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"Success leaves clues and so do site logs: your top 6, must-monitor stats"

by Marc Harty



As search engine optimization professionals, site logs provide a wellspring of data—and if interpreted correctly—key insights into managing your web enterprise.

The stats from a site log form the foundation of any successful SEO program. A thorough review of site stats helps benchmark a starting point, and gives you solid criteria in evaluating the ultimate success of your SEO efforts. (Just like the losing weight ads, you get a definite “before” and “after” SEO efforts have begun.)

Think of your site logs and site stats as a 24/7 marketing research laboratory. You can see who’s visiting, how they got there, how deep into your site they go, where they leave and much more.

Now you think such data would be a treasure trove of web intelligence?

Unfortunately, for many web site owners, web stats are viewed infrequently or seen as a mere afterthought.

One reason is that most web hosting companies don’t make it easy for you. The stats either aren’t presented well or you’re overwhelmed with minutia.

Here are some key benefits from looking at your web stats frequently: Search for dot co domains guide

  1. Spot traffic trends and patterns.
  2. Identify the most popular/unpopular areas of your site architecture.
  3. Helps you calculate your conversion ratio. (How many of your visitors your convert to customers.)
  4. Provides valuable insights that you can use for monitoring new products or pages or techniques that you have tested.

How often should you review your site logs? A good rule of thumb is a good 15-30 minutes weekly. Then spend a bit more time looking at the whole month totals.
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The 6 most important areas to monitor with your site logs

  1. Unique visitors. This shows how many one-time visitors have come to your sites.
  2. Page views. This shows how many pages the visitor viewed.
  3. Referring URL’s. A must! This shows how they came to your site (From a search engine or from a linking partner)
  4. Keywords (/Phrases?) used to find your site. Another must for SEO! This shows the words visitors used to search for your site. You may be surprised.
  5. Time spent on home page. If it’s less than :30, you may want to revise it.
  6. Words most searched for on your web site. (If you have an internal site search engine.) This shows the top words visitors were searching for.

By the way, the number of hits is no gauge as to the number of visitors to your site. A hit is registered every time something loads on your web page. (Including images.) So one visitor may visit a page but it looks like 15 hits to your site logs.

Here’s another important distinction: sometimes less traffic is better than more traffic.

The difference is this: the traffic is targeted. You want prospects that are searching for and motivated by purchasing your products and services. That’s why you don’t want the bulk traffic that’s sold so cheaply. They simply don’t represent the quality traffic you’re looking for.

At Search Engine Patrol, the site logs for our clients provide vital clues that help target and refine our ongoing SEO efforts.

Even if you haven’t engaged in any SEO work, make a habit of checking your site logs. It’s the best market feedback you can get. Use it wisely! He did so to get a good grade,- Buy A Paper. I received excellent.


Marc Harty is the owner of SearchEnginePatrol.com. His firm has obtained hundreds of top 10 search engine rankings for a diverse list of clients, including those in the financial, legal, human resources, educational and manufacturing sectors. Marc regularly leads Internet marketing seminars and is an authority on guerilla-style e-marketing. feist mp3

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