As 2015 begins I find myself drawn to making lists and analysing what works and what doesn’t on my blog. So just like last year here are the Top 10 most popular posts of 2014 and I must admit to being quite surprised by some of them!
1. A (short) walk for all seasons
2. Lemon Festival on the Côte d’Azur – Menton’s Fête du Citron
3. Introducing Pelote Basque – a very un-Provençal game
4. La Galette des Rois – another jewel in the French gastronomic crown
5. 6 romantic things to do on the French Riviera
7. A walking tour of Monaco, in pink
9. Sightseeing with children – visiting hill villages
10. Paris-Nice: the Race to the Sun
This year’s number one post is my third most popular post of all time, and I’m honestly at a loss to explain this! I’m sure many other bloggers will agree that there are times when we write something thinking it’ll be a big hit and no one seems to care, and then there are the random successes that take everyone by surprise. Well along with number one, I’m gobsmacked by the third and tenth pole positions.
What is it about a little-known racquet game, Pelote Basque, that has captured your attention, and equally why is the Paris-Nice bike race my tenth most popular post this year? Is it all in the title as some people suggested last year?
This year I have written 129 posts which averages out at almost 11 a month up from 80 (or 6.6 a month) in 2013 covering an ever broadening range of topics including some travel outside my local area. Seven of the Top 10 are about local places or events, one about food, one about French culture and the really odd one, about a little-known sport. I’ve really enjoyed writing about other places we’ve visited this year including Budapest and Iceland and they have been well received though not quite making the Top 10 list.
Do you have a favourite post of mine from this year? Did it make the Top 10? I’d love to hear from you. One of the things I like most about blogging is getting your comments. Thanks for reading along with me in 2014 and here’s to a great 2015!
Bonne Année!
I enjoy all your blogs Phoebe and I never miss one. It is so hard to pick my favourite but perhaps it is things to do with small children as my children are no longer small and I can enjoy an armchair entertainment with out having to actually do anything. Keep on keeping on
My top ten includes the most random post, shamefully because of the title a huge amount of people thought it was a pornographic cartoon!
I found it such an interesting process checking out my top ten of the year – I’m always thrown by the fact that Philadelphia sauce is my most popular ever!
I love looking back on these. I’m yet to find time to do mine, really should.
I can never fathom why some of my posts are more popular than others
I’m always surprised what makes a post popular and the ones that remain unread! As a cycling fan I love your Paris-Nice post. The sunshine was just like what we had in Yorkshire for the Tour de France!
I’ve just checked my top posts and they seem to be pretty random, a couple of giveaways and random reviews are in there! xxx Thou Shalt Not Covet
I keep meaning to have a look at what my top 10 posts were for 2014, I am sure there will be some surprises in there x
My top posts are really random – one is about how to make milk jelly like my nan used to make 😉
I do think ones about the local area are good – I know if I am looking for something about a certain area and know someone lives there then it’s the obvious choice to try there. My top posts are about holidays but glad that after that it is helped for disabled children.
one of my most popular is a pushchair review. I guess I understand why but wish it was something witty, fun or personal instead!
A great round up of posts, sounds like a productive year. Have an amazing 2015 x
The Paris-Nice race is quite famous, and perhaps not that covered in English, so that does not surprise me. But the “pelote basque” post — interesting!
Well maybe I would be a bit biased and say the Robin one you wrote recently for #AnimalTales. I also remember a ridiculously simple yoghurt cake you made (must look that one up again and pin it for future reference). I have also enjoyed all your Silent Sunday posts as it is great to compare opposite ends of France in any given week. Oh and anything about French culture. What about mine – what was your favourite over at Eco-Gites of Lenault?
Thanks for your feedback Mags, I loved writing about Iceland and other destinations so I’m glad you enjoyed them. Happy new year to you too, don’t worry I fully intend to keep on writing!
Funny that your most popular this year is at N° 3 of all time just like mine, but yours seems more logical than mine with the D Day relevance. Which posts did you like of mine this year Rosie???
Phoebe, I love reading your blog and this year I really liked your pieces on budget holidays in Iceland and the Blue Church in Bratislava. I also loved October in the South of France and your photos of Lyon. And many more. Happy New Year to you and please keep writing! 🙂
I did the same thing and my most popular blog post was my 3rd most popular blog of all time, about the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings – a very important event for 2014 so not a surprise being there at No 1. The others were a complete mix which is pleasing, as I like to write on a wide variety of subjects and it seems all of them are as popular as the next! Happy blogging through 2015 and I’m looking forward to reading what you offer us. Bonne Année !