[Blogging] Top Posts of 2012

Since today is the last day of 2012, I thought it was only fitting to recap the top 5 posts of the year. I wasn't quite sure how to attack this - I have blogger stats (which most of us know to be quite skewed), Google Analytics stats (which are pretty true to form - however, when I redid my blog layout, there was a week or two where the code was missing and views weren't reported), and then there is the fact that a number of my most viewed posts were from non-outfit related posts, like a giveaway or a linkup, and I wasn't sure if they should count. I think I'll just fly by the seat of my pants here and see what we come up with.

I'm going to ignore blogger - I think those stats are all kinds of wrong. Let's look at the top 5 of all posts:

5. A Letter to my 90 Year Old Grandmother
I have to say, I'm not surprised. When I look at what drives the most search traffic to my blog, this is one of two recurring search terms.

4. About Me page
This one really surprised me. The number 4 most visited entry on my blog wasn't a blog entry at all, but my about me page! Interesting.





3. Marion's Trend of the Month: Boots
I really liked this one myself!

2. Marion's Trend of the Month: Pattern-Mixing
Again, another of Marion's fabulous linkups! I also really liked this one. Personally, I think the pics from this post are some of the nicest ones I've taken! Unfortunately for me, the park that I took these in (which is right across the street from my office park!) has decided to lock their gates and now I can't get in again to take any more. Boo!

And the number one most popular post on my site is......

Via

1. Kate Middleton's Corkswoon wedges - lookalike!

This was the other search term that brings a ton of traffic to my blog.

Overall, I learned a few things:

• I get a lot of traffic from linkups. Looking at the top 10 most visited posts, 4/10 were linkups. 3/10 were giveaways. And the remaining 1 was the about me page.
• I get great traffic from search words, but the stuff people search for that brings them to my blog are things that are one-offs from what I usually write. I've thought about incorporating the same type of posts as the lookalike post, but I think when people find my blog from that search, they pop in and pop out, and don't come back. That's not the kind of traffic I want, nor do I want my blog to be all about lookalike items. There are other blogs out there for that! Maybe I'll incorporate more as time goes by.
• My outfit posts were some of the least viewed. I'd like to think that's because my blog is in its early growing stages. Currently, my blog is getting about 400 views/month. My goal for next year is 1,000/month by June and maybe double that by this time next year.

Now...what were my favorite posts of the year? Top 3:

3. Networking in a T-Shirt

2. Inspired: Break My Bank

1. Inspired by Ali Larter

I'm not surprised all these posts are newer - my style has gotten better and better the more that I blog!

And I have one last honorable mention - specifically because I would have never worn a dress as a skirt before I was a style blogger!!!

And don't forget to check out my very first vlog!!!