Image: Optasense.com
Every year in early January I go a bit nerdy and do a post – largely for my own amusement – on what the web traffic to the site was in the previous year and how this measures up to the years before. Here’s the end-2017 update on this topic.
The first graph below shows the annual page views on the blog – which is hosted by Siteground – from its inception in 2007 to the end of last year. As you can see, traffic to the site continued to rise in 2017, with page views topping 3 million for the first time.
Mayo GAA Blog, annual page views 2007 – 2017
Source: Statcounter
You know how I say every year that the cumulative hit count graph always resembles an exponential curve? With cumulative page views rising from 8.9m at the end of 2016 to just under 12m last year, that observation still holds true.
Mayo GAA Blog, cumulative page views 2007 – 2017
Source: Statcounter
With traffic levels continuing to surge it won’t shock you to learn that all of the records that stood this time last year for daily, weekly and monthly highs were exceeded over the course of the year just ended. The new daily high, recorded on 18th September (the day after the All-Ireland final), was perhaps the most significant one in this regard, as the 30,317 hits recorded that day bettered a daily record set over two years prior to that – on 31st August 2015, when 26,270 page views were logged.
The weekly high in 2017, 144,261 hits recorded in Week 34, also topped a high that stood since 2015. The new monthly high – set in August, when 512,395 hits were recorded, as the graph below illustrates – exceeded a high posted in July (495,327), which itself had bested the then all-time monthly high of 407,877 that was recorded in September 2016. Taken together, the months of July and August last year accounted for over one million page views on the site.
Mayo GAA Blog, monthly page views April 2007 – December 2017
Source: Statcounter
The above graph also confirms what a nice quiet place this became in Q4 of last year, so quiet in fact that December’s traffic – when just 93,753 hits were recorded – was the lowest since November 2016. Ah, the peace.
It’s all kicking off (or, to be more precise, throwing in) again now, of course, but sure we wouldn’t have it any other way, would we? As long as the lads continue to compete at the very top out on the field, the interest their exploits generates means that the traffic here on the site is all but destined to follow suit. Here’s to more busy servers in 2018.
Well Done WJ, your site is an absolute gem and a credit to you for the hard work and dedication you put into it.
An absolute credit sir.
Willie Joe.. You’re as good as 2 men.. 😉 Happy New Year and may you have many more. 🙂
Moderation !!!! Ah Willie, As they say “an elephant never forgets!!!!”
time to start making money on it WJ 😉
Incredible figures. A wonderful tribute to how indispensable this site has become for all lovers of our beloved county. We all owe you a great debt Willie Joe which we can never repay adequately. Thanks again.
Thank you WJ. i DON’T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT BUT WE ARE GLAD THAT YOU DO IT HAPPY NEW YEAR
Go on, Joe Mc – it’s Christmas so I guess the right time for parole!
Wow , serious amount of work there wj,
Thank you !
Mile buiochas WJOE go neiri leath i gconai.
Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh. Mhuigheo Abu!
An invaluable service and will become even more invaluable as an archive in the years to come.
Well done Willie Joe, I really enjoy the blog – by far the best in the gaa world. Other counties just don’t have this kind of forum. Thanks very much for your efforts.
Unreal wj. Can we expect a bit of product placement in the future?. E.g. Cillian took his score really well the ball glided over the black spot off of his glorious Adidas boots which put a lovely bit of spin on the ball. B.t.w. there now on special in eleverys for 65 euros# bargain. Million thanks again wj. P.s. anyone setting up a addiction site for this blog don’t let my wife know about it please. I have my habit under control thank you.
Brilliant stuff willie joe , long may your servers heat up
Well done Willie Joe.. massive effort to get there so much appreciated
Well done Willie Joe.
The complete listing of the Mayo panel is in todays Mayo News, no online link.
Names that were missing from the NUIG Game listing.
Ross Egan – Aghamore U20
Marcus Park – Knockmore U21
Adam Gallagher – Mayo Gaels U24
All other names as per the listing that was posted here for the NUIG game.
Congrats Willie Joe. Keep her lit. As a matter of interest would you consider at this stage getting some revenue from advertising? In fairness no one would begrudge you a few bob for all the work.
JP – Thanks for that, I saw the list earlier on too.
JPM – I’m still holding out against advertising on the site! It’d bring in a bit, I suppose, but I’d still prefer to avoid going down that road for now.
There must have been black smoke coming out of the servers on 1 or 2 occasions during the year. Or at least the red overheating warning light must have come on.
Congratulations on the incredible stats of the Mayo Gaa Blog Willie Joe… No doubt allot of work, allot of articles written, podcasts, guest writers, posters and their opinions, and how you do all the necessary moderation quite amazing really! …. The Blog must be worth few Bitcoin’ by now… Continued success with the Blog, it’s an essential accessory for all Mayo fans!