Analyzing Google Analytics

One of the coolest parts about starting a blog is being able to take a look at traffic patterns. Okay, maybe "cool" is the wrong word. How about interesting? That may work better. In any case, Google has a great traffic analyzing tool, Google Analytics, which breaks down website traffic to its smallest details.

For example, 62.5% of visitors are using Internet Explorer while only 32% are using Firefox. Internet Explorer users, let this blog do you a favor. Go download Firefox (there's a link over on the right sidebar, and if I positioned this right, it should be right next to this text) -- It has an integrated spell check in the browser (the coolest feature I've ever seen in any piece of technology), is great with pop-up ads, and is just an all around better product. There's no reason to use Internet Explorer with Firefox out there. I tried Firefox out around a year ago and I have never looked back.

Other stats are interesting too. In the past seven days, roughly 50% of my traffic has come from two sources: My MLive.com Detroit Tigers Blog and Google searches. Another 12% from Michigan Live sports message boards. Only 4.56 from Digg, mostly from my most recent post on the subject.

Geographic location is also interesting. 87% from the US, but the 5% from Canada are welcome too (mostly from Ontario though, not Calgary, home of the Flames the Wings are currently battling in the NHL Playoffs). And welcome to the 0.26% of you visiting from Turkey.

How users search on Google to find the site was unexpected. Of the people searching on Google, 21% searched for Erin Burnett. The second biggest search item finding its way to my site, all the way down at 2.73% was "Erin Burnett CNBC". All these searches find my earlier post on how CNBC anchor Erin Burnett was underrated. And I continue to watch Street Signs (2:00-3:00 on CNBC) on a regular basis, and apparently, I'm not the only one. My post on the Las Vegas season finale is also very popular on Google searches. Luck of the draw on where you get placed in the rankings I guess.

Okay, enough of that. I'm off to Comerica Park this afternoon for what should be a great day of baseball. Let's hope the Tigers break out of their two-game slide. Then we've got Red Wings playoff hockey and Pistons playoff basketball. What a great time of year for Detroit sports.