A pretty amazing year for the blog. I’m pleased, humbled and thankful to the growing numbers of readers, commenters and those telling friends, family and co-workers about their own experiences and passing along the blog address.
Thank you. Without you, there’d be nothing to do or see here. Instead, here it is, in a picture.
Visits and Page Views 2009
December was another record month with 86,600 visits and 148,000 page views, and by a significant margin. Well, there’s some serendipity to that, and it happened on the very last day of the year. Turns out that easily the most popular post I’ve ever produced is the one a few days back I didn’t want to write, about going soap and shampoo-less, washing only with water. I resisted writing about that for some weeks, so I suppose it just goes to show that big things are more likely to happen when you get out of your comfort zone. Being comfortable just may be the chief thing holding you back.
Early in the day on December 31st it looked like I was going to finish the month with pretty much the same numbers as in November, which was fine considering the holiday season. And then the very popular boingbong.net, and then Fark.com picked up on the no-soap post and, well, it was good for about an additional 30,000 visits in a single day, and bout half that New Year’s Day. And then this morning I wake up to an email from a editor of a print & online magazine with a circulation of about 50,000, wanting to pay me a modest sum to produce an article on the no-soap thing. I’ve agreed, so we’ll see what comes of it.
Bizarre. Here I pour heart and soul into a blog producing all manner of posts about diet, exercise, intermittent fasting, weight loss, health improvements, nutrition, cholesterol, vitamin d, vitamin k2, and what does everyone want? They want to know what it’s like to go soapless. You couldn’t make this stuff up. Life is truly stranger than fiction. But you know what? I’ll go there willingly. If that’s what it takes to spread the message for sound paleo living, then let’s do it.
OK, so for the year in total, it comes to around 550,000 visits and 1,050,000 page views. You’ll often read people tout their "hits" rather than visits and page views. A hit is merely a count of each file that gets served up whenever the blog is visited (and a page typically consists of a bunch of files). So, if I wanted to impress you on that score, then December saw a total hit count of: 3.5 million. Another stat that’s often not given is that of absolute unique visitors. December saw 48,000 uniques. And if I include search engine traffic to the blog, then instead of 86K visits, it’s just over 100,000 visits in December.
So there’re the numbers. I’m going to strive for continued growth in 2010, I’m going to really get busy on a book with a unique and fresh perspective on paleo living, body, mind & soul; and I’m going to keep my responsibility in mind, more now than ever.
I do have one decision to announce, and that is that while this is going to disappoint some, I am going to have to tone down the rants and especially the foul language. Here’s why: while I know it’s entertaining for some, I have concluded it’s most likely a rather vocal minority (and bless your hearts). But the bigger reason is that the ranting and foul language inhibits the wider distribution of this blog — by readers more sensitive to that — to their friends, family and co-workers. I simply can’t abide that. I’d hate for someone not to get a decent introduction to paleo living because I felt like an entertaining rant of f-bombs. So, sorry for that, but I will still endeavor to make my commentary as sharp, biting, sarcastic and taunting as ever. Yes, we will still name names as per policy.
Here’s wishing a happy and prosperous 2010 to all.
Congratulations, Richard! You are an inspiration in many ways!
Congratulations! Looking forward to more wonderful posts. Grok on!
Congrats on your well-deserved success, Richard, and the best is still to come for you. And, yes, you can be sharp-witted and name names without vulgarity. In fact, it makes you more effective with your message. Keep it up!
I agree. I do think it will make you more effective and I think your point is so valid that it’s so important this message gets around. I know you never want to be looked at as a guru but having this blog to come to and be able to get solid information, have your questions answered and really just get that overall support is a lifesaver for me and I’m sure many others. I have learned so much over the last year from this blog and others like Jimmy’s and honestly it’s gotten to the point that the facts are staring me in the face. When I eat high carb what I used to think was good food I feel horrid and my health suffers. I look forward to where this journey will take me in 2010 and so appreciate this great site and others like it.
Good decision on the language, and I am potentially one of the most foul-mouthed and least offended by language persons I know. You are right, it detracts from the potential breadth of your audience.
Congratulations on a banner year!
Mike, my sentiments exactly.
Congrats on your success in 2009! I just found your blog a few days ago and I look forward to spending 2010 following you – colorful language or not! :)
Well done and thank you for all of the traffic you sent my way. Now you understand why Lyle has the nice (support) forum as well as the mean (hidden) one? ;-P
Great job Richard. You have done much to better the Paleo framework and Paleo community. It has been wonderful to watch your progression from commenting at Art’s blog to your first incarnation of the FTA to what it has now become.
Keep on keepin’ on!
@Nige
Off-topic but did Taubes ever respond to your inquiry?
Not yet and I have to waffle as “not yet” was too short!
You’ve donne a tremendous work here Richard. Congratulations for the hard effort. Not only the accesses increased, but also the quality of the information, thanks for the fruitful cooperation of us all. In 2010 I would like to see a stronger focus on lifestyle and exercise, and not as much on food. Regards, Ricardo.
Very possible, Ricardo. I had already become a bit tired of the food posts, so I might limit it to a once weekly wrap up of some choice meals of the previous week. After all there’s already tons of stuff in the Food Porn category.
No cussing? That ruins any pointed barbs and banter in the comments! That makes you a fu…a total assh…a jerk. ;)
Best,
Skyler
Cussing still allowed in the comments.
Y’all can do my dirty work. :)
F*@K yeah! Congrats man!
Bless my heart,
Guy
Awesome Richard. Congrats on the success.
Good idea on the foulness, especially with future book traffic landing on the site.
Trying to get my wife to go Paleo, so less cussing (I don’t mind most of it) on here may help me do that.
Keep up the good work!
Props, Matt. See, I’ve suspected this for a while. Happy to help.
However: my atheism and anarchism will always come through, but in decent language and somewhat subtly, like a secret handshake. :)
“my atheism and anarchism will always come through”
I’m going to go out on a limp and say a very good portion of the people looking at paleo have these tendencies anyway. :)
Pretty much the way I feel about it :) I try not to go there too much. Around these parts it can be a bad business move to let people know you’re not Christian. Economy is shitty enough, no reason to disqualify yourself with leads over those topics.
It’s your blog, you can say whatever the fuck you want!
I still check in every day. Wish you wouldn’t tone it down, but understand why you will.
Don’t worry. It’s on me. I’ll give you plenty of insider code.
You have me confused…yet, intrigued.
Meaning, it’son me to keep you guys entertained, in code rather than expletives. I’l try. Least you’ll know what I _really_ want to say.
Been on board since the beginning. You and Billy have been very influential.
Thanks again.
Richard,
I’ve always enjoyed your blog, and it’s never offended me, but it’s something that I’ve noticed. (I am no saint, and believe me, I am probably worse!) I am no writer either, but writing is more formal than speaking, and it’s something that I always noticed. I recommend your blog to a lot of people, but I do couch it with that one caveat, that you can go on some colorful rants. I think that you are correct that it can limit your audience considerably, and in an effort to meet your goals, you’re making the right decision. I don’t say that with any sanctimonious intent whatsoever. I hate people like that! I am just saying that I really think that you’re making the right decision. You feel strongly about the things that you write about, but as they say, revenge is a dish best served cold!
p.s. If you read Robb Wolfs blog, I’d say the same thing to him. He should have gone on vacation for a week and then come back and posted after the crossfit fracas. That’s not to say that he was wrong, but his reaction to it was less than perfect, and that’s a shame.
This is coming from a guy with the worst irish temper that you’ve ever met. I have probably forgotten more fights than most people have been in. I am not like that anymore, so I truly speak from experience! Keep up the great work, I love what you do.
Hey Jim. thanks for the understanding. Y’know that if we were in the local pub the f-bombs would be flying like it’s Christmas, or something.
But, yea, I really do have to walk a thin line between no-compromise, unique persecutive, entertainment, and a wide inclusive audience. Really, I have been in my comfort zone because I’m so weird I like to push buttons and offend – mostly because I feel so many people never get out of the comfort zone. It motivates me to challenge, with my facts straight, and language as straight up as possible.
The challenge is up to me. No way I can be just any other blog. No way.
@Jim
If you read Robb Wolfs blog, I’d say the same thing to him. He should have gone on vacation for a week and then come back and posted after the crossfit fracas. That’s not to say that he was wrong, but his reaction to it was less than perfect, and that’s a shame.”
What did you find objectionable about Robb’s reaction? That he gave the rope to Glassman and Co. to hang themselves?
I say Bravo to Robb!
And this is the price at which you sellout? :)
You won’t stop the ranting and the foul language, b/c it’s inappropriate, but rather you will stop it because it will not allow you to reach your financial potential?
Maybe you should keep it real and be true to who you are, instead of watering down yourself for the masses.
Like they say, everyone’s a prostitute.. just depends on the price.
I’m disappointed to see yours was so low.
Alright.
Now that I’ve posted the f-bombs for the benefit of HR and those who got email notices, I deleted the comment.
Now, here’s the deal, HR: I’m certainly not selling out, and I am being myself. See, the f-bomb me is really the old me, a fat businessman making a million a year, having someone else run my business and trading options every day on the open markets.
But what happens when you’re getting fatter and fatter, BP going up and up, and you’re doing a bottle of scotch per day and have built up such tolerance that you can still walk straight, talk straight and execute profitable trades (I’ve made $25k in a day, after a good portion of that bottle). See, it’s just an illusory temporary high, then you die, or, if you’re lucky like me, you lose $250K in a week and begin to start evaluating your life.
…I really love how on a blog, people begin to start thinking they really know who you are…
Anyway, sure, the rage is still a part of me, but it’s mostly only for laughs, now, and it doesn’t last. With virtually every f-bomb post comes regret within hours. It’s not me, anymore, at least for more than fleeting moments. I deleted the previous comment, didn’t I?
Now, here’s what is. I want to put real and serious pressure on those putting out the crap I blog about, but I want to see if I can find a way to do it effectively. Not clinically, and in a way that’s entertaining, but not something so over the top it’s immediately dismissed.
Fine if that’s not your bag, but that’s what I’m going to try to do.
And if all I ever was to you was someone who said on the Internet what you could not or would not, then I think it’s not me with the problem.
“if you’re lucky like me, you lose $250K in a week and begin to start evaluating your life.”
…and I’m so glad you did ’cause it’s allowed you to spread a knowledge that has enabled me and thousands of others to live a better, healthier life. Thanks, Richard, for a witty and logical take on science that would otherwise be hard to digest (and while I’m at it, all that foodporn that makes me run to the kitchen :-D ).
Best,
Raj
Rage on, Richard. From one former navy man to another, you can drop all the “f-bombs” you want, because NOBODY has EVER accused me of political correctness.
Congratulations on your blogging success.
Will
Wow that’s pretty amazing, I really hope blogs like this keep growing and receiving many people, along with youtube is the best way to reach people’s attention and spread the message cause not many are going to read Good Calories Bad Calories and all those kind of books but anyone can just do a quick google search, read a short post and that is how everything starts (i wish i had time to start one in Spanish, there is almost non in my language)… So keep it up and congratulations.
About the language I thinks is the best decision it gives the blog and blogger more credibility.
I’d pat you on the back, but I see you’ve already done that.
Ha, indeed I have.
@Patrik,
I never said that I found any of it “objectionable.” Nor did I say or imply that he was wrong, or that he shouldn’t give it to them. I think he’s great, and love his stuff. What I said, (and nothing more of which you somehow inferred,) was that his point would have stood up to scrutiny better had it been rid of its petulance, that’s all. It was a supportive statement, and bore relevance to Richard’s point. He wrote it when he was hot. I’ll repeat it, “revenge is a dish best served cold.” I am a guy who has been in countless brawls. countless. bad ones. Mostly physical, but plenty of verbal, and written. It’s been my experience that simply one is better served writing with more composure, and less emotion. It stands up to scrutiny better. I concur with the context. I was just commenting on the delivery, as is my right to do.
Your first freelance article – congratulations!
How is this for irony? I have never used any but the mildest profanity in my own writings, but I now have someone named PJ angry on my blog that I failed to censor your (last?..) f-bomb in my comments section. (f****ing a!) Can you believe it? Just a reminder that you can’t please everyone, I suppose.
Congratulations on your success and thank you for your friendship and support!
Ha, I’ll have to take a look at that. Do you have email notification for comments?
Don’t know if you saw this comment or not:
https://freetheanimal.com/2010/01/a-wrap-up-for-2009.html#comment-12060
But no, you can’t please everyone, especially those who won’t hit the donate button yet feel free to tell my how to write the blog or criticize style, for chrisakes, rather than, say, accuracy.
I really loath these sorts of people and I’ve seen them on every blog out there: Art’s, yours, Mark’s mine and elsewhere. It’s a childish sense of entitlement.
Just now I was in comment queue on the blog platform and noticed five comments marked as spam. Other than the typical bot spam, there were two comments from different named people using two different email addresses saying the y”Agree with HR” and on and on, impugning my character and so on. Standard stuff.
But here’s the funny thing: they were posted within minutes of each other, and from the same already banned IP address.
Integrity indeed.
You can subscribe to the blog, comments on the main blog and Q and A – each has it’s own feed.
One of my new year’s resolutions is to get more ruthless with the delete button – “drive by” posts that have absolutely zero to do with the topic and, like you say, don’t come with a check attached.
Congrats and thanks for all of your great info., and all the best in your continuing success in an ever-expanding way!
I’m one of the new people who came to your site via the boingboing feature. I was delighted when I realized it was another paleo blog. (My wife and I went on the caveman diet about two years ago. Fell off the wagon a bit recently. Good fodder for New Years’ Resolutions, though!)
Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate you on your increased traffic and to thank you for helping spread the paleo word in our sick society. And also to let you know that I totally understand and support your decision to tone down the rants and profanity. Bravo!
That’s fantastic, Chip. The boingboing feature was responsible for around 50,000 visits, so far. It would be foolish to suspect that might get me more than maybe a few dozen new regular readers, but it’s great to already have evidence of a good many from comments and emails.
Now I want to write this blog in a way that readers can’t help but forward articles onto their friends, family and co-workers.
I just let my appetite be my guide. Even Cordain has now backed off the anti-fat stance. I think Art should too. If he just doesn’t care for added animal fat, fine, but I do and it’s simply not a health issue when eating a paleo diet low in sugar and excluding grains and processed foods.
To anser your former question, check out the “Food Porn” category to see how I use lots of fat in cooking, i.e., added animal fat in the form of sauces. Also, you can use the search function to search for terms like fat, animal fat, saturated fat, etc. Lots and lots of posts.
It’s your blog and of course you can write it as you see fit–one of the beauties of having a blog IMO–but I have to admit I’m disappointed because I LOVED it when the f-bombs started flying. We tiptoe around being nice about things that aren’t nice and you just got in there and started ranting. Just don’t start selling supplements and frankenfoods …
I’m beginning to think I have been greatly misunderstood on this point. It’s going to be the same thing, just not with explicit f-bombs. It’s also interesting to see that people believe the motivation for this is to make this a commercial site and nothing could be further from the truth.
I want people to feel comfortable recommending this blog to their sick grandmothers.