Analyzing traffic spikes on my website

Over the past 30 days, my website has seen a modest uptick in visitors. Still comfortably in the triple digits, so no, we’re not talking about viral fame here but if you glance at the thumbnail, it’s pretty clear where most of the traffic is coming from.

The list isn’t exactly shocking: the top source is the US, which is amusing considering I don’t actually know anyone there (go figure). Coming in second and third are Canada and the UK. Canada makes sense, it’s home base for me right now.

I wanted to talk a bit about SEO, that’s Search Engine Optimization for the uninitiated. It's the magic that helps your site show up in search engines like Google or Bing. So what’s working in my case? Here’s a quick breakdown:

Meta tags: things like title, image, and description. Check out MetaTags.io if you’re curious
Clean structure: The content on my site is easy to navigate thanks to a straightforward sidebar on the left
Content that actually matters: Yes, people are sticking around because it’s informative and engaging
Minimalist design: No glitter explosions here, but it’s not a snoozefest either

Now, traffic spikes can be artificially inflated, you might be thinking, “Cool story, but how do we know you’re not gaming the system?”

Great question. A few months back, Googling my name would show my LinkedIn profile at the top, pretty standard stuff. But now? My personal website has taken the lead. That’s right: search "Hamed Kohi" and bam, my site comes first, with LinkedIn trailing behind like it just missed the bus.

Screenshot:

This an example alt.

This isn’t magic, it’s just what happens when your website starts getting organic visitors and gradually becomes relevant. In my case, it took around six months to get to this point. I didn’t have to promote the site or push content through Google or any other search engine; my visitors pretty much did the job for me by sharing it around and coming back for more. Thanks, internet!

It’s true that as our initiatives like Cyber Mounties, Delta Obscura, and the Sentinel Vulnerability Database continue to spread like wildfire (the good kind), there are always going to be skeptics. But hey, we actually have proof that we’re becoming relevant and, dare I say it, organically. Imagine that.

Why is this important?

Because our world is becoming increasingly digital and in this landscape, branding matters just as much as skills. In fact, how you present and market yourself can often weigh more heavily with peers and potential employers than a long list of credentials.

You can be the most skilled person in the room, but if you don’t know how to communicate that in a way that connects with others, you might as well be invisible. I’ve seen people with GPEN, OSCP, and Sec+ certifications fly completely under the radar simply because their messaging didn’t stand out.

That’s where my website and the initiatives my team and I have been building come into play. They’re unique, they resonate with a younger audience, and they’re grounded in relevance. Perception matters, and in today’s world, managing perception is half the battle.

As for the Cyber Mounties Academy, I’ve deliberately made it harder for bots to register by allowing only Outlook and Gmail accounts, combined with mandatory OTP and Captcha. Of course, this doesn’t stop bots entirely (they’re annoyingly persistent), but it does make their life slightly more miserable, something we can all appreciate.

Beyond the security angle, this approach also helps us track how many truly unique, organic users we’re attracting to the platform.

I bring all this up because my current website is already seeing a solid number of visitors, hundreds so far and I fully expect the Cyber Mounties Academy to attract 10x more in its first year. So, if anyone ever questions whether we’re overhyping our value or user base… we’ll have receipts.

This is called long-term strategy and planning, two things we’ve consistently proven we know a thing or two about.

Where do my visitors come from?

Apparently, from everywhere. I guess being non-hostile toward any person or nation has its perks. I believe knowledge should be accessible to everyone, and that message seems to resonate, people keep coming back.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at who’s visiting... and when they decide to show up.

Last 30 days

Over the past 30 days, my website seems to have lit up quite a few blinking dots around the globe: North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, especially after I posted all of the following:

One of the standout countries that popped up on Google Analytics was Jordan. Now, I’ve never spoken with anyone from Jordan, so naturally, I assumed they were inviting me to a kebab party in Amman. (A guy can dream.) More realistically, the spike probably came from our announcement in "We Made a Cyber Army. Kinda" where we talked about Cyber Mounties' global expansion and the plan to translate our material into Arabic and Hebrew.

Something tells me this is just the beginning for that part of the world.

Top visitor countries from Feb to June 2025

Here’s a look at the top countries my visitors came from during this period:

This an example alt.

Apparently, I have visitors ranging from Ottawa all the way to Langley, Moscow, Tel Aviv, Delhi, and London. That’s actually great news, either the content’s getting traction... or someone’s running background checks. Either way, I’ll take it.

Conclusion

Now you see why SEO rankings actually matter, your website isn’t going to magically show up on Google just because it exists.

If you're a Canadian non-profit trying to improve your current site, building one from scratch, or just need help navigating the mysterious world of SEO, I’m happy to help voluntarily. Yes, free of charge. But only if you're providing a genuine, non-commercial service to Canadians and doing so without discrimination. In that case, you have my full support and technical expertise.

Now, if you don’t quite check those boxes but still like what I do, great! I'd still be happy to work with you but it will cost you. Contact me to get a quote.

Posted on: June 19, 2025 09:50 PM