Which Hubs Get the Most Views : My Personal Tally

Nothing triggers my obsessive compulsive nature more surely than my personal Hub statistics. Over time, which page--that is, which topic and/or title--garners the highest number of views? I obsess, therefore I ponder daily.

True, it's not like it really matters. Some writers produce with material gain as a primary goal, and that's perfectly reasonable...but I don't happen to be one of those reasonable folks. My material could be pretty well defined as simply pent-up emotional magma spewing forth as a way to release tension before I explode.

Not exactly the definition of "commercially viable"...unless you're, say, Ernest Hemingway or maybe Charlie Sheen.

So...how to structure this little list in a way that makes sense at a glance? That is the question. I decided to go with this:

1. The stats are being eyeballed at 8:20 p.m. on March 28, 2011.

2. The first Hub I ever wrote was published on January 31, 2008.

3. The "Top Ten" Hubs will be listed.

4. The most recent publication date scoring in the Top Ten is September 9, 2009, indicating (duh) that time is required to beat the existing champions.

5. The #1 Hub will be given a score of 100. Each Hub thereafter will be scored by dividing its number of views by the #1 Hub's number of views.  The resulting percentage will then be posted as a whole number score.

On to the list.

Ghost32's Top Ten List as of March 28, 2011

1. How to Build a Survival Cabin on a Shoestring Budget......Score: 100

2. How to Dig a Hand Dug Well.....................................................Score: 83

3. Product Review: Slick 50 Engine Additive and

Transmission Additive..................................................................Score: 20

4. Keep Your Leopard Gecko Safe and Happy..........................Score: 19

5. What to Put into a First Letter to a Prison Pen Pal................Score: 15

6. How to Write an Effective Demand Letter..............................Score: 14

7. So You Think You Want to Write a Prison Pen Pal..................Score: 9

8. How to Hand Dig a Post Hole in Tough Ground.......................Score: 8

9. Snake Stories: The Mojave Green Rattlesnake.......................Score: 8

10. How to Choose a Portable Generator.....................................Score: 8

Bonus info snippet: I have 690 Hubs published at the moment, yet the Top Ten account for more than 40 percent of all views received. Interesting....

A few things do jump right out and smack me upside the head when I scan this list, the first being that each and every winner provides practical information. There is nothing blatantly humorous, nothing having to do with politics, no science fiction, no poetry, no music. Nor is there anything do with getting a job or or keeping one, but that lack could be a reflection of the huge number of online articles competing in that particular niche.

Wow.

Does this mean that I should narrow my writing focus to target practicality and only practicality? Most certainly not!

Does it mean that people in general are deeply interested in Hubs that might help them beat the rat race, avoid dangers (like the deadly Mojave Green rattlesnake), select essential products for purchase that give the most bang for the buck, or help them communicate with others? Apparently so!

Perhaps I'll run another TopTen tally when my Hub count reaches 1,000--just to see if one of my many not-quite-so-practical pages has made the list by then. My best educated guess, though, is that the gap will actually widen.