Tracking blog post views in WordPress helps you understand which content performs well. While many WordPress post views counter plugins offer this feature, they can slow down your site. The good news? You can add a post view counter in WordPress using simple code in the WordPress functions.php tutorial—no plugins needed!
Why Track Blog Post Views?
Tracking Track WordPress post views can help you:
- Identify your most popular blog posts
- Improve content strategy based on audience preferences
- Boost engagement by promoting high-performing posts
- Understand user behaviour without relying on third-party tools
- Optimize SEO performance by focusing on trending content
- Increase website traffic by analyzing visitor behaviour
- Improve bounce rate by creating more engaging content
- Monitor blog post performance in real-time
- Make data-driven content decisions
- Improve the user experience by providing relevant content
If you want your website to rank higher on search engines like Google, tracking post views is essential. You can optimize your blog for search engines and boost organic traffic based on the highest engagements.
Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Post View Counter in WordPress
Follow these steps to track and showcase post views without using a plugin.
Step 1: Add the Tracking Code to functions.php
Copy and paste the following code into your theme’s functions.php file. This code counts views whenever a user visits a single post page.
// Function to track post views
function tufflr_track_post_views($post_id) {
if (!is_single()) return; // Only count views for single post pages
$count_key = 'tufflr_post_views_count';
$count = get_post_meta($post_id, $count_key, true);
if ($count == '') {
$count = 0;
delete_post_meta($post_id, $count_key);
add_post_meta($post_id, $count_key, '0');
} else {
$count++;
update_post_meta($post_id, $count_key, $count);
}
}
// Hook into wp_head to trigger the view count
function tufflr_set_post_views() {
if (is_single()) {
global $post;
tufflr_track_post_views($post->ID);
}
}
add_action('wp_head', 'tufflr_set_post_views');
// Function to retrieve post views count
function tufflr_get_post_views($post_id) {
$count_key = 'tufflr_post_views_count';
$count = get_post_meta($post_id, $count_key, true);
return $count ? $count : '0';
}
// Display post views count in the admin column (for Admin and Editor roles)
function tufflr_add_views_column($columns) {
if (current_user_can('edit_others_posts')) { // Check if the user can edit others' posts (admin or editor)
$columns['post_views'] = 'Views';
}
return $columns;
}
add_filter('manage_posts_columns', 'tufflr_add_views_column');
function tufflr_display_views_count($column, $post_id) {
if ($column === 'post_views') {
echo tufflr_get_post_views($post_id);
}
}
add_action('manage_posts_custom_column', 'tufflr_display_views_count', 10, 2);
Step 2: Verify the Functionality
- Open a blog post on your website.
- Refresh the page a few times to increase the view count.
- Go to your WordPress Dashboard → Posts and check if the “Views” column shows the correct count.
This Manual post-view tracking in WordPress method keeps your website optimized while providing crucial analytics.
Benefits of Tracking Blog Post Views
For bloggers, content marketers, and website owners, Custom post view count WordPress tracking without a plugin is a great opportunity. Here are the main advantages:
1. Improved Content Strategy
Writing content that connects with your audience is much easier when you know which content receives the most views. By analyzing the subjects, headlines, and styles you can build on your WordPress content strategy.
2. Better User Engagement
Email marketing, social media sharing, and internal linking can all help circulate the word about popular content. Longer session durations and low bounce rates are the results of engaging content, enhancing Enhance WordPress user engagement.
3. SEO Optimization
You may improve on-page SEO elements like meta descriptions and headlines, add fresh and original material, and update keywords in your best-performing posts to make them more search engine friendly. These WordPress SEO best practices ensure better rankings.
4. Boost Ad Revenue
If your blog is ad-supported, knowing which pages get more traffic will help you arrange advertising to optimize revenue.
5. Track Marketing Campaign Performance
When running paid promotions, monitoring blog post views aids in determining how successful your campaigns are. You can determine which posts generate the high conversion rates and rework on your optimization accordingly.
Best Practices for Increasing Blog Post Views
After monitoring blog views, here are some ways to increase traffic:
1. Optimize for SEO
Use the right keywords in your title, headings, and content.
- Write compelling meta descriptions.
- Insert internal links to related posts.
- Optimize images with alt tags.
- Ensure fast page load speeds (Optimize WordPress performance).
2. Share on Social Media
Promote your blog posts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. Incorporating engaging images and trending hashtags can boost visibility.
3. Write Engaging Headlines
Use powerful diction, numbers, and emotional elements to make your headlines irresistible.
4. Improve Readability
- Use short paragraphs and bullet points.
- Break content into sections with clear headings.
- Use simple and easy-to-understand language.
5. Leverage Email Marketing
Send blog updates to your email subscribers. A well-crafted newsletter can drive consistent traffic to your blog.
6. Encourage Comments and Shares
Request feedback from readers and encourage them to share your work. Social proof and search rankings are improved by engagement signals.
7. Update Old Blog Posts
Rework old blog posts with updated figures, new data, and improved formatting. As a result, your content will become more relevant and potentially rank higher.
Screenshot of Post Views in the WordPress Dashboard
This is how the post view count in WordPress will appear in your admin panel.
Conclusion
Including a post view counter in WordPress without a plugin is a simple way to track engagement and enhance your content strategy. Using the above code in functions.php, you can track WordPress post analytics without plugins and display them seamlessly in your WordPress admin panel.
Tracking blog post views is vital for the growth of your website. It will assist you to get a precise picture of audience choices, improve SEO, raise engagement, and increase monetization opportunities. By following the best possible methods, like optimizing for SEO, promoting on social media, and encouraging user engagement, you can take your blog to an advanced level.
Start tracking your blog post views and gain valuable insights into the performance!
