Since some people are continually mystified by the secrets of our success, we figured this excerpt from one of our former competitors/ sparring partners might help elucidate things a bit.
Seriously, how did we go from an insider blog to a fully-functioning Death Star in just over two years?
Well, our founding editor Will Folks (a.k.a. “Sic Willie“) still has absolutely no idea – and when we say he has “no idea,” people, we mean exactly what we say.
He literally has absolutely no clue.
From Wesley Donehue.com:
I’m very impressed by Will’s ability to play the SEO game. A lot of folks think that Will posts the T&A because he has a fetish for celebrity curves. I didn’t figure it out until I clicked on my Google News tab and FITSNews.com was the first link. No, I wasn’t searching for a specific South Carolina article. It was the plain ole’ Google News tab that every one else in the nation sees. And FITSNews.com was the first link. I couldn’t freakin believe it. FITS isn’t even a MSM outlet. It’s a freakin blog!!
How did this happen?
It happened because Will posts celebrity and other national political news as soon as they happen. When someone does a Google news search for “Katie Stam†today, FITSNews.com is the 15th article on the page.
Why does that matter?
It matters because it drives Will’s hits through the roof, which in turn drives his Google Ad revenue through the roof.
Wait … we’re making money off this? Somebody in accounting clearly has some explaining to do … and some checks to cut, although Sic will no doubt happily take his pay in lap dances and/or Gummi Bears.
And seriously, “SEO game?” What the hell is that?
Well, according to our irrepressible web maven Nancy Mace (who truly runs the show here at FITS), SEO = “Search Engine Optimization,” or another way of saying our stuff gets picked up big time, thanks to syndication arrangements with Google News and dozens of other leading content thingamajiggies.
And as for “the T&A,” Sic absolutely “positooty” has a fetish for celebrity curves. And freckles. In fact, put ‘em together and he melts like butter.
But is that what truly drives our readership?
Some people like to presume that the majority of our voluminous traffic comes from “the T&A,” but in fact over 80% of it is driven by South Carolina political stories.
For example, here’s Wes discussing our story from this weekend about an alleged blackmail plot rumored to involve both the SCGOP and State Law Enforcement Division …
At the time of this post, Will’s story has 60 comments. That’s a lot for a one post. It’s probably at least 50% bullshit, but it’s salacious enough and just believable enough to have every South Carolina politico talking.
Yeah, every single one.! I can’t tell you how many calls I got about it today. Hell, I even had three different reporters ask me about it.
50% bullshit? Wow, Wes … coming from you that’s quite a compliment!
UPDATE - A commenter below has pulled a Brad Warthen and questioned our stats. Below are some recent daily and monthly traffic numbers for the non-believers …
By no way January 27, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I call bs on this web site’s stats. you keep telling people “10,000 people a day come to my web site” and they just believe you.
show me proof, if you can.
By fitsnews January 27, 2009 at 12:59 pm
“No Way,”
See the update above.
Thanks,
-FITS
By Um, no January 27, 2009 at 1:24 pm
All this smoke and mirrors is silly.
1. That’s WordPress’s page view chart, which can be divided by a factor of at least 3 or 4 to get unique visitors.
2. Now show a screen shot of the “Referrers” list and “Search Engine Terms” list that WordPress also provides. That would answer the question of how people get here pretty definitively.
No? Didn’t think so.
By googs January 27, 2009 at 1:47 pm
WP stats are 30-40 percent lower than other analytics. that means 10K page views a day is more like 15K. either way that is a lot of people and the retention #’s are very strong.
By Um, no January 27, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Yeah right. Cite me something on that claim about WordPress stats.
The other trick being used here is that every visit is likely going to count for at least two hits, because to read more than a few words of a story you have to click again. Thought that site redesign was about aesthetics?
By fits_gals January 27, 2009 at 2:50 pm
It most certainly was about site design, FITS was so 1980s with Sic’s old look and feel, difficult to navigate and it was not as purrrrty as this one. And it ain’t easy to convince a man who is set in his ways!
And on the old site you still had to click through to get the full story…No different than any other blog in the blogosphere…This one doesn’t leave as much room, but we’re able to roll out more stories on the home page.
Don’t worry “Um,” more sweet design elements are coming. And I hope Sic Willie posts more stat info for you, but I really don’t think more valuable proof will change your mind…we still love you though and thanks for visiting and helping our hit count!
xoxo -
FITSGals
By Mab January 27, 2009 at 3:28 pm
There’s always the old Hatfields and McCoys thing. Like me and BIN. Pick out some regular on here that sticks in your craw —
Old Bike Dude, I think yours should be Cooter Brown. Yep. I can see it coming. You are stirring up the wrath of The Cooter with all your talk of lil ol’ cricket bugs…
All that secondary ping-pong can only help Sic Willie’s hit count…and make all of our bleary lives more meaningful. More Southern, even.
The South: All about a fight. Doesn’t matter what it’s about. Just do it.
By Um, no January 27, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Of course the stats I asked for (a screen shot of the “Referrers†list and “Search Engine Terms†list) could change my mind. But somehow I knew it wouldn’t be forthcoming.
By GnuBerry January 27, 2009 at 3:58 pm
The famous, Citadel Nancy Mace?
By fits_gals January 27, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Well, when the vast majority of one’s site is from referring sites and direct traffic (75 percent) those search engine terms are a bit less relevant because it is a small fraction of the overall picture…
By Mincing Words January 27, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I’ve been hooked on FITSNEWS for the better part of a year now, and rarely a day goes by without me checking in at least once. For me, it really started with the coverage of the Supreme Court bar exam mess and now I check it so I know what is going on. Willie makes me laugh, even if he is imbecilic, and sometimes that is as important as any news I get from the site. And as much as I hate to encourage her, BIN makes me laugh, too, because I never will figure out how a thirteen-year-old can write the word “carpetbugger” over and over without becoming bored with it. Unless that thirteen-year-old girl is really a thirty-something gay man who is enamored with buggers of any kind….
By Hyancinth January 27, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Mincing Words is on to something there, BIN-folks. Splendid observation, I say!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/keepingupappearances/index.shtml
By Randy January 27, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Will, Does your method account for losers, such as myself, that check your site several times a day.
By James the Foot Soldier January 27, 2009 at 11:48 pm
One needs only look to the Sunday edition of La Socialista’s “from the bogosphere” section to begin to fathom the true size and scope of the “Death Star’s” influence.
Wait the BINS of the world say, FITSNEWS wasn’t one of the featured bloggers?
EXACTLY – meaning La Socialista fears not the wheenies it featured and its editors quakes every time FITSNEWS scoops them on story after story after story!
By Nate January 28, 2009 at 8:41 am
Right on James…FITS is the envy of the SC blogosphere…particularly by those who refuse to acknowlege the real Sic Willie.
By Freddie Guy January 28, 2009 at 11:29 am
I HATE Will Folks, yet I find myself visiting often.
To his credit, coming to FITSNews is like watching midget porn. I know that I am wasting my own time (and probably growing hairy palms in the process), but i still watch it. …I just don’t tell anyone.
Freddie
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