If you ever worry about WordPress’ search engine optimization and its ability to extend the reach of your posts, there’s no need. Here’s a story about how effective WordPress is as a blogging medium.

In March 2017, when I had a lot to say and posted every week, I found myself short of time as I had to attend the London Book Fair. So I posted an image from my life drawing class and three random quotations, one of which was from Thomas Hardy:

“She philosophically noted dates as they came past in the revolution of the year. Her own birthday, and every other day individualised by incidents in which she had taken some share. She suddenly thought, one afternoon, that there was another date, of greater importance than all those; that of her own death; a day which lay sly and unseen among the other days of the year, giving no sign or sound when she annually passed over it; but not the less surely there. When was it?”

“A day which lay sly and unseen among the other days of the year” – a quote used in the Netflix version of One Day by novelist David Nicholls. In case you haven’t seen it – and I only managed a handful of episodes – it concerns the decades-spanning love story of Dex and Em as they reunite on the same day every year.

People searching for the origin of that quote found their way to my humble blog and my stopgap post. Of the 11,500 visitors to my blog this year, 9,200 landed on that post. Of those nine thousand visitors, very few ‘liked’ the post and virtually none followed me. I’m not complaining: it was nice to have them visit and a pleasure to be able to solve the mystery of that quote for them. Doubt not the power of WordPress’ SEO however: why my post came second on the list is down to the efficiency of our host’s techie staff.

So on this positive note, I wish you a happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Pancha Ganapati, Chahrshanbeh Soori, winter solstice, or whatever you celebrate to bring light to these dark days of winter and conflict in the wider world. No matter where your soul takes you, have a blessed holiday season.