Understanding Website Stats: Don’t Be Fooled by Vanity Metrics

Not all website visitors are what they seem. In this guide to understanding website stats, we explain why “hits” and high numbers may not mean real people — and how you can ask the right questions before paying for online advertising.

The Truth About Website Traffic

When someone claims their website gets thousands of “hits” a day, it might sound impressive — but does it really mean that many people are visiting? The short answer: no. This is where the term “vanity metrics” comes in.

Vanity metrics are numbers that look impressive but don’t actually tell you anything useful. They often include things like:

• “Hits”
• “Total requests”
• “Pages served”

These may sound technical, but they’re often used to inflate the true value of a website’s traffic — especially when someone is trying to sell advertising space.

So What Is a Hit, Really?

Let’s keep it simple. A hit is every single file a browser asks for when loading a web page. One person visiting one page might generate:

• 1 request for the page itself
• 5 or more for images
• 2 or more for styles and scripts
• Even more for tracking or fonts

So that’s easily 10–20 “hits” for a single visitor doing just one thing. Multiply that across a site, and the “hit” count can skyrocket — without any extra people visiting.

How Bots Boost the Numbers Without Helping You

Now here’s the catch: a large portion of web traffic isn’t human at all. Automated bots account for well over 40% of all online activity.

These bots can include:

• Search engines (like Google and Bing) scanning pages to index them
• Social media bots fetching previews when someone shares a link
• Security bots checking for malware
• SEO crawlers analysing content
• Spam bots trying to post fake comments or scrape emails

While some bots are useful, they don’t view adverts, don’t buy products, and don’t become customers. If you’re paying to reach people, bot traffic is meaningless — but it still counts in those inflated “hit” numbers.

Understanding Website Stats Properly

If you’re considering advertising on a website, don’t be swayed by impressive-sounding stats. Instead, ask for real visitor data. Here’s what to look for:

Ask for:

• Page views: How many times actual pages were loaded
• Unique visitors: Real individuals (as estimated by cookies/IPs)
• Bounce rate: Whether visitors stayed or left instantly
• Time on site: Did people actually read or interact?

Ask for proof:

• A Google Analytics report (not just a screenshot — ask for a screen share or shared access)
• Use of reputable analytics tools like Matomo or Cloudflare
• Breakdown between bot and human traffic (many tools offer this)

A Word of Caution: Real Visitors Aren’t Always Counted

For balance, it’s worth noting that even trusted stats like Google Analytics don’t always track every real visitor. Here’s why:

• Some users block tracking scripts for privacy
• Visitors using certain browsers or ad blockers may not register
• Analytics tools can miss quick exits if a user clicks away before scripts load

So, real numbers might be slightly underreported — but that’s a far more honest problem than vanity metrics that exaggerate.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Pay for Illusions

Understanding website stats is essential for protecting your budget and making smart decisions. If someone is asking you to spend money on digital advertising, you have every right to ask:

• “How many real people will see my ad?”
• “Can you show me verified statistics?”

If the answer is vague, filled with buzzwords, or avoids the use of tools like Google Analytics, it’s time to be sceptical.

Ask smart questions. Get clear answers. And remember: not all traffic is created equal.