2009′s greatest hits

4 comments on 2009′s greatest hits
3 minutes

You might be surprised to know how much I think about my blog. I check my stats probably 10 times a day, and I am always looking for things to write about. I usually have one post idea working in the back of my mind and two unfinished drafts in the WordPress queue.

January and February are my toughest blogging months. So much of my blog is about things I’m out doing, but since January and February are the snowiest months here in Indianapolis, I’m not out doing very much! So when another blog I read posted about its most popular posts of 2009, I thought, “Hey, I can do that!”

2009 was a great year for Down the Road. My average monthly page views leapt by 86% over 2008! I have to tip my hat to copywriter Mike Roe, who gave me some great SEO advice that has really delivered the eyeballs. It also helped that I doubled my posting rate to twice a week for most of 2009 (which I stopped doing recently; see “January and February” above).

My posts about old cameras and vintage television got the most views in 2009. But a post about my radio days and one from my US 50 trip across Illinois cracked the top five:

Another way to measure a post’s success is by how many comments it gets. I love to get comments on my posts, and I reply to almost all of them, so please don’t be bashful! Two posts from the most-visited list were among the most commented in 2009:

My favorite posts share about my faith, ways I’ve grown, and stories from the past. Here are my personal top five from 2009. They didn’t get very much love, so go re-read them already!

  • Three hundred square feet – I started to recover from my divorce in a tiny apartment in a bad neighborhood.
  • Yes, Lord – God wanted me to know that he wasn’t going to place more on me than I could bear.
  • Playing by radio’s rules – It was the most humiliated I’d ever been.
  • The butterfly effect – How taking a high-school class in public speaking made my career in software development possible.
  • Afternoon of awe – A story of how God can multiply our actions when we trust and obey him.

Here’s where I’m supposed to say something gushy about 2010, but I’m not feeling gushy. Just know that I intend to keep blogging, so if you like what you read here, subscribe already! You can get Down the Road in your feed reader or in your e-mail inbox.


Comments

4 responses to “2009′s greatest hits”

  1. David Avatar

    I’ve certainly enjoyed and appreciated the things you shared in 2009. Keep bringing it!

    1. Jim Avatar

      Glad to have you along for the ride, David!

  2. Bernie Kasper Avatar

    You have a wonderfully well written blog with lots of great history and photography Jim, and every so often you make it to my neck of the woods so you know I have to read it !!

    Basketball has kept me especially busy this year so I don’t get to blog as much as I like but I do try keep up with old friends !!

    1. Jim Avatar

      Thanks, Bernie! I’m glad you’re along for the ride.

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