How to Blog Using Stat Counters and Analytics

You will be taught how to use stat counters for business purposes but if you have a ministry keep the following in mind…

The first stat checker I installed on my blog was used for businesslike purposes. I wanted to know what keywords brought people to the blog and how long they were staying. Once I found that out I would force myself to write more posts on those topics to get even more visitors. That was out of selfish ambition and all of it changed when I gained my new “heart” perspective.

The reasons I use a stat counter now is to connect with those who are reading or visiting but not letting me know via comments or email. Each comment represents a person; a soul. God rejoiced over finding just one that was lost (Luke 15:3-7). I rejoice when I am given the opportunity to be a small part of helping Him find them. Each number is one more reason I praise Him.

Another use for my stat counter is to cover the readers and visitors in prayer. I don’t do this every day but once every couple of weeks I will check it and the numbers and IP addresses provided give me a link – a tangible thing to look upon while I pray for the person attached to it.

Having your stat counters in place will also give you lots of fun information like where people are from or who is linking to you. Send them a thank you or a shout out. I actually owe Elizabeth from In the Heart of my Home a big THANK YOU! When I was researching and looking at my stats in preparation for this post I noticed that she sent hundreds of readers to one of my posts (Prayer for my future daughters in law or “in love”) a while back. I don’t get all worked up over stats anymore. I used to and it drove me away from the purpose of my blog. Don’t get caught up in the numbers for the sake of popularity. Get caught up in them for His sake. Use them wisely and with a pure heart.

I use all of the following services to get a variety of features (all free): GetClicky, StatCounter, or Google Analytics.

With all of that in mind, over the next couple of weeks I will show you how to blog using these counters. We will discuss how to install each of these services and how to use them. What are your questions or concerns about them so them? We want to be sure and include everything in our posts.