tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post178598839093776567..comments2024-01-28T05:20:01.172-08:00Comments on The Cynical Sailor & His Salty Sidekick: What Makes A Blog Or Facebook Post Popular? The Cynical Sailorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-90787096181044850482016-03-21T20:23:34.532-07:002016-03-21T20:23:34.532-07:00This is a great topic. I just started blogging to ...This is a great topic. I just started blogging to share things I've learned aboard sailboats. Really enjoy finding just the right words but have no idea if my words are of interest to anyone but me. Oh well, let the typing begin.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01795752303743889965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-29005166861134169072015-11-21T04:12:55.925-08:002015-11-21T04:12:55.925-08:00That's interesting that you have more of a non...That's interesting that you have more of a non-sailing following. Your posts on the Galleon also probably appeal to a larger audience as well.The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-1001929016648958192015-11-20T12:45:59.583-08:002015-11-20T12:45:59.583-08:00The blog posts for me that get the most traffic .....The blog posts for me that get the most traffic ... are the ones I shamelessly self-promote, linking them to conversations on other sailing sites or forums or Facebook groups as well as in blog hops. Second, sailing is a very small audience; my more popular posts are about topics of general interest, such as downsizing or doing the minimal clothing challenge aboard.Jaye @ Life Afloathttp://lifeafloatarchives.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-60907840745019896162015-11-20T07:51:26.460-08:002015-11-20T07:51:26.460-08:00BTW - I tried to leave a comment on your blog, but...BTW - I tried to leave a comment on your blog, but I don't know if it went through. In any event, it was just to say sorry about the engine issues and that I hope the installation goes quickly and smoothly.The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-31228722178246133652015-11-20T07:44:37.058-08:002015-11-20T07:44:37.058-08:00Completely understand. I appreciate you leaving a ...Completely understand. I appreciate you leaving a comments considering it's one finger typing :-)The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-83633059490582501002015-11-20T07:43:48.201-08:002015-11-20T07:43:48.201-08:00That's a shame that you find folks who have sa...That's a shame that you find folks who have sailboats are less interested because you have a motorboat. At the end of the day, we're all boaties. <br /><br />Personally, I love a dry sense of humor so I think that's a great style to have for your blog - keep it up :-)The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-1087599560090184902015-11-20T07:42:09.651-08:002015-11-20T07:42:09.651-08:00I think if we were monetizing our blog or had a bi...I think if we were monetizing our blog or had a big following, then I would use Google Analytics more. But, I should probably come to grips with how it works a bit better so I really appreciate the link especially as it it's free and easy to follow. Thanks so much for sharing!The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-63734605702607927262015-11-20T04:04:27.135-08:002015-11-20T04:04:27.135-08:00Too funny! Kevin's sister can't for the li...Too funny! Kevin's sister can't for the life of her understand why other people would be interested in what we do! :-) Maybe part of it is because we always seem to be doing something. We also try to put in as much revelent information as possible along with costs so that it is helpful to others if they happen upon our blog through a google search. Kevin has just gotten into a routine with the blog and it also acts as a diary for us. Mind you if we haven't done anything like in the summer when we are working it gets tough and that is when we are likely to take a day or two off, we don't want to bore people just for the sake of putting up a post.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18136052866820208847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-55315576036186394632015-11-19T22:03:46.502-08:002015-11-19T22:03:46.502-08:00no blog and only one finger typing, so i don't...no blog and only one finger typing, so i don't say much. WWwindweavernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-79790913630940123212015-11-19T08:26:09.247-08:002015-11-19T08:26:09.247-08:00Hey! Great topic and well-written, as usual. We ...Hey! Great topic and well-written, as usual. We write our blog mostly to remind ourselves where we did what, but of course it's more fun to know that other people are reading it, too. I think the fact that we motor, rather than sail, drastically limits our appeal to sailors. I know pictures are important for entertaining readers. Our humor is so dry it's sometimes hard to notice, but that's our style, and it pleases us. But I digress....we'll continue to try to make our blog as appealing as we can, and one of the tools we use is reading other blogs to see what they do that appeals to us. --Linda at www.escapefromrealityblog.wordpress.comAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15485590931187179052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-55448292903572140892015-11-19T05:17:50.175-08:002015-11-19T05:17:50.175-08:00I had to deal with bots just last night. I agree t...I had to deal with bots just last night. I agree that analytics can prove daunting to use, but I still use it for drilling down and identifying traffic sources. I found a guy who does GREAT step by step tutorials on getting spam out of your counts on analytics. Really easy to follow, and free! We were getting a few page views per day and I wanted to nip it in the bud before it screwed up my data. The two main referrers were (in our case) alibestsale and copyrightclaims. All the referral spam is now gone from our analytics data thanks to this guy: http://www.ohow.co/what-is-referrer-spam-how-stop-it-guide/<br />Patrickhttp://ohsailyes.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-441056266956126842015-11-19T03:55:32.206-08:002015-11-19T03:55:32.206-08:00I think you have a great mix of techy posts and he...I think you have a great mix of techy posts and here's what went wrong today posts. The latter are some of my favorites because they're about the reality of sailing - stuff breaks and things go wrong. I also enjoy reading a blog from a non-American perspective. I know you're American, but I like hearing about sailing in Europe etc.The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-36952046112101662472015-11-19T03:53:16.918-08:002015-11-19T03:53:16.918-08:00Thanks Windweaver! Do you have a blog too? Thanks Windweaver! Do you have a blog too? The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-28499821828609092292015-11-19T03:52:41.341-08:002015-11-19T03:52:41.341-08:00Kids and animals are always popular! But, I also f...Kids and animals are always popular! But, I also find your posts about your daily life fascinating. I can't put my finger on why, but even when you're just describing what you had for lunch, it's really interesting. I've read some daily diary types of blogs and they're quite dull, but yours isn't. Maybe it's because you feel like were just chatting over coffee as you're telling me how your day went. I'm also amazed that you blog every single day. Seriously impressive.The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-77540997627436300972015-11-19T03:50:22.396-08:002015-11-19T03:50:22.396-08:00It's such a shame we didn't meet online un...It's such a shame we didn't meet online until after we had left NZ. But, I'm pretty sure we'll meet up one of these days - either when we come back to NZ or maybe in some other part of the world once you guys head off cruising. <br /><br />I think that is such a neat story about meeting those folks in Christchurch! I love how you slammed on the brakes and popped out to say hi :-)<br /><br />One of the things that keeps me coming back to your blog is the mix of posts on sailing and land explorations in NZ (like the Tongariro Crossing). I bet that's what draws other people in too.The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-47870179508383677312015-11-19T01:06:19.792-08:002015-11-19T01:06:19.792-08:00I keep coming back (and "engaging" somet...I keep coming back (and "engaging" sometimes) because you're a good writer and always make me laugh ! Our most popular posts are the nuts-n-bolts ones about depth transducers and winch maintenance. I suppose it's nice to feel like you provide some helpful information, but my main goal for blogging is to keep family and friends (mostly non-sailors) up-to-date on our lives and to keep a journal for ourselves. When I keep that in mind, I stop chasing the statistics. I could write more techy posts, but that doesn't amuse me half as much as kvetching about the weather or break-downs !Sailing Maredahttp://www.sailingmareda.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-40840731845873917052015-11-18T22:20:12.952-08:002015-11-18T22:20:12.952-08:00i'm here almost every day. enjoy your blog. th...i'm here almost every day. enjoy your blog. thanks. WWwindweavernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-27430513883461798532015-11-18T11:54:08.374-08:002015-11-18T11:54:08.374-08:00We ourselves have always wondered what makes peopl...We ourselves have always wondered what makes people like a post on facebook or leave a comment on our blog but I don't think we will ever figure it out. We can put up a fantastic picture of something and we'll maybe gets some likes an possibly a comment or two but as soon as you put up a picture of a cute kid (or grandkid in our case :-)) or an animal, then we can get a ton likes and comments. Same with the blog especially if we happen to mention one of us is sick or something bad happened to us. Seems like they are all waiting for our heads to get cut off or something! :-)<br /><br />As for having more views or more comments on the blog, we sort of like having more comments just like you, it makes it feel more personal and that people really do care.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.travelwithkevinandruth.com" rel="nofollow">www.travelwithkevinandruth.com</a>Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18136052866820208847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-48787195861100958982015-11-18T11:46:09.889-08:002015-11-18T11:46:09.889-08:00Hey Viki here, long time Cynical Sailor & Salt...Hey Viki here, long time Cynical Sailor & Salty Sidekick follower, and recidivist comment-or on your blog.<br />I see no rhyme or reason on my blog either. Some people seem to search for really random stuff that brings them to the page.<br /><br />For me, I always read your posts, because I like your writing style and sense of humour. Some other blog posts don't engage me within the first paragraph and then unless there are some lovely photos - <br />then I'm gone again!<br /><br />Before I started blogging I had absolutely no idea that I would end up making so many online friends (many of whom I have yet to meet!) except for one couple who I knew were traveling around NZ. I gave them some tips on what to visit when they came to Christchurch. I was driving down the road and saw them walking along the street towards the cardboard cathedral - so I screeched on the brakes and jumped out and said hello! They were a bit surprised! But it was really cool to make a personal connection.<br />I hope we get to meet too one day - raft up our boats for some wine and chocolate! <br />xAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10654290512610728603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-17434976803042870672015-11-18T10:44:24.061-08:002015-11-18T10:44:24.061-08:00I don't know how I got on this little tangent ...I don't know how I got on this little tangent of mine the other day, but it was fascinating to dig in and see what it popular and what isn't.<br /><br />We do have Google Analytics, but I have to confess, I find it a pain to use and don't check it very regularly. Although, I just had a look at it to see what our popular search terms are. <br /><br />I can see why how to or helpful posts are popular on your blog. I think people would definitely turn to your blog for you and Jamie's expertise. It's a go to site for many people who want to see what it is actually like for people with kids actually out there and doing it.<br /><br />Although, I have to say my favorite posts of yours lately are all of your animals ones from South Africa. I went on a safari a gazillion years ago in Kenya and I still vividly remember how amazing it was to be literally right next to these amazing animals. I feel like I'm reliving it a bit through all of your pictures. The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-91340624669494398912015-11-18T10:39:42.930-08:002015-11-18T10:39:42.930-08:00Behan - I think you might be the winner on "i...Behan - I think you might be the winner on "interesting" search queries! We sometimes get people who find us when they search for "naked sailing" and end up pointed to a post I did which I entitled, "Sailing Naked." It was about the fact that Scott sails barefoot. I don't know why it seemed like a clever and cute idea to call it that at the time. <br /><br />Most of our highest ranking searches are usually related to Catalina 36s because of the boat review I wrote about them. It must have the right number of "magical" search terms in it, because it comes up regularly in Google. Things related to Scamp travel trailers are also a big one for us. <br /><br />Some of the other ones that we regularly get are the Noises islands in New Zealand, Hauraki Gulf in NZ, Zodiac Zoom dinghy problems (the oar locks on it are awful), NZ Category 1 offshore requirements and Raven 26s (our first boat).<br /><br />I just saw one come through for "beat with a shovel the weak" - slightly disturbing. Another disturbing one that shows up from time to time is "lady pee." Of course, I only have myself to blame for that one when I entitled something, "The French Lady Takes a Pee." And she did, right off the stern of their boat when we were all stuck in an anchorage at Great Barrier Island due to high winds. Guess their holding take was full. An intriguing, but less disturbing one, is "ghost spam is free from the politics, we dancing like a paralytics." The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-88459423716137432462015-11-18T10:24:04.083-08:002015-11-18T10:24:04.083-08:00I've noticed that you get lots of comments on ...I've noticed that you get lots of comments on your blog. I think in part that may be due to the fact that you always respond to comments and then pop by and visit folks who have visited your blog. The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-83174633817201333782015-11-18T10:23:01.816-08:002015-11-18T10:23:01.816-08:00Hi Nikki! I'm so glad you said hello!! Do you ...Hi Nikki! I'm so glad you said hello!! Do you have plans to set sail one of these days?The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-16951433349463741452015-11-18T09:54:39.085-08:002015-11-18T09:54:39.085-08:00Brillant! Ours are really boring. Maybe I need to ...Brillant! Ours are really boring. Maybe I need to spice things up a bit in the labels!TheCambrianshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05015446833388176523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717926498377706091.post-87772297187015384272015-11-18T08:23:56.580-08:002015-11-18T08:23:56.580-08:00I had someone come to the Totem blog today through...I had someone come to the Totem blog today through the search "sex findingbliss" - huh?! Overwhelmingly though, it's simple combinations of our boat name, sailing, etc. ...but finding the doozies is always kind of fun/funny. :-)Behanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00584817150261490419noreply@blogger.com