January is always a time of reflection for me. I look back over the previous year – see what worked and what didn’t and make plans for the new year. Often the plans have to do with my weight. Alas, I always seem to have a new year’s resolution aimed at something to do with diet. (this year is no exception!)
But I also love to look back over my posts on the Gardening Cook to see what worked well for me. It gives me fuel for figuring out what to concentrate on for the coming year. Plus it is also surprising to discover which posts did not get traction or interest from readers. No need to spin my wheels when writing, since time is limited as it is!
By far, the most popular page on my site is actually one of the categories – that of all the recipes. This makes perfect sense to me, since I love to cook and post recipes on a daily basis. But that statistic is something I really already knew. Now on to the actual posts that got a lot of interest from readers. Here are my top ten posts for 2013.
1. This post is no surprise either. It is my recipe for home made marinara sauce with freshly roasted tomatoes. It is my pride and joy, coming in with almost 100,000 page views in just a few months and putting me in the number one spot (above Giada Delaurentiis’ recipe!) in Google. It is a luscious recipe and can be used in all sorts of ways once it is made. It also freezes well, so I make a big batch.
2. This one pleased me too, and also surprised me. It is a round up that I did early in the year for some of my favorite garden pictures and neat gardening ideas.
3. Would you like to find out how to make a whole year’s worth of laundry detergent for only $30? So did a lot of other people. Find out how in this article. (This idea was shared from One good Thing.)
4. Coming in at #4 was my article on using baking soda in the garden. It has dozens of uses!
5. Trying to find ways to store large and bulky items is a real challenge. This article shows lots of inventive and creative ways to store things that are big, and hard to find a place for.
6. This creative and easy to do watering bottle drip feeder trick fascinated my readers this year. It was #6 of my top posts and got repinned over and over on Pinterest.
7. Got old and used tea bags? Put them to use. Used tea bags can be used in so many ways in the home and garden. Find out how here.
8. It appears that my readers like their caffeine. This article was #8 and also shows how to use coffee grounds in the garden. It was a huge hit for me on Home Talk.
9. This past summer, camping posts did very well on my site. This round up of ideas for a variety of campfire starters was #9 in my list.
10. Last but certainly not least was this recipe for a no crust egg white quiche. It got 19,000 views and shows that people really do want to eat in a healthier way.
So, what have I learned from this study of my top posts? Well, it seems that people want to cook and that healthy recipes are the most popular. It also shows that readers have a keen interest in DIY projects and household tips to make life easier. And finally, it shows that my readers love pretty gardens as much as I do!