Pawsitively Intrepid launched in May of 2017, so this is our first end of year review. Thank you to the readers who have been here since the first post and also to those who have found us along the way.
About Us: Pawsitively Intrepid
As many of you know, this blog is written by me, Dr. Kate Pederson. I am a small-animal (dogs and cats) veterinarian currently practicing in La Crosse, WI. While I enjoy working as a general practice veterinarian, I also love exploring life with my pets outside of the clinic. The main pets in my life include an 18 year -old cat, Frisko and a 6- year old mutt, Glia. I have also been enjoying the opportunity to foster a plethora of cats and kittens this year. My adventures with these fluffy companions inspired me to revive an old hobby – writing. And in this day and age, what better way to create a purpose for my writing than to start a blog.
Starting a blog is a relatively simple thing to do. Just purchase a domain name and a host for your site, and get started with a program like WordPress. The hard work is writing, and even harder is promoting and social media. On that note, if you are interested in linking up with us on social media – check out the social media links to your right. Pawsitively Intrepid is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Since it is hard to build every social media site up at once, we are currently focusing on Twitter and Instagram the most. But we also add each weekly post to both Facebook and Pinterest. Or, if you don’t use much social media, but do want to receive updates about when new posts are added, subscribe via email! There is a link to this on the sidebar also.
First Year Statistics
This is a new blog and I have no previous blogging/online marketing experience. It has been, and will likely continue to be, a slow journey of learning how to improve my writing skills and master social media. The stats listed below are not impressive by any means. But they are real and I hope that someday I can look back on these numbers and marvel at how far this site has come.
So without further ado, here are some fun first year site statistics:
From July 2017 (when I learned about setting up Google Analytics) to December 20th, 2017, 324 users have been to this site, with 43% of them returning. These users have generated over 1100 page views and 145 comments. Most of the users (87%) are from the United States
The very first post added to this site was: 6 Essentials for the Everyday Hike with Your Dog. The publish date was May 27th, 2017. It only has 6 views. But the next post, 5 best dog-friendly hiking trails in La Crosse, WI, has 21 views. So progress was made!
According to Google Analytics, the top 5 most popular posts at Pawsitively Intrepid were:
- National Parks and Your Pet
- Help! I can’t get my cat in the carrier!
- The Complete New Puppy Checklist
- Glia’s DNA Test
- The VOHC Seal and Your Pet
Pawsitively Intrepid’s highest rated keyword has to do with variants of “hiking in la crosse, wi.” We rank on about the 3rd to 4th page of Google for this search results. Maybe next year, we will have a keyword ranking on the 1st page of Google.
Currently we acquire most of our readers from social media or via direct acquisition (a few readers subscribe via the mailing list). Again, please join us social media.
Learning Moments and Useful Tools
Since blogging is a completely new endeavor for me, I learned a LOT this year. I made my first twitter and instagram accounts. And with the help of many great internet resources, I am slowly discovering the intricacies of SEO and keyword planning. I also learned about an organization called BlogPaws which has been a wonderful resource for me as a pet blogger. Facebook groups have also been a wonderful source of knowledge for a new blogger. Beyond the BlogPaws Facebook group, Pet Bloggers Support Group has been invaluable.
I also found several useful plug-ins based on recommendations from more experienced bloggers. (And to be honest, even learning what a plug-in is was part of this years experience.) For example, Yoast has been amazing in helping with SEO optimization. And another plugin, Updraft, allowed me to back-up my site to DropBox (which saved me from having to upgrade my plan on HostGator to obtain more storage space).
Away from my WordPress space, Buffer has been another tool I have learned to use and love in the last few months. If you haven’t heard of Buffer, it is a tool used to schedule social media posts. I am currently using it as part of my twitter “strategy” and I have seen increased Twitter engagement and followers since implementing it.
Finally, setting up Google Analytics and Search Console was a very important step in growing this blog. These two sites help me see how many readers visit my site and how the readers get to this site. If you have a new blog and haven’t set these up, do so now! There are many online sites with more information about how to get the most out of these free online tools.
2017 Take-aways
Don’t be afraid to try something new! Keep learning. Reach out to people who know more than you do. And work hard on making connections with others (whether in person or online).
What is in store for 2018?
Some exciting changes in are in the works for 2018. Stay tuned over the next few months for details, as we focus our niche here at Pawsitively Intrepid and share some exciting adventures.
My first year blogging was a big learning experience for me as well. I’ve now completed my third year, and I still consider myself a novice. I had started with Buffer at one time, but then put it to the side. I think I’ll check it out again.
Thanks for the comment! In 3 years you have done an amazing job. I love the graphic for your header. Getting a professional looking logo is definitely still on my to do list. There is always so much to learn and do, but (especially since this an after-hours hobby for me) I know it will take a while.