Comments on: Business Blog Benchmarks http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html Canada's Search and Social Media Authority Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:45:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: A Preface to my Bouncing Baby Benchmarks | AbleReach http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1423 A Preface to my Bouncing Baby Benchmarks | AbleReach Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:14:55 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1423 [...] observations about my traffic and content. I'll be chatting about my own ideals, plus some of the benchmarks Jenn blogged about over at Search Engine People a week [...] […] observations about my traffic and content. I’ll be chatting about my own ideals, plus some of the benchmarks Jenn blogged about over at Search Engine People a week […]

]]> By: Jennifer Osborne http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1424 Jennifer Osborne Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:33:05 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1424 @Gab - likewise :) @Gab - likewise :)

]]> By: Gab http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1425 Gab Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:40:02 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1425 Hey Jenn, My pleasure on the comment - you start intelligent conversations and it's fun talking to someone who's got their thinking cap on :). I hadn't considered the metrics as a starting point for a conversation. That's a good justification, so I have to concede that in those situations, you may be able to prompt action by bringing that stuff up. p.s. Thanks for sharing the mini case study re usability v PVs. Hey Jenn,

My pleasure on the comment - you start intelligent conversations and it’s fun talking to someone who’s got their thinking cap on :).

I hadn’t considered the metrics as a starting point for a conversation. That’s a good justification, so I have to concede that in those situations, you may be able to prompt action by bringing that stuff up.

p.s. Thanks for sharing the mini case study re usability v PVs.

]]> By: Jennifer Osborne http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1426 Jennifer Osborne Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:15:56 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1426 @Gab - Thank you for the comment! I see where you're coming from and you're right, there can be many reasons why these metrics change. We had a situation where a clients # pages viewed went down because their usability went up. However I still think it's important to measure these metrics as they can be the starting point of important conversation with clients - to determine what's driving these figures. @Gab - Thank you for the comment! I see where you’re coming from and you’re right, there can be many reasons why these metrics change. We had a situation where a clients # pages viewed went down because their usability went up.

However I still think it’s important to measure these metrics as they can be the starting point of important conversation with clients - to determine what’s driving these figures.

]]> By: Gab http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1427 Gab Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:15:57 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1427 "What about engagement measures? Three great measures of how engaged your traffic is include Bounce Rate, Time Spent on the Site and Number of Page views." I have to wonder at the usefulness of these metrics. First, as <a href="http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2007/10/engagement-is-not-a-metric-its-an-excuse.html" rel="nofollow">Avinash Kaushik points out, engagement isn't really a metric.</a> Second, the metrics of bounce rate, time on site and page views aren't particularly actionable in and of themselves. a) Because you don't know why those metrics are that way. Are there lots of page views because you buried the contact page on some 5-clicks-from-home inner page? [Likewise time on site.] b) Bounce rate is kinda like 'daily visitors' - so what? Are people more interested because they're bouncing less? That said, this metric is probably more useful than the others, and I can see the argument opposite to mine (e.g. 95% bounce means that you're not delivering what people are expecting - so connect the landers to the title/meta description better). “What about engagement measures? Three great measures of how engaged your traffic is include Bounce Rate, Time Spent on the Site and Number of Page views.”

I have to wonder at the usefulness of these metrics.

First, as Avinash Kaushik points out, engagement isn’t really a metric.

Second, the metrics of bounce rate, time on site and page views aren’t particularly actionable in and of themselves.

a) Because you don’t know why those metrics are that way. Are there lots of page views because you buried the contact page on some 5-clicks-from-home inner page? [Likewise time on site.]

b) Bounce rate is kinda like ‘daily visitors’ - so what? Are people more interested because they’re bouncing less? That said, this metric is probably more useful than the others, and I can see the argument opposite to mine (e.g. 95% bounce means that you’re not delivering what people are expecting - so connect the landers to the title/meta description better).

]]> By: Jennifer Osborne http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1432 Jennifer Osborne Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:10:29 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1432 Hey Dev - Nice to hear from you! Good point! @ Jordan - totally agree - in the end it usually comes down to conversions. @ Nick, Forumistan & Kristen - thank you! Hey Dev - Nice to hear from you! Good point!

@ Jordan - totally agree - in the end it usually comes down to conversions.

@ Nick, Forumistan & Kristen - thank you!

]]> By: Kristen http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1434 Kristen Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:38:41 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1434 This post came at a really good time for me. Thanks so much for the benchmarks. This post came at a really good time for me. Thanks so much for the benchmarks.

]]> By: Forumistan http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1428 Forumistan Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:24:19 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1428 Great post about discussing realistic measures... Great post about discussing realistic measures…

]]> By: UtahSEO http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1433 UtahSEO Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:41:07 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1433 Oh metrics. They can be tricky, especially when a client has no idea if the metrics actually matter. Show them the money. those are the metrics they like most. Oh metrics. They can be tricky, especially when a client has no idea if the metrics actually matter.

Show them the money. those are the metrics they like most.

]]> By: Nick James http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1429 Nick James Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:22:17 +0000 http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/business-blog-benchmarks.html#comment-1429 Cracking article, Jenn. I've been back through the other parts of this series and all I can think is: Damn! I wish I'd written this (Or perhaps even had the foresight to think of writing it). Together it makes up a body of work essential to anybody starting out on a social media campaign, being of particular value to those of us entrenched in the practice of blogging, but still relatively new to running it as a feasible marketing tool for clients. As you rightly point out, from a business point of view it isn't about the 'love of the writing' but the ultimate financial return garnered from the amount of energy and time put into actually writing the blog. Unfortunately everything has to start somewhere and a slow start (which is only natural for a fledgling blog) can immediately be deemed a failure by business's suffering a lack of understanding and expecting instant results. Many thanks for this invaluable insight, Jenn. Can't wait for the final part. Cracking article, Jenn. I’ve been back through the other parts of this series and all I can think is: Damn! I wish I’d written this (Or perhaps even had the foresight to think of writing it). Together it makes up a body of work essential to anybody starting out on a social media campaign, being of particular value to those of us entrenched in the practice of blogging, but still relatively new to running it as a feasible marketing tool for clients.
As you rightly point out, from a business point of view it isn’t about the ‘love of the writing’ but the ultimate financial return garnered from the amount of energy and time put into actually writing the blog. Unfortunately everything has to start somewhere and a slow start (which is only natural for a fledgling blog) can immediately be deemed a failure by business’s suffering a lack of understanding and expecting instant results.
Many thanks for this invaluable insight, Jenn. Can’t wait for the final part.

]]>