[jsheard]

True, but for personal/hobby sites you probably are just better off just not knowing. Nothing good comes of tying your self-worth to how much attention you think you're getting.

[sneak]

There is nothing to suggest that people who want to measure (and perhaps increase) their publishing reach are “tying [their] self-worth to how much attention [they] think [they’re] getting”.

This is sort of like assuming everyone who is taking photos at a tourist attraction is doing so to show off their holiday for social status.

If your site or content is truly valuable, it is a public good to monitor, analyze, and improve upon its reach and usability.

[cortesoft]

I think most people are talking about for business websites

[crazygringo]

Why would you jump to the conclusion that any of it is about "self-worth"?

Maybe you're writing for an audience and you want to see what resonates most with them.

Sometimes popularity is a good thing to measure, not for your ego, but by how much you are helping others.

It is sad when people assume metrics are about vanity, rather than about how much we're helping others.