Top Posts and Commenters for December 2011

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In case you missed them, here are my top ten posts for December 2011, along with my top ten commenters. I am sending each of the top commenters a free copy of Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well by Billy Graham. It is currently on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Wordle Graphic for December 2011

Graphic courtesy of Wordle.net

Here are my top ten posts:

  1. Three Questions You Should Ask Before You Buy an iPad 2 (03/09/2011)
  2. Fix for Wireless Connection Problems on MacBook Pro (01/01/2007)
  3. How to Setup Google Calendar on Your iPhone 4 (07/05/2010)
  4. The Difference Between Trying and Doing (12/05/2011)
  5. Creating Your Personal Life Plan (03/11/2011)
  6. My Take on the Kindle Fire After 21 Days of Use (12/13/2011)
  7. How a Shift in Your Vocabulary Can Instantly Change Your Attitude (12/12/2011)
  8. The Fastest Way to Get a Book Contract—Guaranteed (10/03/2009)
  9. Why Speaking Well of Your Spouse Is So Important (03/11/2011)
  10. The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter (11/28/2011)

In the list above, I placed the date the post was first published in parenthesis. Several items worth noting. (This was similar last month.)

  • Only three of the top ten were actually written in December. This is a consistent pattern as my archive of content grows.
  • Only three of the top ten were written more than a year ago. The emphasis on newer content this month is unique.
  • The list continues to be eclectic—leadership, tech, social media, life planning. I’d like to focus more, but I enjoy writing on a variety of topics.

My blog traffic grew 8.9% this past month (December over November). This wasn’t as much as I hoped. However, I didn’t blog at all during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, so that certainly had an impact. For the year, it is up 174.7% with 5.1 million pageviews.

Congratulations to the top ten commenters for the month. They were:

For January, I’m going to give a free copy of How Do You Kill 11 Million People?: Why the Truth Matters More Than You Think by Andy Andrews to each of my top 10 commenters. This is a very different, but timely book. I’ve read it twice!

Questions: If you blog, what was your top post for December? Why do you think that was the case? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are snarky, offensive, or off-topic. If in doubt, read My Comments Policy.

  • http://blog.cyberquill.com Cyberquill

    In terms of Pageviews, my top post for December was actually the one I posted on 12/27, even though it only had four days to zip into the top slot. That’s because it briefly mentions the name of  a person who had passed away two days earlier, and people were googling her name like crazy. This goes to show how quickly WordPress posts enter the Google index. 

    • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

      That’s a good pointer for designing post contents that generate more readership.

      • http://blog.cyberquill.com Cyberquill

        At least to generate what I call click-and-runs.

        • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

          You mean ‘accidental success’?

          • http://blog.cyberquill.com Cyberquill

            I mean people who click on your content and immediately leave without having read anything. So you end up with a truckload of Pageviews but an “Avg. Time on Page” close to zero (although, in fairness, the “Avg. Time on Page” metric seems a bit flaky, to put it mildly).

          • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

            True. Readers’ interests vary at various times! 

          • http://twitter.com/burlw Burl Walker

            Love the “accidental success” idea. I have had a few of those in the past. I believe that some personal connection must be made with the reader in order for them to keep coming back. You don’t have to know them personally, but they need some personal benefit from you or the content you put out.

          • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

            That’s true, Burl. Readership increases with more beneficial posts that meet people’s needs. 

          • http://www.cheriblogs.info Cheri Gregory

            I’m skeptical about the accuracy of all the zeroes for “Average Time on Page.” I have readers who tell me via Facebook that they’ve read through my posts word-for-word, sometimes dozens of them, but when I check the stats, it indicates that they’ve done nothing but “click-and-run” (as you aptly call it!) 

          • http://blog.cyberquill.com Cyberquill

            True. Unless someone is an Olympic speed-clicking champion, it’s almost impossible to stay on a page for less than a second. But I’m also skeptical about all those 00:00:01 times. It seems when it says either 00:00:00 or 00:00:01, the thing simply failed to obtain a read on the time.

          • http://www.kellycombs.com/ Kelly Combs

            I love the “accidental success” comment too. What a great catch phrase.

          • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

            Thanks, Kelly. By the way, that was an accidental phrase!

        • http://www.heartyourchurch.com/ Jason Stambaugh

          I love that phrase.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      That’s amazing.  I think the power of prediction and trending is a great fuel to success.

    • http://www.sundijo.com Sundi Jo Graham

      What plug in do you use? 

    • http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

      You certainly generated a lot of comments here. Since I’m techno-day-laborer-no-skills, I haven’t the slightest idea of how long anyone stays at my site. I’m just glad to get a reading at all. And like a gazillion others, I like the “accidental success” comment. In your comment, you highlight the importance of using the power of the SEO. Whether click-and-runs or not, you cast a wider net.

  • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

    Congratulations to the top 10 commenters! 

    My top post for December’11 was FINISH 2011 STRONG WITH GOD’S STRENGTH! (http://joeandancy.com/2011/12/01/finish-2011-strong/). By the way, that was my favorite post too.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Thanks Joe. You are welcome. You always provide  insightful ideas through your comments. I look for them specifically.

      • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

        Thanks for your kind words Uma. It’s great to see that you are very much active in this amazing community.

        • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

          You arre welcome Joe!

          Subject: [mhyatt] Re: Top Posts and Commenters for December 2011

          • http://www.timpeters.org/ Tim Peters

            Joe and Uma, we really appreciate how you are building community through blog.  

          • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

            Thanks Tim for your kind words!

            Subject: [mhyatt] Re: Top Posts and Commenters for December 2011

          • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

            Thanks Tim. I consider myself blessed being among such an amazing community of people like you.

      • http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

        Joe, I liked your website’s layout–easy to navigate, clear, and concise. Keep up the good work.

        • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

          TNeal! I think its misdirected to me in the place of Joe!

          Subject: [mhyatt] Re: Top Posts and Commenters for December 2011

          • http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

            Yep, somewhere in all these replies I must have taken a detour. I’ll try again with Joe.

          • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

            It’s fine TNeal. No problem.

            Subject: [mhyatt] Re: Top Posts and Commenters for December 2011

    • http://www.suttonparks.com Sutton Parks

      Joe, I clicked the link and it didn’t show up on my IPad. It may be me but I wanted to give you a heads up just in case.

      • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

        Thanks Sutton for the info. I will check it out. You may try again later.

        • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

          Joe, the parentheses you wrapped your URL in caused the link to break. I fixed the link and it is working now.

          • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

            Well done, Joe!

          • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

            Thanks Barry.

          • Philip

            Thanks Joe

          • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

            Great! Thanks Joe for being a caring friend and community leader.

          • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

            You’re welcome Joe. Thanks for providing great comments and content to Michael’s site. It’s always a pleasure to read your insights!

          • http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

            Wow, Joe! I had that problem last month and solved the issue by accident. But I am impressed with both your knowledge and you ability to help. Excellent.

          • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

            Thanks for the compliment.

    • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

      Thanks Joe! I read that post a while back and really enjoyed it. It was very challenging!

    • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

      That’s a great post!

    • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

      Hey Joe,
      I went to go check out your post but it told the page couldn’t be found. Not sure if I did something wrong or if the page is down? thought you might want to know! let me know when it’s back up… I would love to check it out!

      • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

        Thanks Barry for trying again to check out my post. Sorry for the inconvenience caused. Joe Lalonde has rectified the error!

    • http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

      Joe, I’ve written how much I liked your website but I don’t know if I replied in a way that got the message to you. Somehow I replied to Uma instead of you. Anyway I found your website helpful and easy to navigate. I like the way it’s laid out. Thanks for link.–Tom

      • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

        Thanks Tom for your kind words of appreciation and evaluation! Love to see your participation and comments in my blog.

  • http://jeremysconfessions.com Jeremy Statton

    My favorite of the top posts was #7. Congrats to all of the top commenters.

    • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

      That was a powerful post!

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      That was a favorite of mine too. It contained great content and instruction.

      • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

        True. That’s one of the best posts I read on the word-attitude connection.

      • Tim Blankenship

        Agreed! Something I can start doing now!

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Thanks Jeremy and welcome as the new community leader.

    • http://www.heartyourchurch.com/ Jason Stambaugh

      I agree. Good stuff. Occasionally I find myself with a severe case of the “have-to’s.” It sucks all of the joy out of my life. It is hard to overstate the significance of replacing “have to” with “get to”.

      • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

        Me too, Jason. I’ve discovered it’s much easier to slide into the “have-to’s” than into the “get-to’s.” Changing your words/attitude has to be an intentional discipline. 

    • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

      Thanks! Out of the list above my favorite was #9. It is always a great reminder for me to do as much as I can to have success in my marriage. I always want to be building my bride up and not tearing her down, even jokingly in front of others. 

    • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

      Me too … although it’s a tie between #7 and #9. Both have to do with the power of words to change attitude and perspective. A great theme to carry over into 2012.

    • http://www.sundijo.com Sundi Jo Graham

      That was a good one. That and #4 were my favs. 

    • http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

      I remember #4 and #7 both highlighting simple changes in vocabulary, both being simple but profound. Thanks for making me return to and reflect upon some excellent advice.

  • Jim Martin

    I really liked post #9.  This is a very important practice.  Even seeing this listed on this list of top posts is a good reminder.

    • http://bentheredothat.com Ben Patterson

      Totally agree!

    • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

      That was my favorite as well!

    • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

      Yes, Jim. We need such posts in these times to encourage us stick on to scriptural values. It also helps maintain freshness and sanctity in marriage. Thanks Michael for penning this post!

  • http://deuceology.wordpress.com Larry Carter

    My most visited post at http://deuceology.wordpress.com was My 10 Favorite Rock/Pop Christmas Songs. I think it was just a light Christmas piece that struck a chord for the season.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      larry ! I like your post “Do You Have A Wonderful Life?” the most. it was introspective and reflective in nature.

    • http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

      Larry, I had no trouble getting to your blog but couldn’t find your top post. Would you provide a direct link? I’d like to read it. Thanks–Tom

    • http://jonstolpe.wordpress.com Jon Stolpe

      Larry, I love what you did at Deuceology this month with the Christmas focus.  Thanks for the chance to guest post!

  • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

    It is interesting to see a different post in the top spot this month. I know the fix for the Macbook had been top for the last couple of months.

    My top post was What a Singing Christmas Tree Taught Me About Leadership – http://www.jmlalonde.com/what-a-singing-christmas-tree-taught-me-about-leadership/

    The singing Christmas tree is a big event in our city and is Googled quite often. The title was also different and made people wonder “What is a singing Christmas tree?” For these two reasons I feel it was the top post.

    • http://www.cheriblogs.info Cheri Gregory

      Wow! Great lesson in the power of a good title. I had to click to see what on earth a “singing Christmas tree” is…and stayed to find out how it taught you about leadership!

      • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

        Thanks Cheri! Glad the title caught your attention and made you click. It’s an important part of writing and something I need to work on.

    • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

      That was an awesome post…you have a great blog, and I look forward to more great posts this year!

      By the way, it is good to see your comments show up gold color! haha

      • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

        Thanks Brandon.

        It is nice to see the color change. I guess that’s what I get for becoming a community leader (-;

        • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

          Haha! Definitely!

          _____

      • http://jonstolpe.wordpress.com Jon Stolpe

        I agree.  I’ve enjoyed your blog, Joe!

        • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

          Thanks Jon. Glad you’ve been enjoying the blog.

    • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

      “The Singing Christmas Tree” post was real good. Very creative!

      • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

        Thanks Joe.

    • http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

      I had recently come across another post on a singing Christmas tree (even thought it might have been you who mentioned it in another spot). Thanks for sharing the link, Joe. I loved the article.

      • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

        Hmmm, I think I have only mentioned it on this blog and a couple of others that asked what our top post was. Glad to hear you enjoyed the post.

  • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

    Interesting list Larry. I don’t recognize half of the songs on that list!

  • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

    Congrats to your top ten commenters this month. It was nice to see Sundi make the list. Your top ten list is very similar to mine, in that it is technology and personal development weighted.

    My top two posts this month were iPad related, followed by my perennial Goal Setting Toolkit.

    My top post was Updating to iOS5 on the iPad 2  with 5800 pageviews.

    My year to year traffic was up 42%

    Social media has really helped drive visitors.

    I can’t wait to see how your community leaders and upcoming book affect your traffic over the coming year. Hopefully everything scales well for you. Your “platform” is certainly exploding!

    • http://bentheredothat.com Ben Patterson

      Congratulations on the 42% traffic growth! You’ve been hard at work.

      • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

        Thanks Ben. For the New Year, my focus will be on building additional resources, such as e-books and a newsletter. The hard part is juggling the time demands, especially writing. It’s nice to see some of Michael’s solutions. I just need more of his “determination” to power through some of the roadblocks.

    • http://www.kellycombs.com/ Kelly Combs

      42%?!  Wow! That is amazing.  Congratulations to you, and keep up the good work.

      • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

        Thanks Kelly. Being part of this community has helped in many different ways. I think Michael’s new book will give a lot of people the tools they need to make a huge difference in their online presence.

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Thanks, John. I think the book will help, too, hopefully reaching a whole new audience.

      • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

        I really appreciate how you have shared your adventure in “platform building” so far, especially the time management aspect. This whole thing can get overwhelming quickly.

    • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

      John, what you said about social media is really true. Wise use of social media generates more traffic.

      By the way, which is the social media platform that you find as really helpful?

      • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

        Twitter by far is the best for me. I use the BufferApp to setup tweets before I go to work and try to vary the content. I also add tweets from my phone at lunch and in the evening. Facebook works better for local content.

        • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

          Interestingly, Facebook is now bringing in about twice the amount of traffic as Twitter for me. As a result, I have really been studying Facebook over the holidays and plan to “optimize” what I am doing there.

          • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

            I’ve had the same experience, Michael. I develop more professional relationships and get more speaking engagements from my Facebook page than anything else.

          • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

            That’s good to know. Thanks.

          • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

            Michele,
            I am with you. I have always had more traffic from Facebook than twitter or any other social media platform.

          • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

            Good to know I’m not the only one!

          • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

            That’s interesting, Michael. I would love to know some growth tips. The nice thing about Facebook, is that it has max traffic in the evenings and weekends, when web traffic is down. If you find any helpful resources, please let us know.

          • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

            I will. I am trying to test them first and make sure they deliver the results.

          • http://www.heartyourchurch.com/ Jason Stambaugh

            Yep. Facebook drives at least 3x more traffic than twitter to all my sites.

          • http://justin.am/ Justin Wise

            Wow! Are you just sending your posts to your personal news feed? A fan page? An app? What’s your strategy? Would love to hear!

          • http://www.heartyourchurch.com/ Jason Stambaugh

            I send select content through my personal profile. For some of my sites, I will send all new posts to certain FB lists, if I think those friends are interested in receiving new updates. In terms of new site traffic, I get substantial traffic bumps from Facebook Comments.

          • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

            Jason, do you have a fan page and a personal page? or just a personal page?

          • http://www.heartyourchurch.com/ Jason Stambaugh

            I have a personal page as well as several fan pages.

        • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

          Thanks, John. Good info.

        • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

          John,
          I am using buffer as well. Do you limit how many tweets you will send out in a day through buffer?

          • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

            I started with the default 4/day and increased it to the max 10/day for the free version. Mixed with my other tweets it seems to work well. How about you?

          • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

            Yeah, I’m at the default 4/day right now. I think you have to pay to increase right? I worry a little bit about tweeting too much!

          • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

            You can modify the settings so that it will send all 10 stored tweets out on the same day. If you buy the paid version, you can have unlimited storage of tweets. This will allow you to set up tweets days or weeks in advance.

          • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

            That’s good to know, thanks. Do you have the paid version? Is it worth it?

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      That was stupendous. 5800 pageviews for the top post. John! Keep going.

      • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

        Thanks Uma. Technology seems to have a great draw… especially around Christmas.

        • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

          That’s true John! When the content shines, we will able to pull up the traffic in the long run. I have seen that practically from your success story.

          Subject: [mhyatt] Re: Top Posts and Commenters for December 2011

    • http://www.timpeters.org/ Tim Peters

      John, congrats on the tremendous growth.  Could you give the community several tips on how you increased traffic?  

      • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

        Thanks Tim. What has worked for me this year was to focus on blogging regularly and put together posts that make up a theme. At the end of the week, I usually put out a wrap-up post that ties everything together.

        The other thing that has really helped in my niche, is to blog on the weekends. Most popular blogs are usually posted Monday through Friday, so I have a lot less competition on the weekend. This is where social media comes in. Facebook tends to have higher traffic on the Saturday and Sunday, so linking there with my wrap-up posts has been very helpful with incoming traffic. Here is an example of a weekly wrap up post… http://goals4u.us/rJMEqs

        • Rachel Lance

          John, I love these ideas & will definitely include them in conversations this week as we plan out the next few months on our blog. Thanks for sharing!

        • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

          Thanks John for that wrap-up post model! It’s really cool! I was thinking about providing wrap-up posts this year.

    • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

      That post would get a  lot of growth…

  • http://bentheredothat.com Ben Patterson

    My top post for December 2011 is “The Right Time to Share Your Faith is…”

    http://bentheredothat.com/2011/12/05/the-right-time-to-share-your-faith-is/

    I think it’s top because it talks Tebow and sharing God.

    • http://www.kellycombs.com/ Kelly Combs

      I’m heading over to read it now. Thanks for sharing.

      • http://bentheredothat.com Ben Patterson

        And thanks for reading!

    • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

      It was nice to see that Denver made the playoff’s despite yesterday’s loss. It’s amazing how God works when you are faithful. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out.

      • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

        John,
        I’m an Eagles fan… Which means that I am cheering for Denver now that the playoffs are here! I think Denver could shock Pittsburgh, especially with Mendenhall out and Big Ben still hurt! Any given sunday!

        • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

          Ahhh, that’s what I like to hear. Someone cheering for my Broncos, even if by default. :)

      • http://bentheredothat.com Ben Patterson

        For sure! Go Broncos.

        • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

          Ditto!!!

    • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

      Love that Tebow quote!

      • http://bentheredothat.com Ben Patterson

        Amazing quote! Solid truth.

    • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

      I would call it a ‘bold post’, Ben!

  • http://friendedbyChrist.com Tim Bordeaux

    I’ve been reading here for about six months, and I appreciate the eclectic mix of exceptional posts. So much insightful info on several key areas of life and ministry.

    My top post was http://friendedbychrist.com/2011/12/08/run-for-fun/. There were several comments and also was shared on facebook and got a lot of traffic that way.

    Thanks, Michael, for helping me on my journey as a blogger!

    • http://TillerFamily.org/ John Tiller

      Great post, Tim.  Keep on running!

    • Rachel Lance

      Great thoughts on running, Tim. Sounds like we have a similar love/hate relationship with running. I want to love it so badly, but I think I’m more wired towards biking – I have completed 2 centuries but a marathon seems way beyond reach. I do love the time, while riding, to reflect and brainstorm posts, and there is nothing like a few hours in fresh air to invigorate my week. 

  • http://www.kellycombs.com/ Kelly Combs

    One of my goals for 2012 is to be one of your top 10 commenters at least once.  And since I love Andy Andrews, January would be as good a time as any.  :-)

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      You’ll love my post tomorrow. I am posting a video interview I did recently with Andy about his brand new book, which launches tomorrow.

      • Tim Blankenship

        Love the video interviews! Thanks!

      • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

        Hurrah! I am eagerly looking forward to the interview. Andy is a great writer.

      • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

        Awesomesauce!

        • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

          Brandon,
          Congrats on taking the top spot!

          • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

            Thanks!

      • http://www.jeffrandleman.com Jeff Randleman

        Great!

    • http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress John Richardson

      Kelly, I have really enjoyed your insightful comments over the past few months. You bring a very professional dynamic to this blog. I agree with you about Andy Andrews… he is one of my favorites!

    • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

      Nice goal, Kelly. :) Thanks for connecting with us here!

    • http://www.jeffrandleman.com Jeff Randleman

      Great goal! :)

  • http://www.suttonparks.com Sutton Parks

    #4 and #7 were my favorites from Michael.  My best blog post in December was, “How to George Costanza You Instincts”.  http://ow.ly/8fxl8   There are three reasons it was so popular.
    1. It’s funny
    2. Universally, people want to use and develop their instincs
    3. It’s my only post in December (haha!)

    I appreciate all you do.

    • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

      Ha! Humor always sells … even in comments. :)

    • http://www.jeffrandleman.com Jeff Randleman

      George may be my favorite character from Seinfeld!

  • Kari Scare

    I can’t say that I have a top post since I didn’t receive very many comments. That’s only (I hope it’s the only reason) because I am new to blogging (3 months old). But, since I did receive some comments, I’m thrilled, because that means some people are starting to notice. So, I continue interacting in the blogging community and doing what I feel led to do. Thanks for the great example to follow!

    • http://www.heartyourchurch.com/ Jason Stambaugh

      Keep after it Kari. Your hard work will pay off. Remember that success isn’t a goal, it’s a by-product…

    • http://www.timpeters.org/ Tim Peters

      Kari, I am with you.  You pour time and energy into a post and receive no increase in traffic or comments.  Then all of the sudden you publish a post and it goes viral.  Great satisfaction.  Keep it up!

    • http://twitter.com/burlw Burl Walker

      Kari, consistency is key. None of the top bloggers started 3 months ago. They all have proven themselves over many years and in doing so have become better writers. You will as well if you keep at it. Stay with it and let us know what your URL is so that we can check it out.

      • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

        Burl,
        Good, sage, advice! Content, consistency and longevity are the key!

  • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

    My top post was Tell God What You are Thinking (
    http://brandonweldy.com/2011/11/17/tell-god-what-you-are-thinking/ ). I actually think I posted here about it back in November. I made a blog post on December 29 about my top posts for the year (I only started blogging back in September). Only 4 of my top ten were from that month and all 4 of those were from a series I did on the Fruit of the Spirit (
    http://brandonweldy.com/category/fruit-of-the-spirit/ ). The other top posts were from previous months. I don’t yet have years to pull from but I am excited to see what happens as I do!

    • http://www.suttonparks.com Sutton Parks

      Yes, thanks for sharing Brandon. I’m a fairly new blogger to and I’m working at being more consistent in 2012.

      • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

        Consistency has been difficult for me because I had to form a new discipline, or at least use a discipline in a different area. It has been really great though. I love to write and getting feedback just fuels me more. Hope this blogging adventure goes well for you! 

        • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

          Brandon, what you said about consistency and life style is true. I am working it out in my life too. The good news is, it’s working!

          • http://www.heartyourchurch.com/ Jason Stambaugh

            Have any helpful tips for those who are struggle to consistently blog, Joe?

          • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

            Yes, I do have some tips, Jason!

            Three tips I try to follow to maintain consistency in blogging:

            1. Untie Passion. It helps me a lot even when I don’t feel like writing sometimes.

            2. Call in Discipline. Allot special time for writing. During that time, do only one thing: write!

            3. Increase Expectancy. Imagine the number of people you can help through your posts. And when comments and Likes start appearing, it’s confirmed! Just thinking on these lines motivates me to write more.

          • http://www.heartyourchurch.com/ Jason Stambaugh

            I absolutely love #3.

      • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

        Great decision,  Sutton! You will definitely find it as rewarding.

    • http://joeandancy.com/ Joe Abraham

      Though you are new to blogging, your posts are interesting to read and helpful. Good work, Brandon!

      • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

        Thank you Joe. You words are always encouraging! I appreciate them very much!

    • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

      Brandon,
      Loved your site. I may also “borrow” your illustration about the show Intervention—brilliant. From one Youth Pastor to another-keep up the good work! And, the picture of you and your son (?) at the bottom of the site is great!!!!

      • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

        Go right ahead and borrow it! Yes that is me and my son. My wife took that picture and she is pretty proud of it. Thank you for your kind words. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002600764326 Elizabeth Hill

    My top five posts in December all had to do with organizing.  I write at http://www.wonderwomanimnot.com about many topics associated with managing a home while juggling a career and family.  The organizational tips are usually the highest read posts followed by food and then finances.

    Number 4 was my favorite from Michael’s list.  I forwarded that post to my staff, we will all be focusing on getting rid of that phrase in 2012.

    • Jim Martin

      Elizabeth, I looked at number 4 again after reading your comment.  You are right regarding the need to get rid of that phrase in 2012.  Thanks for the reminder.

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      True Elizabeth! My sister too do splendid job of juggling between her job and family. I marvel at the women’s power of multi-tasking. That’s matchless.

    • http://www.timpeters.org/ Tim Peters

      Elizabeth, I love your URL address.  Good practical thoughts you have for moms and wives.  Forwarding to my wife!

      • http://www.wonderwomanimnot.com/ Elizabeth Hill

        Thanks Tim, I hope your wife finds some good take aways.

  • Burl Walker

    Glad your readership is up this year! The month of December was a great one for me in that department! I have had “accidental success” in the past like what Cyberquill mentioned, but for some reason this month my blog took off! I don’t know if the readers I already had out there are sharing it with their friends or if people were just bored over the break and reading more blogs. Also, congrats to all your top commenters. Just of interest, almost all of them have websites in the top 10 million! Way to go guys! (That is my goal for 2012.)

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Thanks Burl! Can you share your new blog link?

    • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

      My readership has had a gradual growth since I started the last part of September. I am very excited to see what kind of growth 2012 brings! Thanks for the congrats! What do you mean in the top 10 million? 

    • http://jeremysconfessions.com Jeremy Statton

      Congrats on the blog growth.

  • http://LookingForPurpose.com Dylan Dodson

    My top post: Is Christianity Simply Wish-Fulfillment? http://www.lookingforpurpose.com/2011/is-christianity-simply-wish-fulfillment/

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      The post was absolutely  true in today’s world. —  ”Religion as wish-fulfillment is best seen in the new age spiritualism that we see today. The idea that we are our own gods, or that we just need to look deep into ourselves to find the meaning of life.” — So much of meaning in those words.

      • http://LookingForPurpose.com Dylan Dodson

        Thanks for the kind words!

        • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

          Welcome Dylan!

          Subject: [mhyatt] Re: Top Posts and Commenters for December 2011

    • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

      This post was great! Thanks for sharing!

      • http://www.jeffrandleman.com Jeff Randleman

        I agree!

  • Tim Blankenship

    Not a blogger yet…more of a student of bloggers ha.
    I enjoy the eclectic style. It seems to keep the topics practical. Not that you can’t accomplish that by being focused but it’s nice to read tech material from someone who is using it the way I would need to use it. 

    • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

      Just kick start Tim! You can keep growing.

    • Jim Martin

      Tim, I suspect many people who read this blog will resonate with what you said about the way Michael discusses tech material.  You are right.  One reason why these posts are helpful that he uses certain tools the way many of us need to use them.

      • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

        Thanks, Jim. I am just a fellow-struggler, trying to figure out how to make it all work!

  • http://emuelle1.blogspot.com Eric S. Mueller

    In April of 2007, my wife and I attended a presentation at Sundance Vacations. I wrote a post for my blog about it the next day. That single post has been my all time top read ever since. 
    http://emuelle1.blogspot.com/2007/04/sundance-vacations-is-there-really.html (77 for Dec)

    Besides that top drawing post, I wrote a post last week about my favorite books, that actually pulled in a record number of comments in a short amount of time: http://emuelle1.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-favorite-and-1-least-favorite-books.html (62 for Dec)

    And another short term record holder is a paper I wrote for a class I took and posted on my blog. It’s about using virtual worlds like Second Life to facilitate telework. While researching the paper, I discovered there were few similar ideas available. http://emuelle1.blogspot.com/2011/12/using-virtual-worlds-to-enable-telework.html (46 for Dec)

  • http://www.cheriblogs.info Cheri Gregory

    My top post for December was the final part in a four-part Personality series called “Priceless Gifts that Don’t Cost a Dime.”  ( http://cherionethingivelearned.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-ten-tuesday-priceless-gifts-that.html )

    Proximity to Christmas was one reason; Parts 1-3 were published in November while this final installment went live just three weeks prior to Christmas. Quite a few readers found it by searching for “gifts that don’t cost anything.” But the main reason was that the series had built momentum, with more and more readers sharing the link via Facebook.

    I’m going to experiment more with serializing content in 2012!

    • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

      That’s a great post, Cheri. Good cost-free ideas for investing in chief relationships. Thanks for all the thought you put into this!

    • http://www.timpeters.org/ Tim Peters

      Cheri, great list.  I will definitely use these now and the next Christmas with my wife and kids!

  • http://talesofwork.com kimanzi constable

    This was my top post: http://talesofwork.com/blog/2011/11/using-plan-b/ it's about making sure you have a solid, usable plan B if your plan A fails. It’s only smart to plan for the worst while hoping for the best!

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      That was a great post Kimanzi! I read it earlier in the month and it has had me thinking.

      • http://talesofwork.com kimanzi constable

        I’m glad Joe, I just had to refine everything, our family is planning a move next year. Back to the drawing board as far as a plan B!

        • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

          Oh wow. I hope the move goes well for you.

          • http://talesofwork.com kimanzi constable

            We’re planning everything out and saving money and working on plan B!

  • http://talesofwork.com kimanzi constable

    I really enjoyed Michael’s post on using twitter. I personally like twitter alot more than facebook and have actually been able to connect with some pretty cool people.

    • http://jeremysconfessions.com Jeremy Statton

      Agreed.

      • http://talesofwork.com kimanzi constable

        I’ve actually been able to convo with some famous people on twitter, pretty cool stuff! People just don’t get what the Internet has to offer!

  • http://www.timpeters.org/ Tim Peters

    This was my first year of blogging.  Fun, difficult, exciting.  My top post by far was - 
    10 Keys to Being A Healthy Pastor/Leader - http://timpeters.org/general/10-keys-to-being-a-healthy-pastor/

  • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

    Wow! I had no clue I ended up as the top commenter?! That’s an amazing year- over 5 million page views!

    I had an incredible year…Along with growing my blog on worship, leadership, and Christian life concepts, I have started a medical blog because I am studying to become a surgeon.

    It launched yesterday over at http://www.studenttosurgeon.wordpress.com.

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Congratulations on your new blog, Brandon. I am about to begin a “design refresh” on my own. I am going to go with red, white, and dark gray (like the cover for my new book).

      • http://www.jeffrandleman.com Jeff Randleman

        Looking forward to seeing it!

      • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

        Thanks. Are you incorporating the new Standard theme 3.0?

        • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

          Brandon, is 3.0 out yet? I thought 2.0 was the latest?

          • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

            3.0 in coming out very soon… Not sure the exact date yet.

          • http://theordainedbarista.com Barry Hill

            Do you know what the upgrades will be?

      • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

        Those are awesome colors by the way! My medical website has those same exact color combinations! Can’t wait to see the new design!

    • http://TillerFamily.org/ John Tiller

      Congrats, Brandon, on being Top Commenter and on your blog and personal growth!  It’s easy to see that you are building an amazing life-story.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Congrats on the launch of the new blog. Can’t wait to see what you have in store.

      • http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com Brandon

        Thanks! Be sure to subscribe! I will post on the medical blog about 3x per month!
        _____

  • http://www.jeffrandleman.com Jeff Randleman

    Honored to be on that list again!  Thanks!

    My top posts were a bit different this time as well.  Like yours, my site saw more clicks on newer content over the usual older ones.  Interesting…

    Here’s a link to my post on my top posts:  http://www.jeffrandleman.com/top-posts-for-december-2011

    Thanks for making this such a great community!  I guess I’m going to have to step up the comments a bit if I ever want to keep up with Brandon 

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Congrats Jeff! You bring a great conversation to Michael’s blog. I know I’ve had fun following your comments.

      • http://www.jeffrandleman.com Jeff Randleman

        Thanks, Joe!  So glad you are now one of the community leaders.

        I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous.  I wanted to submit an application, but I just don’t have the time to commit right now, so I decided not to.  Looking forward to lots of good discussions!

        • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

          Thanks Jeff.

          It’s a great honor and I think you could have been a great leader in the community. This first day has been a bit overwhelming but I think that is half the fun. I’m just glad I can help Michael since his writing has blessed my life so much.

          • http://www.jeffrandleman.com Jeff Randleman

            Thanks!  I’m looking forward to the new levels you and the rest of the team will bring to this site.  And I completely concur with the level of blessing Michael has had in my life as well.

          • http://justin.am/ Justin Wise

            Thanks for your readership, Jeff!

  • Jrbdanish58

    Congratulations to all the “Community Leaders”. Michael did a great job of selecting a good mix of the backgrounds and experience & I look forward to your comments as we move through 2012.

    • http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ Michele Cushatt

      Thanks, Jrbdanish58. Looking forward to getting to know you better here!

  • http://thepastorworeplaid.blogspot.com bruce crews

    #5 Creating Your Personal Life Plan resonated well with me as well as many others. It is an indispensable tool for me in organizing and planning out today as well as the future. Many thanks Michael!   

    My top post for December 2011 was http://thepastorworeplaid.blogspot.com/2011/04/are-you-prepared-for-journey-of.html, which dealt with being prepared for your dreams to come true. 

    Here’s to a most excellent 2012!

    • Jim Martin

      Bruce, #5 Creating Your Personal Life Plan was such a contribution to so many of us.  I’m glad you highlighted it in your comment.

      • http://thepastorworeplaid.blogspot.com bruce crews

        Agreed. I’m partially surprised more people don’t seem to share the same view.   

  • Drew Tewell

    Thanks for helping us new bloggers Michael! I just subscribed to this blog yesterday and plan to implement your ideas to build my subscriber list. My top post for December was http://www.drewtewell.com/2011/12/2012.html. The fact that it is a personal story may be part of the reason why it did so well.

    • http://TillerFamily.org/ John Tiller

      Congrats, Drew, on making the jump to your dream career!  It sounds like you are off to a great start.  The bumps in your road will enable you to be a better coach for others.  Thanks for sharing!

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Drew, thank you for subscribing! Michael has shared a wealth of information on his site and I’m sure you will find it useful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

      Your top post was great. Congrats on starting a new business and bringing in more clients than you projected. Keep up the hard work and you’ll experience success!

  • Anonymous

    My most viewed post was one called “Have You Seen My Smiley?” It was written in January of 2011 and  refers to the “smiley code” that WordPress includes on their pages. I believe they use it to calculate page hits. It’s my most viewed because lots of traffic gets pushed there from search engines. Apparently people love smileys!

    • http://justin.am/ Justin Wise

      And really, who DOESN’T love a well-time smiley face? ;) Glad to see your positive post is getting so much traction. The blogging world needs more people like you!

  • http://www.caitlinmuir.com Caitlin Muir

    Congratulations to the top posters! They are committed to the community here. Thanks for giving special shout-outs to your commenters. It shows how much you value community, too! 

    • http://justin.am/ Justin Wise

      Thanks for being a part of the community here, Caitlin. We’re lucky to have readers like you!

  • http://www.DrAngelaBisignano.com/ Angela Bisignano

    Honored to be included on your list Michael. You’re an amazing example of a leader who genuinely cares about his community. You’re an inspiration to us. I wish you much success in all your endeavors.

    • Jim Martin

      Angela, I appreciate you pointing out the way Michael cares about his community.  Was reading Tim Sanders’ book this morning- Love is the Killer App.  Great to hear about the importance of this from two different sources today.

  • Pingback: Top 10 Posts from December 2011 | TonyMorganLive.com

  • http://www.SpencerMcDonald.net Spencer McDonald

    I really enjoy your blog content related to leadership and self development. One of my favorite posts was The Difference between Trying and Doing. That one really spoke to my excuse meter and allowing it to be turned off so that I can go and do what is needed for an intentional life that matters for myself and for others. 

    Thank you.

    • Jim Martin

      Spencer, I also like Michael’s posts related to these two categories.  Lately, I have been very focused on creating habits that contribute to self development.  I have gained so much from this blog that has helped me to be intentional in this area.

  • JT

    I noticed that you always do a top 10 commenters for each month (hard not to right?) But I would be interested in seeing the top 10 comments that made you think, intrigued you, or somehow piqued your interests. Not that celebrating quantity is bad, just a thought that maybe somehow celebrating quality as well would be a great way to celebrate your readers or followers. I am not saying this as I compete for the top 10 spots or that I submit deep and profound comments (I think this is my third comment on your blog ever). I like what you have to say and I appreciate what you do. Personally I think I would be more interested in seeing what comments you resonate with the most instead of or in addition to who comments the most. Thanks for what you do!

  • http://www.xanga.com/wondering04 Heather Marsten

    My top post had 313 hits. In this blog I post notes from Bible studies I attend and this study had to do with the ten virgins – perhaps because of 2012 end times studies are interesting to people.  A lot of my posts receive hits from around the world. I sit under a good BIble teacher.  Here is the link:  http://wondering04.xanga.com/757400252/ten-virgins—matthew-25—by-pastor-don-moore/

  • http://www.nginaotiende.blogspot.com Ngina Otiende

    Wow, Brandon topped with 200 comments?! That’s serious engagement :)  

    Congrats to all the top Commenters and new Community Leaders. Have been to some of the blogs and gotta say, Michael (as always) gives the best :) They are awesome.

    My top post for December 2011 was “23 Life Lessons I Have Learnt From 30+ years of Living” 

    http://nginaotiende.blogspot.com/2011/12/23-life-lessons-i-have-learnt-from-30.html 

    I connected with great people in December and attribute the popularity to back-links and mentions (twitter & facebook)

    Happy 2012 Michael and community!

    • Jim Martin

      Ngina,  I just went to your blog and read a portion of your post “23 Life Lessons . . . .”  Very nice!  I clipped it to Evernote and will read the entire post later.

      • http://www.nginaotiende.blogspot.com Ngina Otiende

        Thank you Jim :)

        (I love Evernote ! learnt about right here. Right now I wonder how life was before Evernote!)

  • http://www.sundijo.com Sundi Jo Graham

    I just saw that I was a top commenter. Very cool! Just read about Billy Graham’s new book the other day at Books a Million and made a mental note that I wanted a copy. Feeling very blessed. 

    My top blot post was Prayers for Baby Lily, a small baby who doctors said wouldn’t make it, but God said otherwise. 

  • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

    Congrats Sundi Jo!
    The post on “Prayer for Baby Lily” was heart – rending. Praise the Lord; He made the impossible as possible. He is a God of miracles. Thanks for sharing such faith story.
     

  • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

    Thanks Ngina!
    Some of your lessons –
    “You cannot please everyone.
    You can be of help to someone else, no matter who you are.
    I am not an island.
    Enjoy the small things and moments of life.”
    I like these ideas specifically. Simple yet powerful applications to follow in life.

  • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

    Jeff! You always with some wonderful ideas. Love to read your comments. Thanks for being part of this vibrant community.

  • http://www.tnealtarver.wordpress.com TNeal

    I had two posts tied for tops in December. “Does ‘Happy Holidays’ Make Your Christian Blood Boil?” http://tnealtarver.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/does-happy-holidays-make-your-christian-blood-boil/ and “No Walk in the Park Let Me Tell You” http://tnealtarver.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/no-walk-in-the-park-let-me-tell-you/. The former obviously was a seasonal post and the other connected dog lovers at a dog park with Christian behavior at church.

  • james carlo

    In today’s life clubbing industry has been here for several decades, but the logistics and nightclub guest list management is still in many cases very “old school” and paper based. Zeguestlist a great tool that optimizes guest list management With an easy one touch check.

  • http://jonstolpe.wordpress.com Jon Stolpe

    Great list of posts and commenters!

    My top post for December was titled On Fire.  The post was an opportunity to wrestle out loud about my faith and what it means to be on fire.  The post is still getting a lot of traffic.  Either the topic is very relevant to readers or the term “fire” is popular among the Google search engines.  At any rate, here’s the link:

    http://jonstolpe.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/on-fire/

  • http://ctroofingcontractors.com/ ct roofing contractors

    I am trying to get more people to comment on my blogs, but it’s not working very well.  I have tried asking at the end of each posts still not much interaction.  Wonder what you are doing to get so much interaction

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      Make sure your questions are open-ended. You might “prime the pump” by asking your family and friends to comment. No one wants to go first, so this encourages others to chime in.
      Also, be patient. It takes time to develop a community. Thanks.

  • http://brandonweldy.wordpress.com Brandon Weldy

    I was wondering what you used to keep track of your top posts. Other than getting on and looking at my bar graph for each individual post and comparing them to each other I do not know how to do this. Tomorrow I will be putting up post 60! It is just not a wise use of time to go through and count every post like this so I was what other options are out there.

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      I get the stats from Google Analytics. I just specify the date range, and it gives me a list of the posts with the post pageviews in descending order. Thanks.

  • http://baobao2011.19.833ab.info/ Xiaoyao

    This blog about it！Let me learn a lot of knowledge！Thank you !

  • http://www.newdrugaddictionguide.com/ drug addiction treatments

    My best wishes to all top commenter. Keep it up.