Referrals - Todays Stupid Newbie query

1. 81

   Mark Ewbieposted 13 years ago

   Hi there!
   
   I have noticed on my Analytics that I get much more traffic from referrals than organic searches.  I haven't put any links out there - don't have anywhere to put them.
   
   They seem to be lots of single hits - like emails.
   
   Does this mean people are saying "look at this" or something?
   
   I suspect it does, but I tried searching the internet for the answer, and you know the rest - pages of half answered nonsense trying to sell me something or give me a virus.
   
   edit: I reckon the referral stuff in Analytics is what shows as Other on my page stats?  I thought it was me going back in and constantly re-editing at first.

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      princess gposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I wish i could tell you, but I don't know. All i do is look to see how many page views I've gotten, and what my hubscores are. I'm sure it's important, I'm just lazy:)

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         Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks princess!  I suspect it may be important to what I am doing, if it it what I hope it is.

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2. 0

   Website Examinerposted 13 years ago

   In your topic headline, can't you simply ask the question instead of advertising yourself as a "stupid newbie"?

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   1. 81

      Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, sorry - I'll do that next time.  I'm too used to doing that on forums.
      
      Can I edit it?
      
      edit: I should maybe have put Stupid Ewbie?

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         Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Hey! There is no room on here for humor!
         
         I really don't know the answer to your question either

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         1. 81

            Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks UW.  I stepped over the line.  Won't happen again.
            
            tbh I think my last forum was quite glad to see the back of me.
            
            ps. Someone will answer the referral query.  It will be obvious.  I will look a fool.

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            Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks! Your sarcasm isn't lost on me.

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               Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I wasn't really been sarcastic in my response to you - but I think maybe I have been sarcastic for so long I have forgotten how to just be straight and nice.  Kind of automatic - but definitely no offence meant.

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                  Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  Don't worry, I never thought you were sarcastic. We are fine, I think...

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                     Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     I hope so!  Although my natural tendency is to amuse myself by winding others up (I know, I know - it's childish and appalling) - I have vowed to control that urge here as I'd quite like to make some money rather than just mess about all the time.

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      2. 0

         Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         No, you can't edit the title. I only meant for future reference.
         
         About your query: It sounds like people are recommending your hubs in emails, which is a good thing.

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         1. 81

            Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thankyou.  Thankyou very much.

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3. 60

   saleheensblogposted 13 years ago

   Well, let me try:
   
   When someone comments on your post you get a link of your hub in your mail address. If you follow the link the trafic source is supposed to be mail.

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      Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks saleheen - but this is not from my mail account.

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         saleheensblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         how do you know from which mail account it is? I don't think you can figure out from which account you traffic came, just a thought. Not sure of course.

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            Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            When I look on Analytics at "sources" I think it is - it shows Google organic at the top then yahoo, bing and one or two others I recognise.  Then about a hundred lines of what seem to be email addresses, except they are not actual email address - all single hits.  And it says referral rather than organic against them.

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               saleheensblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               hmmm, lets wait for experts. I totally don't understand analytic as well. Now I will add it in my serious learning list.

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4. 67

   lrohnerposted 13 years ago

   Just like there are no stupid questions, there are no stupid Ewbies.
   
   Anything you see in "referring sites" in Analytics just means they got to your page by clicking a link on another site. If it's coming from an email address, then the user clicked on an HP link or ad in an email. Some people receive their RSS feeds via their email, so maybe that's where it's coming from? I don't get as many of those, but I do get a few consistently. I just never gave them much thought.

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      Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks lrohner.
      
      I will update if I find anything out.
      
      Oh and thanks for the stupid thing.

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         jpwriterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         About 1/2 way down the page there is a spot that shows how to find out who your referrals are and what article they came in on, plus lots more info. 
         
         http://www.infobarrel.com/SEO_Tips_for_ … ngs_Report
         
         Also, what tends to happen is that other sites will run RSS feeds for specific topics.  Like the RSS feed we can use on our articles.  You can filter it by topic so it increases your keywords.  Anyhow, when you are getting referral traffic that is a GOOD thing!  It can also mean that people are organically backlinking to you, another great thing.
         
         One way to find out who is using your link or title is to search your titles in Google.  You can use the allintitle command or just put your title in using parenthesis. 
         
         I am not sure how our link traffic is counted when our articles show up on other HP articles, on the right side, but it could be that as well.  I think something there might help.  Hope so!

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            Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks jp - maybe part of my problem is that Analytics is so good there is a lot to learn to use it properly.

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5. 86

   PurpleOneposted 13 years ago

   I was wondering the same thing myself and I'm not sure but I think the answer might be that: don't your followers have the option of getting a notification when you post a new hub? Then every once in a while, one of those followers will actually open up the notification email and click through to your hub? Could be wrong but that's what I think!

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      Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That is a very good point PurpleOne.

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         WryLiltposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I'd agree with purpleone on this.
         
         I bet lots of your sources are something like 'mail.live.com or gmail.google.com' am I right? That's either followers reading your hubs when they are emailed or people emailing them on to other people.
         
         OR, with the new notification button for comments, it might be whenever you reply to a comment?

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            Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks Wrylilt.  I had hoped it was me going viral in a small way for a moment, last night I was dreaming of what a million hits would be worth in Adsense (it's about four pounds).
            
            But of course, it is probably that email link thing that followers get.
            
            Bother.

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6. 81

   Mark Ewbieposted 13 years ago

   OK, I can confirm that I haven't gone viral.  I checked my stats a bit more closely.  When I had an increase in traffic thanks to a Hubnugget thing - my hubpage traffic went up, as did my 'other' traffic.  Which is traffic from email links.
   
   Which means my dreams are on hold again.

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      jpwriterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Analytics is so full of info I cannot imagine how much more I can learn about my writing through it.  If I don't document how I found something new there, I usually forget how to find it again!
      
      You know that you can go a little viral if you submit your articles to bookmark sites, right?  Some of them even have rev share programs.  Those are listed on my profile page, but I also submit to Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious, and some others.  It also helps because they are do follow backlinks, but mainly I really do see increased traffic from them.
      
      I never thought about the email thing, but it's good to know.

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7. 81

   KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

   I've always assumed the email ones were from my followers getting the email notification of when I've published a hub and clicking on it from their inbox.

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