Beware – Boeing 747 coming in to land…

Freshly returned to home and family after a New Year’s Break, I checked my email to find that I had been sent a summary of statistics from WordPress. The stats cover the eight months of 2010 during which my blog has been running. I seem to be doing quite well in the visitor stakes then.

I quote: “A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,200 times in 8 months. That’s about 5 full 747s.”

I am extremely impressed. I know that there are blogs out there that regularly attract many more visitors than I and far more comments but hey, this blog is doing a great job. It gives me a space in which to write, a space to meet new friends and it is such an enjoyable outlet for my literary musings and my treks down memory lane that I really cannot complain. Since most visits occurred post August 2010, and have been rising steadily ever since, I can confidently calculate the estimated annual figure to be in the region of 6000 visitors – surely an entire fleet of Boeing 747s?

Considering that I was the only one aware of its existence back in May, I am pleasantly surprised by this blog’s apparent notoriety.

Coming from a design and marketing background, armed with experience of both web analytics and Search Engine Optimisation, I know I could do far more to spread the word than I do but sometimes slow and steady wins the race in my view. I quite like being low-key. I go for quality rather than quantity.

So, content with my small corner of cyberspace, I looked at the source of most of my visitors. Many who I now count as regular blog friends have found me through Facebook, Wisdom of Words, Katie Gates’ blog and The ‘One Lovely Blog Award’ awarded me in September. There were some intriguing statistics given though, apart from these, and I can only wonder at one in particular.

Apparently, a number of visitors ‘Googled’ the question: “Where does Dawn French live in Fowey?” They were immediately directed to my post ‘Fowey Royal Regatta – celebrity or not celebrity?’’ How funny.

I believe I did mention the fact that Dawn French lives in Fowey, not that we have ever seen her, despite it being quite a small town. That particular stat did make me smile rather a lot. I would guess that those visitors did not tarry long once they realised I did not mention exactly where the good lady lives. (Nor will I by the way, since one day I may need her to return the favour – who knows?)

We feel quite at home in Fowey now and have just spent New Year there in our own modest but beautifully renovated holiday home. We spent New Year’s Eve at the Fowey Hall Hotel where the food was impressive, the company engaging and the fireworks at midnight, spectacular.

People in this Cornish town are very welcoming and we are greeted like old friends time and again. No wonder we love to return often. No, we still have neither met nor seen Dawn French or rather, as I prefer to put it, she has still to meet us. Coincidentally, I am actually reading her book at the moment and can’t help thinking – wouldn’t it be lovely if one day she tells us she is reading mine?

Meanwhile, I shall continue to enjoy the freedom of my blog and to welcome any visitors who chance by wherever they may have come from. I shall certainly be keeping an eye on the stats from now on though and, with the web working as it does, I have to wonder where anyone Googling me in the future may end up.

The web is just like a chain of paperclips, follow the links and you could end up anywhere – quite exciting really.

I am just waiting for the next Boeing 747 to come in to land…

Happy New Year to all!