[vc_row gap=”10″][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Jetpack Stats is a static plugin that provides key metrics specific to your WordPress site, including what pages or posts are most popular. Jetpack also has this fabulous way of making popular metrics easy to understand through a clear and attractive interface.
Now, I know you might be asking, “but I thought that’s what Google Analytics does?” And you would be right. Both Google Analytics and Jetpack track pagviews, unique visitors and traffic patterns for your site.
But, other than skimming the Custom Reports you get sent from Google Analytics each week or quickly glancing at the Google Analytics Dashboard in WordPress, do you REALLY dig deep into your analytics? Probably not due to lack of time (insert Facebook), responding to emails and/or Google Analytics can just be plain intimidating and hard to translate.
This is where Jetpack Stats comes in! Jetpack simplifies stats reporting to make it easy to digest and provides key stats specific to WordPress (i.e. a list of Most Visited Posts or a list of top Referral sites). Awesome-Sauce right!?[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Important Difference Between Jetpack Stats and Google Analytic Stats
Before we get into the many benefits of using Jetpack Stats in the day-to-day operation of your business, it is important to note that if you were to compare Jetpack pageviews/unique visits to those reported in Google Analytics, Jetpacks will be higher.
Why Would They Be Different?
Comparing Jetpack Stats to Google Analytics isn’t comparing apples to apples. Yes they both report the same stats, but the algorithms (a.k.a. complicated math problems) used to determine what constitutes a pageview is different. Therefore the answer won’t ever be the same.
Jetpacks Stats are specific to WORDPRESS sites and tend to report more favorably as a result. Google Analytics is the most universally used statistics tool for ANY website built on the World Wide Web. Remember, while we LOVE WordPress, only 20% of websites are built using WordPress. That means 80% of websites out there use a different platform and therefore can’t use Jetpack Stats.
Which Stats Should We Use?
So now that we know Jetpack Stats and Google Analytic Stats are never going to tell us the same thing, which one do we use? The tendency would be to use Jetpack stats since they prove to be more favorable and higher than GA, especially to sponsors. However, we would caution against this. To really track performance across the World Wide Web, you will want to use Google Analytics since they are a more realistic snapshot. Also, keep in mind at City Moms Blog Network, we will be using Google Analytics to base your National Sponsorship Opportunities.
Jetpack stats are going to be helpful in learning what your readers are interested in, what contributors are producing really awesome content and what posts are performing well![/vc_column_text][vc_images_carousel images=”5762,5763″ img_size=”medium”][vc_column_text]
How Do I Find Jetpack Stats?
Simply log in to your WordPress Dashboard and find Jetpack in your black tool bar on the left-hand side. Under Jetpack go to Site Stats.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5816″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”][vc_column_text]
General Picture of the Day Versus Others
When you get used to looking at the snapshot, at any given time of day you can tell if it is a “slow” day (the day’s content just isn’t taking off and may be a dud) or if you have blog gold on your hands.
For example, you may see only 100 page views at 11:00am and think “Hmm, what did we publish today? Oh yikes, that was kind of boring. Let me repost an old piece that has done well to drive up today’s page views.” Or, alternatively, you might see “Oh my gosh! 8,000 page views by Noon, what happened?!” That is a clue to start pushing that one piece everywhere you can AND consider boosting it with ad dollars. More is more, so if it is doing well organically, give it that extra push with a paid opportunity.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5764″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”][vc_column_text]
General Picture is Great But WHY Is The Day Going That Way?
Once you dive into the actual stats for the present day, you can see not only the day’s specific posts and their rough traffic BUT also the day prior’s. This sometimes can show you that something you pushed out the day before still has traction – again, another clue to share share share. Or, perhaps one of your oldies but goodies got posted to Facebook and is gaining steam again. Either way, you have a quick summary of what content on your page is performing and how. Over time, you will notice that you see some posts (guides, posts that have done well on Pinterest, etc) on there day after day after day. That’s a clue to make sure that post is polished and perfect and always updated since people keep coming back for more.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”5761″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”][vc_column_text]
And What Else Does Jetpack Do?
Well, you can see where your traffic is coming from. You won’t be surprised to learn most of it is Facebook, but if you collaborate with an online magazine or website or blogger and they share a link …. YOU now know how much traffic they’re giving you. So was that morning show news feature on the web worth it? For 10 clicks? Maybe, maybe not. It’s good data to know who’s sending your site traffic, especially if you worked with someone who promised you an infamous “link to your site for cross collaboration.”[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5760″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5759″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
The Fun Doesn’t Stop There!
You can ALSO see where your site is sending traffic. In real time. So you publish an event post – you can see how many people are clicking through to Eventbrite. You can also see what links are being clicked time and time again. So when a sponsor says “I am not happy,” you can say, “Well that’s interesting as we show we sent you 200 clicks this month. Do you all track your inbound traffic?” Or you can use it to be proactive in your outreach. “Hey there, just thought you might like to know we’ve sent you 75 clicks this month – can we tell you more about XYZ?” This is a really cool tool to use as a general gauge of which partners are getting exposure (and how much), which you can use to your advantage because YOU have data (i.e. proof) that moms are clicking (or not) and can tailor your pitches or emails accordingly.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
The Best Part About All of This?
Over time, you have an amazing data set and an idea of trends in your arsenal. You’ll become more confident in how your site is performing, in an easy to read and digest format. You can do much of this in Google Analytics and we still encourage you to take advantage of the Custom Weekly Reports as well as consult your GA stats for key metrics like pageviews and unique visitors. However, Jetpack provides great information and insight into your WordPress site, which allows you to make real-time business decisions.
- Slow traffic day? Go over to your Facebook page and post something you know gets pageviews.
- 300 clicks for a sponsor? Take a screenshot and send an email to the sponsor letting them know!
- Someone sending you loads of traffic? See who it is and how you might collaborate.
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