The Only Metrics that Matter

I don’t run analytics tools on my blog or The Index.

Why would I?

I don’t write for numbers. I write for people.

There are no ads, no sponsors, and no investors to placate with colorful graphs and charts.

In my experience, most metrics measure the wrong things.

Page views, time on site, bounce rates — these are vanity metrics that create the illusion of progress.

They’re designed for ad-supported businesses selling your attention to the highest bidder. They track what’s easily countable, not what’s actually valuable.

I’ve worked in publishing and marketing long enough to know what happens when you optimize for these numbers: sooner or later, you start writing for algorithms instead of humans. You train yourself — however unconsciously — to avoid topics that don’t “perform well.” You succumb to bullshit clickbait headlines. You break articles into multiple pages. You create content that performs well according to machines but it treats your readers like fools.

Your writing becomes predictable, safe, and forgettable.

I won’t participate in that system. I don’t pay attention to social media followers, likes or boosts, either. It’s all just noise.