BLOGpower

Here is some interesting information I have received from Google Analytics about my BLOGsite from mid-November, 2005 until now. The numbers are not 100% accurate since I started before November but they give you an idea:

• Almost 31,000 "unique" visitors have hit my BLOGsite
• The average time on my BLOGsite is slightly over 7 minutes
• Most visitors come via Bell Sympatico, Cogeco and MNSI but believe it or not, visitors have come from over 3,000 different ISPs world-wide
• Readers have come from 117 countries speaking 45 different languages as their main one
• By far, people using search engines to find my site come via Google: 5 times more than all of the others combined
• Most people use Internet Explorer as their browser and Windows XP is the dominant operating system
• Other than people who know now to come directly, the biggest source of visitors has been Google
• Locally, windsoressexspeak.com is the biggest driver of traffic to me followed by chrisschnurr.wordpress.com
• Over 7,000 different keywords have been used allowing people to get to my BLOGsite.
• Ironically, my most popular page written almost exactly 2 years ago was September 03, 2005 "The Mayor's "Annus Horribilis." Not much has changed!

Of course my readership is considerably large than this since I am aware that copies of my daily BLOG are circulated amongst organizations and my BLOGs are also fowarded so I do not credit for "hits.". If you recall, David Wonham got 2,000 extra hits in one day after a brief mention on my BLOGsite when he was running for mayor and the Ambassador Bridge YOUTUBE site has also received almost 13,500 hits after mention here and in the Windsor Star.

What does this all mean...Blogging is an alternative medium that cannot be ignored by politicians. If they do, it is at their own peril. People are hungry for information and want to read different points of view. They seek as well interpretation of daily events, not just straight news.

If you want to see the increased power of Blogging, just go to the Star Website to see how many reporters write BLOGs now. What is interesting is that one sees a side of the reporter that one does NOT get in their Star articles and learns their prejudices as well since the BLOGs are much more personal. In certain cases, it has changed how I view what they write in their "day" job!