Last Updated on 30 December 2020 by Colette
It has become something of an end of year tradition now to share my top performing posts of the year (discounting giveaways). As is usually the case, there is a good mix of old and new – some posts which are four or more years old, others which are a matter of months.Â
I find it fascinating to dive in and look back through my traffic over the course of the year – sometimes the posts you think will be really well received never see the light of day, others you write purely for your own benefit and they turn out to be really popular.
My top ten this year shows the impact of a pandemic, as well as my efforts of some behind the scenes SEO work I think. Several posts which have been sitting pretty in my top ten for years having dropped out completely as well as previously popular travel content having seen a significant drop in traffic for obvious reasons!
So, without further ado, here’s my top ten most viewed posts of 2020:
10. Raising a puppy with a newborn baby
This post is a couple of years old but has seen quite a big increase in search traffic over the course of this year – perhaps because so many people have begun to consider adding a dog to their family since the start of lockdown? I must admit that having a puppy again this year has made me wonder how on earth I managed it first time round with a tiny baby too!
9. 10 Reasons you need to use Google Keep
This post about Google Keep is cracking on for three years old and has been in my top ten for a couple of years now. Dave and I have been using Google Keep for about five years and wouldn’t be without it! Definitely one to look at if you’re planning on trying to be a bit more organised in the new year!
8. Top Tips for Visiting Blackpool Illuminations
I wrote this post last autumn after our most recent trip to Blackpool for the Illuminations and whilst it picked up quite a few views at the time, it wasn’t enough to push it into the top ten. A year later, this post of tips for making the most of a trip to Blackpool Illuminations has seen quite a bit of traffic (and I imagine would have seen even more had the Illuminations not had to be turned off for the whole of November!)
7. Where to see Santa in Leeds this Christmas
This is just the first mention of Father Christmas on my top ten – it would appear my guides on the best places to visit the big man have been really popular this year. Where to visit Father Christmas in Leeds is the latest addition to the series and was definitely lacking in options this year thanks to lots of places choosing not to run events or making plans and then having to cancel them.
6. Where to visit Santa in York
This post has jumped up a couple of places this year and will hopefully have helped to inspire some lovely festive adventures, especially as York’s Tier 2 status meant many of the events were actually able to go ahead as planned.
5. How to remove Blu tack from hair
This post get search traffic every single day without fail. It has been my most viewed post for at least the last five years but has finally dropped down the list in 2020! I think that counts it as one of the most successful post I’ve ever written – a quick post with terrible photos to share some information I’d found useful (and have had to use several times since!)
4. Will we be sending our children back to school?
This post is probably one of the most widely shared pieces of content I’ve ever written – bringing in three days of record traffic. I wrote the post mostly to clarify my own thoughts about whether we should allow our children to return to school but also to add some balance to the conversation.
3. Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser – Luxury Hot Chocolate at Home
My review of the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser is a post I meant to write back in January of last year, and it took me until the end of October to actually pull my finger out and write it – yet it still sits at number 3 in my most viewed posts of the year. Obviously I now wish I’d written it sooner – I’d like to say that will teach me to procrastinate, but we all know it won’t!
2. UK Family Friendly Festivals
Attending festivals as a family is something we’ve really enjoyed over the last few years – and really missed in 2020! This comprehensive post features some of our favourite family friendly festivals as well as some of those which are on our radar for possible future visits! It was my 3rd most popular post last in 2019 but has moved up a spot this year, despite every single festival having been cancelled in 2020 – I guess like me, lots of people are holding out hope for festivals in 2021!
1. Where to visit Father Christmas in the Manchester Area
This post has been my standout success of the year bringing in two days of my highest views ever, as well as contributing heavily to two record months of traffic. I’ve spent a lot of time keeping it as up to date as possible, and in recent weeks just adding more and more cancellations – hopefully next year’s post will look more positive!
So there you go – the top ten most viewed posts on my blog during 2020. A mix of old and new, helpful and personal, just like every other year.
Thanks for sticking with us for another year (my blog will be 8yrs old this spring!). I can’t tell you how much I appreciate every single page view and comment on my blog or social media!
Here’s to 2021 . . . Who knows what will be on the top ten post next year, but I’d put money on it featuring festivals and blue tac! (As ever, do let me know if there’s anything you particularly want to see from us!)
