sig and resources linking question

[basschick]

i was just wondering - when you list your site in a resources page or put it in your sig, do you use a special code or url so you can tell where your traffic comes from or do you just use your direct url?

i've been only using tracking on a few places, but i've been thinking it makes sense to use it more. after all, knowledge is power!

[gaydemon_jr]

I think it would be a good idea to do it for all links you have control over.

I currently use google analytics on all my pages, and that tells me exactly the page of the referring site.

I would be interested to know what other people do.

[basschick]

true. i use my server stats, and they tell me. but for any program owners, it won't tell you where the signups came from. there are two boards i posted at during the same time period, both busy and often busy with the same people, but it turned out that only one was sending me signups - hundreds of signups. the other sent less than 15 over time.

i wonder - am i talking about the quality of lurkers?????


I think it would be a good idea to do it for all links you have control over.

I currently use google analytics on all my pages, and that tells me exactly the page of the referring site.

I would be interested to know what other people do.

[gaydemon_jr]

i wonder - am i talking about the quality of lurkers?????

What are lurkers?

Is there a way to track which link OUT of a page someone is clicking. For instance, if I had a banner ad and a text ad on the same page with the same link code, could I find out which link got the click?

[basschick]

lurkers are webmasters who read the threads but never post and usually don't sign up. imo it's important to remember that they can still both learn from your board and click various members' sigs as well as the board sponsors.

both gms and gww made it so that you can't see everything without at least joining the board but i like the idea of sharing the knowledge. sometimes guys i know have signed up to post after lurking for literally YEARS http://www.musclebucks.com/smilies/eek.gif

you could use two different tracking codes - after all, they're free if you have a program ;)


What are lurkers?

Is there a way to track which link OUT of a page someone is clicking. For instance, if I had a banner ad and a text ad on the same page with the same link code, could I find out which link got the click?

[gaydemon_jr]

ah yes, of course.

i think youre right about 'sharing knowledge'. it may be that the lurkers dont have anything to impart but find the information useful, yet elsewhere they may be posting and participate while someone else lurks. almost like karma lol.

[Gaystoryman]

While this is about tracking codes, I find the talk about lurkers interesting too. On that note, I think a lot of people lurk, because of the 'fear' factor of not wanting to make an ass out of themselves. I also think some lurk to get a feel, or simply have nothing to say. However, I'd say many lurk to get the tone of the place, before jumping in, and when that 'tone' is off, they just sit back and lurk.

On the topic, instead of just rambling, I use Google analtyics but nowhere to its capacity I guess. For one, I am no techie geek, and their instructions are all in greek to me. Still I recall using AXS code a long time ago, that tracked links leaving, and incoming, but I stopped using it. It took up way too much resources, plus I hate adding more codes. I'd just rather write, not figure out which link needed to be tracked, not tracked.

Myself, the server logs, the analtyics stuff, work fine enough. but then, I am technically challenged :bang:

[Relentless]

Some links are traffic-based, others are publicity based. For me a link on a site like this one is more about branding and publicity... so when I meet a webmaster at an event and mention webmasterscore, or when someone else mentions it to a paysite owner or review site owner there is already some familliarity and trust resonant.

For traffic careful linking may make good sense, but for branding like this board or a press release... counting hits won't tell you much. Publicity is like pagerank, it's built over such a long time and so many accumulated links that the data pool would take longer to digest than would be practical I think.