Lauren Gemmell

Food, Fitness, and Technology

Month: March 2011

Using In-Page Analytics : Improve Your Food Blog

For ages I have been looking for a visual tool to help me understand what features people use on my blog. The Categories, Recent Posts and Popular Posts features all take up space, but do readers use them?

I wanted something easy to use and understand and In-Page Analytics – which is part of Google Analytics is that very tool. It’s almost hidden in the Google Analytics tools list, at the very bottom of the Content section – but I have gotten more out of 30 minutes with In-Page Analytics than months of using other tools.

View of my blog in In-Page Analytics

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Growing Your Own Food

Last summer there was a spate of food blog posts about eating food you had grown. The beautiful photos of produce and salads made with home grown vegetables, hit something that I never knew I had. The urge to grow things, to eat local produce, to get back to nature. I was shocked at my reaction a little bit, and more than a little jealous of those who could. The best I could hope for was my occasional attempts at a windowsill garden.

My basil, tomato and strawberry seeds

Of course the problem is, by the time you see the photos and read the posts, it’s too late. It’s unlike almost anything else in the food blog world – you can’t just go and make it yourself tomorrow. (I guess the closest thing is Mincemeat the week before Christmas). Growing food doesn’t happen overnight and if you want to have your own tomatoes during the summer you need to think about planting them in March or April.

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Scotch Pancake

The traditional pancakes for Pancake Day, I guess, are usually the huge American style pancakes or the thin French crepe. The humble Scotch pancake (or drop scone) is often over looked, but is super simple, quick and just as tasty as its counterparts.

Scotch Pancakes with Jam

Unfortunately they are just as quick to eat!

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