Carol

2023 Blogging Reflections #bookblogger #blogging #statsnerd #endofyearreflections #blogginglife #mybookishlife

Once a year, I enjoy writing a blog reflection post, and I hope my 2023 blogging reflections will be helpful for fellow bloggers and interesting for my followers.

2023 Blogging Reflections (image: tight focus on a hand holding a pen above a spiral notebook)
Image Source: Canva

Blogging Reflections

Block Editor

Yes, I’m making peace with WordPress Block Editor (except for occasional frustrations with color). My history with Block Editor is here and here and here. I threw up the white flag months ago and switched from the Classic Editor to the Block Editor. Because I had been experimenting with Block from time to time, the final transition wasn’t as difficult as I feared it might be. A few things had stopped working well in Classic and it was a relief to switch over to something more dependable. Now, my new posts are in Block but my older posts are in Classic. If you hop around my blog, you might notice the difference in the formatting of older posts. It would be too laborious to update them all, but as I write Throwback Thursday posts, I’ve been updating the original review with Block Editor. My only gripe about Block remains assigning color to text. Good grief, when will WP fix this cumbersome process?! It would simplify my work immensely if WP would temporarily put the color I’ve chosen in the toolbar instead of having to cut and paste the code every time I want to assign that color to a subheading. Also on my wish list is for WP to remember the color I’ve used when I go back to edit or update a post. Generally, though, I’m happy I made the switch. If you have questions about using Block, I’d be happy to help if I can.

Ads and Affiliate Links

My reviews are FREE. However, I do have costs.

The small amount I receive from ads covers my yearly WordPress charge (I do not use the free plan), The money I receive from WP ads is based on how many views I receive. You do NOT have to click through or purchase anything for me to receive credit. The more views my blog receives, the more money I earn. Thank you for tolerating these ads and for the inconvenience. It is the simplest way for me to offer free reviews. WordPress used to promise that ads would be placed above and below the content, but they have been creeping into the middle which I dislike but can do nothing about. I’m not making a great deal of money off these ads. Pennies, really. But the pennies add up over a year to cover the cost of my plan.

In addition to ads, I use Amazon affiliate links in my posts which generate a small amount of money (in the form of an Amazon gift card) that I put toward the cost of books I read to review. When you use an affiliate link, I receive a small (very small) percentage of Amazon’s profit at no additional cost to you. Using an affiliate link is an easy way to support my blog! Any product you purchase using the link counts (not just books).

Again, these two sources of income are not substantial, but they do allow me to continue providing free reviews for you! Thanks for your support!

Blog Stats

Please keep in mind that the following numbers represent a personal best and that this is not a competition. If you’ve been blogging for a year, you can’t compare my numbers to yours but I hope that the stats encourage you.

  • In 2023, I experienced a new monthly view record: 30, 684. I never thought I’d hit 30k but it happened….once! That was the month I also set a new record for a daily view: 2,261.
  • I met (and exceeded) my 2023 goal of 20k views per month…a goal I almost didn’t dare set!
  • In 6 !/2 years, my overall views are 947.4k. My views for 2023 are 295.8k.
  • This is post number 1,050!
  • My most popular book review post this year is West With Giraffes (7,578 views) and my free book club kit is here.
  • My DA (domain authority) FINALLY cracked 30 and is at 35 currently. This was a slow and up and down climb and the most difficult to attain. If you’re curious about yours or anyone’s DA check here.

Top 5 Countries for Visitors:
(Thank you International Book Friends!)

  • United States
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • India
  • Australia

ICYMI: My Most Memorable Reads of 2023

Through consistency, determination, and optimizing for SEO, I’ve made steady progress. However, if you never look at your stats, that’s OK as well! I like to compete with myself and I’m a stats nerd.

Most important, I continue to find joy in blogging and I cherish the connections I’ve made with book lovers around the world! My reading life is richer because of this blogging community.

No AI

My promise: is that every review here will be written by a human.

Blogging Goals:

  • I intend to make more book club kits (I’m working on the second one which I had hoped to publish in the fall but then my eye surgery derailed that plan).
  • I’m in the mood at the moment to declare 2024 a maintenance year. I’m surprised by my 2023 stats and might be suffering from imposter syndrome! If I can duplicate this year, I will be thrilled. If I exceed my expectations, that will be great as well!
  • I want to maintain the level of joy I receive from blogging and writing book reviews.
Make Things Happen (written on a sticky note): Reading Goals

Thank You! Thank You!!

I couldn’t do this without YOUR support…your visits, your comments, your shares, and your engagement. I’m looking forward to reading with you in 2024! I value your kind feedback, so if there’s anything you’d like more of or less of, please comment!

I’m wishing you health, happiness, and a tall stack of unputdownable 5-star reads in 2024. Happy reading book friends!

Happy New Year (gold bubles or lights)

Find me at:
Twitter/X
Blue Sky
Instagram (Threads link in bio)
Goodreads and StoryGraph
Pinterest
SubStack: @carolreadingladies
Reading Ladies Book Club on Facebook

29 comments

  1. Good luck with all of your reading and blogging goals Carol.
    Also, thanks for the domain authority link. I had no idea what mine was and found to my delight that it is 38.

    Reply

  3. Those are some nice stats! I hope to receive similar numbers once I reach 6.5 years of blogging! Out of curiosity, what month was your highest number of views? Also, I’ve never heard of domain authority before…I guess I should look into what that means at some point. But SEO is amazing & I saw such an improvement in my views this year because of it.

    Reply

    • Thanks Celeste! My highest monthly view occurred in September. I’m not able to attribute it to anything specific. Domain Authority is the measure of how your website will rank in a search engine search like google. The higher it is, the more chance you have of ranking high in a search….the ultimate would be a spot on page one of a search. How you raise your DA is quite a mystery and there are lots of theories. But good SEO is part of it. Sometimes a certain DA is required to guest post with certain bloggers. (Recently I saw a post on twitter in which a blogger was looking for guest posters but you had to have a DA of at least 20 to be considered). Basically, you want to feature someone with a higher DA than you because that tells search engines you are trustworthy and important. You want bloggers with a higher DA to link back to you because it raises you up if their DA is higher. This is where collabs and shout outs really help your DA. I only have a minimal understanding of it. It’s one of the hardest stats to obtain and maintain and can fluctuate daily. Happy blogging in 2024! ⭐️

      Reply

      • Thanks for that helpful explanation, Carol! I had no idea DA was a thing or so “important” to others. As a hobbyist blogger I probably won’t worry too much about it for myself, but now I know to keep it in the back of my mind should I want to work on it. 🙂

      • At least now you’ll have an idea for the next time you see it referenced! If you focus on SEO, you are unwittingly working on your DA.

  6. Well I have no idea what a domain authority is but mine is 32 apparently! Huge congratulations on your stats for this year. Amazing numbers and a reflection of your hard work. All best wishes for 2024 x

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  7. Congratulations on a wonderful year’s blogging Carol. I have enjoyed your posts and look forward to more entertainment and education by you in 2024. 💕📚

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  8. Congratulations those are some awsome stats! A DA of over 30 is something I can only dream of being stuck at 19. I’ve done all the SEO I can think of but my DA fell last year by a couple of numbers and has stuck fast at 19. I’m glad you’ve also managed to get to grips with the block editor. I’m still using classic right now as it’s working though I will inevitably use the block editor if and when I need to change. Wishing you a lovely 2024! 🙂 <3

    Reply

    • Thanks! 🙌 My DA was stuck for soooooo long! Then suddenly it jumped! Yes, DA can drop and it’s so discouraging! Would you like to do a guest post review on my blog? Things like that help! I’m wondering if my switch to Block helped my DA? I know I was using an old theme and when I updated my theme my DA seemed to go up a couple of points. But maybe it was a coincidence. I noticed the same jump when I started updating old posts on a regular basis. Happy reading and blogging in 2024! 🥂

      Reply

  9. I am NOT making peace with the block editor. I have drafts using the old editor that I just copy and use for my new posts. They will NEVER get me to stop using the old editor. But it is brave of you to work it out.

    Reply

    • Thanks! You can retire a teacher but you can’t take the teacher out of the blogger! Analyze data, record data, report data 😂 Happy new year! 🙏

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    • Thanks Megan! Your blog is not linked to your name but I found you via your twitter bio! I couldn’t find a way to follow your blog. Enjoy your blogging journey! Thanks for commenting! 🥂

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  12. Very interesting reflections. I’ve often wondered if it’s worth it to put advertising on my blog, but I continue to think it’s not. Ads on blogs drive me crazy (especially when they’re in the middle of the content instead of in a less intrusive place), but I also understand why people put them there. If you’re advertising helps pay for costs, then that’s great. You do you!

    I’ve never heard of Domain Authority before. I’m curious now, so I’m off to check it out.

    Enjoying the blogging journey is definitely the most important goal. I’m glad you’re finding joy in yours. I am too. When I no longer do, I’ll definitely hang up my hat 🙂

    Susan
    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

    Reply

    • I’m disappointed that WP ads have been encroaching into content more and more. I just checked your DA and it’s 31 which is great! 🙌

      Reply

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