of the world with lime green shadows... Lime green? Genghis Khan wouldn't do LIME GREEN! There is Dark Green for most hits countries, I think. The list of countries is limited by how many hits, so ones and twos don't stay on the list for long... But I know they are there, and they're mine dammit! They can hide, in the back list of my conquests, but as long as they return for a visit, they will not incur my wrath... Once I figure out what kind of wrath is even possible. Maybe I'll book all the hotel rooms and not show up? Reserve all the window seats on Macedonia Airways and Crop Dusting...

   These statistics are, in a word, COOL. I take my hat off to Google for creating them. They show traffic sources, audience, timelines (ranging from Now, Day, Week, Month and Alltime) and post hits. The post hits is really the one that I watch and I'm proud to say my posts out-do the links.

   I know I put my ego at risk when I post a link to Janet Reid or  Nathan Bransford . These two are more popular in the literary "blog-o-sphere" world than Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber (Nathan does have a bit of Bieber hair). Not that Gaga has anything to do with Janet "the Shark" Reid, far from it. Janet has a Rental Cat and Gaga has Rental People...

  These stats also give me a clue on how much traffic I send to others. The nice people at Google said they will all send me money or gifts at Christmas (Then they told me to never call them again, saying they would penalize me by taking my countries one by one... Gulp! The whole "Absolute Power" thing comes to mind...)

  All and all, these statistics are more instant gratification than usable for now. They do help me know that my efforts to expand my social network aren't in vain. Blogger does have its quirks and hitches. As you can see, their spell check lacks, which reflects badly on my, er, ah, ability to spell. (note to self: re-read my post on EDITING) Whatever can be said, saying that Blogger isn't doing a GREAT job isn't one of them.

  Now... Can I please have Togo?

** Update- The link that has gotten the most hits? Natalie Wipple's post on Strong Female Characters beat them all.