Referrer list from my Zazzle promotion Blog: Wish Zazzle would provide a list like this

[Susang6]

I checked my blog analytics for last 7 days and found a referrer list that made me stop and think. Some traffic came from the usual places Google, Baidu, and other search engines but then I saw links from Ethereum.org, TheGuardian.com, SteamPowered.com, and even Dartmouth.edu. That last one really caught my attention. It makes me wonder if my blog is listed on some academic resource page, or if someone’s watching it with AdSense placement in mind.

It’s not just the .edu traffic it’s the mix. Tech, fashion, gaming, education. That’s a wide range for a blog that mostly features styled Zazzle products, and autumn season posts.  I wonder are my information/ promotion  blog posts being discussed in classrooms, shared in forums, or bookmarked by niche readers?

This kind of referrer list gives you insight not just numbers. It shows who’s linking to your blog, what kind of visibility you’re getting.  I wish Zazzle gave us this kind of breakdown. Imagine knowing which external site is sending buyers/ traffic  your way. 

Are you seeing similar referrers or traffic spikes, at your blog? Are you fascinated by who’s sending traffic to your blog?

[Amanda23]

You mean this isn't enough info for you? 😅

[Amanda23]

OHH! Interesting. Does anyone remember seeing that last source before (Zazzle Marketing and SEO)? 

[Amanda23]

I'm having fun now. 🤣
Can someone explain this stat?! Maybe bookmarked or saved to a cart or something? 

[Susang6]

Sorry that chart does not compare to my referrer analytics on my blog. But if your satisfied with the breakdown , that's your deal  .  ? what does that circle tell you and the Direct & Other traffic?  

[Amanda23]

Sorry for any confusion. That was a sarcastic reply: the chart is super unhelpful. The only thing it tells me is clearly I drive the vast majority of all my traffic .

Also, if you review your stats in the front and back, the views are massively different. The backend sometimes shows more and sometimes shows less, so I don’t even know which way it tends…

[Susang6]

Thanks for clarifying the sarcasm...

[NigelSutherland]

I noticed on my blog that I have many referrals from the unlikeliest sources - ikea.com and pizzahut.com for example. Obviously such sites aren’t really going to be seeking out my blog so I looked up in a search why this should be happening. The general consensus is that they are from bots using the other domains to mask what they actually are and where they’re coming from.

[Susang6]

I actually clicked through a couple of those referrers The Guardian and Dartmouth College and they both opened to legit pages on their actual domains. So at least some of the traffic seems real, not spoofed. I know referral spam is a thing (and I’ve seen it too), but in this case, it looks like there’s genuine interest or at least a direct link somewhere. I know that AdSense tracks real views and I get a whole lot a views to my blogs.   I  saw that Facebook has one of my blog posts ranked really well in SEO   I thought maybe because its indexed my post could have been picked up by aggregators, newsletters, or even embedded in other sites leading to referrals from domains like theguardian.com, dartmouth.edu, or steampowered.com.   I don’t know, I just think its interesting.

[NigelSutherland]

Oh yes, the links do actually work, taking you to the sites they state, but I believe they're spoofed.

My top referrer in the last 7 days is Ikea.com - more than Google. Highly unlikely to be genuine seeing as it's a superstore marketplace.

[LMGildersleeve]

@Susang6 Nigel is probably right. I asked my husband a computer science professor and spoofing a large company/entity website is what those bots do. They may provide you with a legit website page though the bots did not generate from those websites. 

My husband explained there are many ways for the phenomenon you experienced happened. But what you have described led him to determined Nigel is correct.