August 2025 - Something strange happened on my blog!

Something strange happened this month. For the first time since I’ve been blogging, one of my blog posts received more engagement on social media (Mastodon) than on the actual post. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but could it be that claims of real engagement in the world of blogging are on the decline?

However, August turned out to be a bumper month for me. Although I only published three blog posts, four if you include this one, my stats soared. August 2025 was the highest month for views of any August since I started blogging in 2014. And to top it all off, engagement remained high.

How was your August blogging-wise?

Here’s your opportunity to catch up on my three blog posts from August 2025.

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The Ultimate Guide to Updating, Deleting, or Republishing Old Blog Posts

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Follow Hugh On Social Media.

Don’t forget to add a BlueSky sharing button to your blog.

29 responses to “August 2025 – Something strange happened on my blog!”

Author Jan Sikes

Sep 1, 2025

I often forget to check the status. But I just looked. I hac 500 visitors in July and 840 in August. Hmmm?? Who knows! Thanks for sharing.

Hugh W. Roberts

Sep 2, 2025

It looks like your blog’s visitor stats have also bucked the trend, Jan. There are many reasons why this happens, including promotions you may have received from other bloggers and on social media.

Reply

Eugi

Sep 1, 2025

My stats are still down, however, I’ve gained some new engaging followers. I am doing a lot of blog maintenance, and also scheduling old posts from 2021 forward to be published as new.

In addition to WP, I’ve written several poems for Spillwords Press, and getting more attention there than I have in the past, including a Spotlight Interview.

As always, thank you for your excellent advice and tips.

Hugh W. Roberts

Sep 1, 2025

It sounds like you are doing well and staying busy with writing, Eugi. Well done on the spotlight interview.

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1. Eugi
  
  Sep 1, 2025
  
  Thank you, Hugh. I was thrilled when I was invited for the interview.
  
  Reply

Terri Webster Schrandt

Sep 1, 2025

I’m happy for you, Hugh! August is indeed a quiet month. My views have held pretty steady, but I participate in photo challenges so that keeps me busy posting and reading. I might revisit Mastodon. What brings people to your posts are the how-to blog post you write. They’re GOLD!

I’ve done some blog maintenance too. I am confused how to utilize broken link checker. Most of the broken links are from my About Me page, of which I edit frequently, and the links are no longer there.

I’m on another short blog break late this week and into the following week with the exception of a WW teaser. We’re heading to Yellowstone where the Buffalo roam :)

Hugh W. Roberts

Sep 1, 2025

Blog maintenance is so important, Terri. After all, we wouldn’t follow a site or buy anything from it that was outdated and had lots of broken links, would we?

Those broken links may eventually disappear, but I’d recommend also checking the comments section of that page (if you allow comments on your ‘About’ page.

Enjoy your upcoming blog break. I haven’t taken one this year, but I plan to take one in December, when things usually get really quiet.

Reply
1. Terri Webster Schrandt
  
  Sep 1, 2025
  
  I also decided to add Mastodon back in. Have a great week, Hugh!
  
  Reply

Betty

Aug 31, 2025

Thanks, Hugh. I have taken your advice from one of your posts, and I have been giving the boot to subscribers who are not real or don’t engage. I’ve cut my subscribers in half! But, it doesn’t seem to have affected my stats – particularly how often my posts are found through Google Search. I haven’t analyzed the data yet – this is just an impression. So, please know I read your posts with interest and often followed by action.

Hugh W. Roberts

Sep 1, 2025

Wow! That’s an outstanding achievement in halving the number of subscribers, Betty. However, I recommend exercising caution when unsubscribing those who do not engage, since only about 20% of followers typically interact with a blog’s host. I know some followers who never engage but do read some of my posts. Some people prefer not to engage but still enjoy reading posts. I’ve had several tell me this via the ‘Contact’ form on my blog.

Most of my views come from search engines like Google and Bing. SEO can be difficult to master, but I always suggest making sure the title and opening paragraph of a post are engaging enough to attract readers. Getting those two right gives you half the battle won.

Thank you very much for reading my posts and continuing to follow my blog.

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Michelle (Boomer Eco Crusader)

Aug 31, 2025

After a slow start to the year, my blog views have been on an upward trend in the last couple of months. In August, my views were up about 25% over last August.

Hugh W. Roberts

Sep 1, 2025

That’s great to hear, Michelle. I had just over 900 more views compared to August 2024.

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Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged.com

Aug 31, 2025

Interesting about the possible engagement decline with blogs. I don’t pay too much attention to my stats because I think it would send me down too many rabbit holes.

I did just notice something weird, though on my blog. When I went to activate my latest post, the number indicated in the line that reads: “This post will be sent to X subscribers” was WAY down from the number just a few days before. Unless there was some massive unsubscribing going on, it appears that something is wrong. Have you ever seen that?

Hugh W. Roberts

Sep 1, 2025

Yes, it happened to me once when I selected ‘Anyone Subscribed’ instead of the ‘Everyone’ option in the setting for who the post should be sent to. I had no idea I’d made the mistake (it was a mistake) until someone pointed it out, saying they had to be logged in to read the post. I was able to update the setting so that everyone could read the post. It’s one setting I now always check before publishing a post.

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noelleg44

Aug 31, 2025

Pretty thin stats for August. But I figured people were on vacation. I may go back and delete old posts – they’ve been around since 2009!

Hugh W. Roberts

Aug 31, 2025

Wow! Those posts from 26 years ago. I wonder if any of them will make you smile when you reread them, Noelle. Some people like to keep them to see just how far they have come.

August is usually a quiet month blog-wise, just like December. But mine seems to have proved me wrong this August.

Reply
1. noelleg44
  
  Sep 1, 2025
  
  Many of them were the 1-30 tour of April!
  
  Reply
  1. Hugh W. Roberts
    
    Sep 1, 2025
    
    I think that challenge may still be going.
    
    Reply
2. noelleg44
  
  Sep 1, 2025
  
  It is but I’ve run out of gas!
  
  Reply

Marsha

Aug 31, 2025

That’s fascinating that your stats soared this month with less posting on your part. I am in the middle of revising my blog. I added a page for each book and nested them under a new books page. Now I’m going through my subscribers and deleting ones who have received emails and done nothing with them. I didn’t delete those who didn’t subscribe, so don’t have any open emails because I know quite a few of them. I always appreciate how your ideas keep me up to date on everything blogging – even though it takes me 100 times as long to make the changes as it does to read the post. LOL I don’t dare read too many posts! I’d never finish. As it is I’m up for three hours in the middle of the night, and I also have 4,000 steps in. Yikes, Hugh. I’m off to be. :)

Hugh W. Roberts

Aug 31, 2025

I’m delighted with my stats this month, Marsha. August has always been a quiet month, but some of my older posts are receiving a lot of views and engagement. I’m pretty good at promoting them on social media and always have SEO in mind when thinking of a post title.

Blog maintenance may seem like a chore, but it’s worth doing and yields rewards. Keeping everything up to date is so important. After all, we wouldn’t buy anything from a site that has lots of outdated information or broken links, would we?

I only read what interests me. I stopped trying to read all the posts of all the blogs I follow years ago. Likewise, I stopped feeling obliged to read things that don’t interest me, because otherwise, I might upset someone for not leaving a comment on their post. It’s all about enjoying yourself and doing what you can within the time you have. Many bloggers view blogging as a sprint rather than as a marathon.

Sleep well.

Reply
1. Marsha
  
  Aug 31, 2025
  
  I think I was sprinting last night. I decided to visit blogs of everyone I wanted to keep on my list. I only got about one tenth or less of the pages. It’s very interesting. Lots of people are on the subscribed list who don’t even have active emails. I’m going to check into this aspect of WP a little more once I’ve gone through the other 9/10 of subscribers. LOL Marathon!
  
  Reply
  1. Hugh W. Roberts
    
    Sep 1, 2025
    
    Honestly, trying to visit all the blogs you follow, Marsha, is a big mistake. It can lead to feeling pressured and guilty if you don’t get around to all of them. Read and comment when you can. Honestly, most bloggers understand that not everyone can visit and comment on all their posts.
    
    Reply
    1. Marsha
      
      Sep 2, 2025
      
      I don’t follow very many, Hugh. What I’m doing right now is weeding out my followers. I liked what you said about having our blog groups manageable enough to communicate and form relationships. I’ve weeded my numbers down a lot, and visited people I don’t often visit, but know fairly well. They don’t always come to my blog, and those are the people I visit the most. Once in a while, I think I need to make a sweep and visit people who have shown an interest in my blog even though they have never commented. There are some that have opened 60-98% of my blogposts as indicated on the newsletter stats. I think they deserve a visit. BTW, can we send actual newsletter through WP that aren’t newsletters that are generated from our posts? I’m using Mailer Lite right now, but being able to use WP would lessen the load. :) xxx
      
      Reply
      1. Hugh W. Roberts
        
        Sep 2, 2025
        
        WordPress certainly have the option for sending newsletters, Marsha. Here’s some information about it. I’ve never used it, but I hope it helps.
        
        https://wordpress.com/newsletter/
      2. Marsha
        
        Sep 2, 2025
        
        Thanks, Hugh. This is interesting. I’ll need to spend a little more time with it to decide what I want to do. This is a great start. You are amazing!

philosophy through photography

Aug 31, 2025

Tons and tons of useful and much needed information, Hugh, thank you so much. I saved this for future reference.

Hugh W. Roberts

Aug 31, 2025

I hope you’ll find it all helpful and enjoy the flash fiction piece I wrote this month. It was fun to write, given the upcoming Halloween season.

Reply
1. philosophy through photography
  
  Aug 31, 2025
  
  You are welcome.
  Sure to check.
  
  Reply

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