In an article at MarketingProfs, Mack Collier explains why it pays to obsess about the traffic coming to your blog. Here are some of the key questions you should be asking:

Where do my readers come from? If you see a sudden spike in traffic, it's worth finding out why this happened. "Was it one blog link?" asks Collier. "Or did one blog link to your blog, then three other blogs saw the first link and added a link on their sites? Or did a prominent Twitter user send a link to followers on Twitter?" When you have the answer, you'll know where to step up your social-media efforts.

When do people visit my blog? Maybe you've noticed bloggers rarely post anything on Saturday or Sunday. "The reason is that most people read fewer blog posts on the weekend," says Collier, "so bloggers have decided that it makes more sense to publish new posts during the week." It makes sense to align your publication schedule with your traffic. If readers tend to visit first thing on Monday morning, for instance, don't publish a new post on Tuesday afternoon when it's likely to be ignored.

What catches their eye? Flag the posts that receive the most comments—this is an easy way to gauge your audience's interest in various topics. "The information you gather will help you create posts that are interesting and valuable to your readers," Mack Collier says, "and that will increase your blog's traffic."

The Po!nt: Keeping tabs on how and when your readers arrive at your blog can improve its content—and keep them coming back for more.

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