Farrwestview one year anniversary

This is the one year anniversary of the Farrwestview blog. This is also the 75th entry to the Farrwestview blog. A lot has happened since starting this blog and a lot has been left out but I just wanted to give a kind of status report of where this blog has been.

I mentioned from the start that this was going to be a learning experience about blogging and what goes along with it and that I would share this experience with you so hopefully we all learn along the way.

As you have noticed, I signed up for Google Adsense and AdSense for Search. This was to give a sense of viewership and maybe generate a little income. As you may have guessed, I have not retired from my regular job yet. In fact, after one year of blogging I have earned exactly $10.86 which remains on account and will not be paid out until it reaches at least $100.

This is not a plea to have anyone start punching ads (though it wouldn’t hurt, curiosity and all). It is just me reporting my experience so far. I am finding that it takes quite a bit of effort to make a successful blog. It starts with providing what is hopefully interesting content that will be of interest to the readers. It takes an effort to keep it freshened up periodically and not just let a few pages rest on their laurels. That means not becoming a one trick pony or having a one track mind. I have to watch myself for that one because that is part of my promise to myself. This blog is supposed to cover anything and everything, not just political woes or examples of bad driving habits.

With the ads come a way to track usage and according to the latest reports, http://farrwestview.blogspot.com has enjoyed 477 page views from 256 visits by 176 absolutely unique visitors according to the Analytics tool. Ad Sense reports 496 page impressions resulting in 26 ad clicks by Ad Sense and 7 queries with 6 clicks from Search. These have come from 15 different countries but mainly from the U.S.A. Is this good or bad? I do not know. I don’t have a lot to compare it too but being a numbers guy I find it interesting.

By the way, the ads presented on this blog sponsor me, but I do not sponsor them. In other words, I do not select them and am not always sure what or who shows up. Goggle ads place the ads and sell the spots that appear. I just provide a forum for them to hang their billboard.

The favorite search topics that have brought in viewers have been the ACSC (Air Command and Staff Course) article and the write-ups on my hints for IWON. Many of these visitors stayed only long enough to find that the page wasn’t for them and they moved on while others stayed for a read. I think that my largest following is still from my friends and family. Thank you for the support.

I am thankful to all who do read these blogs and hope you all enjoy them. I am going to reinvigorate my efforts to keep this blog going and infuse it with more articles covering more topics. This idea of making money on the web and possibly through blogging is drawing on me now and so I will put some effort in that area and let you know what I find. I am also going to make more efforts in marketing the Farrwestview blog so that the audience will grow as will the depth of this blog. If no one knows you’re out there then no one knows to stop by for a visit.

There are still far too many search engines that can’t find me no matter how I put forth the query. Ask.com still has no clue, but I am finding that true for other topics as well. Ask.com is the search engine IWON uses. Yahoo has find me a couple of times but only if I ask the right way. I seem to have the best luck with Google’s search engine but then this blog resides on a Google domain.

To all my readers, thank you one and all. Stay with me and I will try my darnedest to make this of worth to you. Always open to suggestions and comments. Though they come through an edit it, is only to keep things clean. There is too much vulgarity on the web and in life and there really isn’t any need for it. It adds nothing. And this blog isn’t going to be about nothing. Well mostly not anyway.

Never stop learning, never stop searching, and never stop sharing. It is not what we keep to ourselves that makes us rich but that which we share with others that gives us value.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.