And the Oscar for Most Read Web Story goes to ....

On Monday, Gina Carbone who had our number 1, 6 and 15 stories with her Oscar coverage. Gina and Company did a great job both online and in print. Check out her blog "Seacoast Pop Culture" when you get a chance.

I'd also like to thank Scott Yates for turning around a photo and extended cutline on the veterinary clinic fire in Newington late Saturday. That was our number one web content item on Sunday.

Kudos also to Jenn Feals for her well rounded story on dirty dancing at Exeter High School.

One area where we can improve: text alerts. We're lagging in the number of these we send out and that is causing us to fall behind our peers in terms of text alert subscribers. Let's look for opportunities to communicate with our readers via Textcaster.

Total Traffic Monday we had 35,214 uniques and 153,649 page views.

1. Article: Entertain Poor Joaquin Phoenix is mocked at the Oscars 4,340

2. Article: 'Crack' sold to informant resembles bubble gum, say police 2,917

3. Article: Portsmouth police log 2,543

4. Article: Sexy 'grinding' may get Exeter High dances banned 2,523

5. Flash Gallery: Vanity Fair Oscar Party 2,268

6. Article: Entertain ‘Commie homo-loving sons of guns’ give Oscar to Sean Penn 2,180

7. Flash Gallery: Celeb Watch 48 1,979

9. Flash Gallery: York Basketball Regional Champs 1,296

10. Article: Storm dumps snow, causes outages 1,099

11. Article: Fire at a Newington veterinary clinic 946

12. Article: Construction worker to face DWI charge six years after arrest 929

13. Article: Entertain ‘Bachelor’ blog bombshell: Jason proposes, then dumps for runner-up? 817

14. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Feb 9-15 815

15. Article: Entertain Kate Winslet (finally!) wins first Oscar 638

February averaging 38,800 uniques

February traffic is holding strong with an average of 38,800 daily unique visitors. This has us on track to break through the 1 million mark for the second month in a row (and in a month with just 28 days!)

Yesterday's total of 40,141 shows why we are doing so well. Our content was a great mix of must-read local news combined with some excellent pop culture pieces.

Here are yesterday's top 15 stories and galleries:

1. Article: Entertain ‘Bachelor’ blog bombshell: Jason proposes, then dumps for runner-up? 4,904

2. Article: Business Friendly Toast to open second location 3,874

3. Article: Woman found in car with knife in stomach 3,843

4. Flash Gallery: Country Meadow Eviction Wells 2,706

5. Article: Man charged with impersonating cop 2,551

6. Article: Field sobriety tests challenged; DWI case dismissed 2,501

7. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Feb 9-15 2,466

8. Article: Two-vehicle crash at dangerous Greenland Route 33 intersection 2,260

9. Article: Ex-Catholic school teacher guilty of sexual assault on former student 2,127

10. Article: Police bills paid for pants, paint, plaques, pets and pastries 1,572

11. Article: Portsmouth postal workers fear for jobs 1,467

12. Article: Local man sentenced to prison in bank fraud case 1,355

13. Article: Coast Guard commander remembered, respected by crew 1,260

14. Article: Dad's daily ocean plunge honors 2 sons lost to addiction 1,118

15 . Flash Gallery: Childrens Museum Mardi Gras 1,071

Over 1 million served in Jan., Feb. starts strong

January numbers beat our ambitious budget of 1,043,915 daily unique visitors with a total of 1,082,307. This topped last January and the New Hampshire Primary by 24 percent.

February is also off to a strong start with 35,921 uniques and 178,826 page views yesterday.

Top stories yesterday were: 1. Article: Entertain Top 10 Super Bowl ads (can't go wrong w... (5,966) by Gina and Deborah McDermott’s story “Kittery cop arrested on assault charge” (3,117). The reality tv reporting is keeping our traffic strong into the night.

Top photo gallery was Penguin Plunge with more than 14,000 page views.

Top stories

1. Article: Entertain Top 10 Super Bowl ads (can’t go wrong w... 5,966 2. Article: Kittery cop arrested on assault charge 3,117
3. Article: Portsmouth police log 1,905
4. Article: NH DWI crash sparks later crash involving cruiser 1,787
5. Article: Penguin Plunge raises $528,000 1,762
6. Article: Seabrook Sam signals spring is coming 1,610
7. Article: NH gas station reports water in fuel tank 1,054
8. Article: Teen found drunk, unconscious at downtown bar; cha... 1,024
9. Article: Second DWI for driver who crashed on Rye rocks 907
10. Article: Crash victim’s family supported by community 900
11. Article: Derry man dies after crash 890
12. Article: WHS senior still critical 831
13. Article: Mom’s truck stop sex endangered child, say police 774
14. Article: Police: Man drove drunk into snow bank, fell asleep 674
15. Article: Mass. man killed while walking on I-495 626

Top Galleries

1. Flash Gallery: Penguin Plunge 2009 14,055
2. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Jan 26-Feb1 3,017
3. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Jan 19-25 1,833
4. Flash Gallery: Miss Hampton Beach 2008 484
5. Article: Photo Zoom: Penguin Plunge raises $528,000 304
6. Flash Gallery: Readers' photos - Jan. 2009 289
7. Flash Gallery: Police beat photos 262 8. Article: Photo Zoom: Top 10 Super Bowl ads (can’t go wro... 261
9. Flash Gallery: WHS vs. Goffstown Boys B-Ball 223
10. Flash Gallery: December 2008 Ice Storm 214
11. Article: Photo Zoom: Seabrook Sam signals spring is coming 206
12. Flash Gallery: Dover Cat Show 205
13. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Jan 12-18 197
14. Flash Gallery: Epping vs. Newmarket Boys B-Ball 161
15. Flash Gallery: Inauguration Day 144

Outstanding content mix drives traffic

Yesterday we had 56,398 uniques and 219,017 page views. What is most remarkable, though, is that we had 17 different pieces of content with 1,000 or more page views. We scored thousands of page views with a mix of the latest on power outages, news of the weird, reality TV, entertainment reviews, Mermaid girl, reader submitted photos, spot news and even a sports story.

1. Flash Gallery: December 2008 Ice Storm 28,821

2. Article: Report: UNH's freshman camp canceled due to nudity 22,484

3. Flash Gallery: Dec. Ice storm - reader photos 10,350

4. Article: Many still without power; aid available 3,662

5. Article: Entertain Yes! Portland, Maine, physics teacher wins 'Survivor: Gabon' 3,406

6. Article: Girl with Mermaid syndrome defies the odds 3,221

7. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Dec 1-7 3,112

8. Article: Entertain SNL ends 2008 with painful Kanye, wasted Laurie, bye Amy 2,892

9. Flash Gallery: A Night At Portsmouth's Shelter 2,139

10. Article: Unitil: 11,735 without service, making progress 1,917

11. Front: 2008ICESTORM 1,472

12. Article: TV show on Maine 'Mermaid Girl' airs Sunday 1,421

13. Article: Three injured in head-on collision 1,355

14. Article: Update on Unitil, PSNH customers out of power 1,350

15. Article: Portsmouth police log 1,089

16. Article: Seacoast schools announce closings 1,076

17. Article: Sports Former Sox pitcher Bob Stanley coaching in Newington 1,038

18. Article: Hot coffee, cold pizza: A night at the shelter 997

Good day for uniques and pages

Monday, Nov. 24 saw 29,419 unique visitors and 145,115 page views at seacoastonline. There were no blockbusters but instead a steady flow of good stories, photos, emails and text alerts that led to a successful day. Let's keep pushing to see if we can get our daily average over 28,000 for November. Last I checked we were in the 27,000 range.

Top stories:

1. Article: Local 'celebrity' remembered fondly 2,415

2. Article: Teen held on bail for second assault charge 1,861

3. Article: Fatal fire in Dover under investigation 1,685

4. Article: Bill toughens law on visual sexual aggression against children in Maine 1,432
5. Article: Life Early detection of esophagus condition may help prevent progression to cancer 1,239

6. Article: Police: woman abused and neglected pet rabbit 1,188

7. Article: Family of NH mom can't accept manslaughter verdict 1,067

8. Article: Business Unemployment benefits extended, file now 981

9. Article: Dancers try to go all night at 1930s-style marathon 870

10. Article: Portsmouth police log 844

Top galleries

1. Flash Gallery: Fashion Up! Gala 4,711

2. Flash Gallery: Iron Brides in Portsmouth 3,721

3. Flash Gallery: Exeter v BG Div II FB 2008 3,534

4. Flash Gallery: Exeter vs. BG Championship 837

5. Flash Gallery: Rye Sagamore Fire 604

6. Flash Gallery: Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra 384

7. Flash Gallery: Peter Pan at PHS 302

8. Flash Gallery: Hampton Beachcomber Summer 2008 288

9. Article: Photo Zoom: Local 'celebrity' remembered fondly 212

10. Flash Gallery: Annie at Rye Elementary 208

The play's the thing

Thursday, Nov. 20 saw 27,198 and 164,464 page views, a good showing thanks to photo galleries of PHS "Peter Pan (10,527 page views) and Rye Elementary School's production of "Annie" (5,844).

Top 10 stories:

1. Article: Blaze levels Rye building 2,727
2. Article: AG, police won't say why yard was dug up 2,542
3. Article: Police: Second worker stole thousands from York business 2,105
4. Article: Maine mom was 'mule' for drug traffickers, say police 1,666
5. Article: Entertain Was it really 'obvious' McKey would win ‘America’s Next Top Model’? 1,504
6. Article: Foss offers $5,000 reward in illegal dumping 1,230
7. Article: Portsmouth police log 868
8. Article: Repeat offender's fourth DWI charge dismissed 865
9. Article: Teen charged with tossing baby in car seat 777
10. Article: Police: woman jailed for two-year-old bra theft 658

Top 10 photo galleries

1. Flash Gallery: Peter Pan at PHS 10,527
2. Flash Gallery: Annie at Rye Elementary 5,844
3. Flash Gallery: Rye Sagamore Fire 3,777
4. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Nov 10-16 2,237
5. Flash Gallery: PMS Spirit Week 2008 903
6. Article: Photo Zoom: Was it really 'obvious' McKey would win ‘America’s Next Top Model’? 376
7. Flash Gallery: Celeb Watch 43 303
8. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Oct 27-Nov 2 269
9. Flash Gallery: PHS-Souhegan Division III FB 236
10. Article: Photo Zoom: Blaze levels Rye building 209

Web traffic, Nov. 12-18

The week in traffic - Nov. 12 through Nov. 18

Averages for the past seven days (Nov. 12 through 18) are 30,097 daily unique visitors, 137,607 page views. Average uniques peaked at 45,632 on Saturday, and Sunday was stronger than usual at 28,826. A good weekend.

Highlights from the past week include:

Articles:

- Nov. 13: Sex abuse / Exeter asst. principal on leave (3,994 views)
- Nov. 13: Diners, owners love Restaurant Week (2,580)
- Nov. 14: Man driving 102 mph: unaware of speed (2,452)
- Nov. 15-17: Intoxicated agressor resisted arrest (34,724) - Farked
- Nov. 17: Speeding ticket challenger - (2,254)
- Nov. 15: Ex-Ports Police Capt. investigated (2,578)
- Nov. 16-17: Neighbors angry over 'monster' Toyota sign (13,666) - Farked
- Nov. 17: City attorney on trial (2,937)

Photo galleries:

- Nov. 13: Portsmouth signs (1,607 views)
- Nov. 14-15: Celeb Watch 43 (7,722)
- Nov. 15-16: Ports. Mid. Sch. Spirit Week (5,814)
- Nov. 17: PHS/Souhegan football (2,681)