SEARCH ENGINES BE PRAISED (November 26, 2011)

Three weeks ago I reported that, according to Google Analytics, forty-eight percent of visits to my Residua website over the last month were direct, eleven percent came from referring sites, and forty-one percent were by search engines (“Off the Beaten Path,” November 5, 2011). Well, that was three weeks ago. But my site went bonkers two weeks ago. Now that visitors cannot see the full listing of my writings posted this year, the statistics have changed markedly. According to Google Analytics once again, thirty-nine percent of visits over the last month were direct, seven percent came from referring sites, and fifty-two percent were by search engines. In just two weeks, the search engines turned into winners. And the statistics are changing fast. If my site is not fixed soon, nearly all the visits will be reserved for search engines, too. They could not care less about the listing of pieces written this year, anyway. Or any other year, for that matter. Search engines be praised. In my predicament, I am entirely at their mercy.