AAPOD2 by the Numbers: A Look Back at 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, we wanted to pause and take a data driven look at how AAPOD2 performed over the past year. What started as a focused astronomy image platform continues to grow into a truly global destination for deep sky imagery, scientific storytelling, and community driven discovery.
The numbers below reflect activity from January 1 through December 16, 2025, and they reveal not just growth, but sustained engagement from readers around the world.
A Year of Strong, Organic Growth
In 2025, AAPOD2 recorded over 107,000 total visits, representing a 5% year over year increase. Those visits came from nearly 60,000 unique visitors, showing that new audiences continue to discover the site alongside a growing base of returning readers.
Perhaps most impressive is engagement depth. With 189,000 pageviews, up 9% year over year, visitors are not just arriving, they are exploring.
2025 Highlights
107,000 total visits
60,000 unique visitors
189,000 pageviews
Consistent year over year growth across all major metrics
How People Find AAPOD2
The majority of AAPOD2 traffic is earned organically, not paid or promoted. This is a strong signal of trust, repeat readership, and search visibility.
Direct traffic accounts for 56.7% of all visits, suggesting a large base of regular readers who bookmark the site or type it in directly.
Search traffic makes up 35.4%, reflecting growing visibility in search engines and strong performance for astronomy related keywords.
Social and referral traffic play a smaller but meaningful supporting role.
This balance shows that AAPOD2 functions both as a destination site and a discoverable resource.
Search Visibility Is Accelerating
Search performance saw some of the strongest gains of the year.
20,000 search clicks, up 123% year over year
1.1 million search impressions, up 130% year over year
Average search position improved to 12
Branded and semi branded terms such as AAPOD2, AAPOD, and APOD2 dominate, while deep sky object searches like Boogeyman Nebula, Propeller Nebula, and multiple Sharpless regions show that individual image pages are performing well in search.
This confirms that detailed, science focused image pages are being indexed and discovered by a wider audience.
A Truly Global Audience
One of the most exciting takeaways from 2025 is just how international the AAPOD2 audience has become.
Visitors came from over 100 countries, with strong representation across North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond.
Top countries by visits
United States: 25.6%
Spain: 11.2%
Germany: 8.38%
France: 7.59%
Italy: 7.45%
United Kingdom, Canada, China, Brazil, and India round out the top ten
This global distribution reflects the universal appeal of astronomy and the power of shared imagery to cross borders and languages.
What People Read the Most
The homepage remains the primary entry point, with over 72,000 views and an average time on page of nearly four minutes. Archive pages and image collections continue to perform well, confirming that visitors actively browse past content.
Individual deep sky objects consistently attract long average time on page, especially complex nebulae and lesser known targets. This suggests readers are taking time to study the images and accompanying scientific context.
Looking Ahead
2025 reinforced something we have believed from the start: there is a strong appetite for astronomy content that respects both the science and the art. The steady growth, expanding global reach, and improving search visibility all point toward a healthy trajectory going into the next year.
To everyone who visited, submitted images, shared work, or simply spent time exploring the universe with us, thank you. Clear skies ahead.
Search Growth Took a Major Leap Forward
Search visibility was one of the most dramatic success stories of 2025.
Over the course of the year, AAPOD2 generated 1.1 million search impressions, a 130% year over year increase, resulting in 20,000 organic clicks, up 123% from last year. This growth reflects how consistently AAPOD2 content is being indexed, surfaced, and trusted by search engines.
Equally important, the average search position improved to 12, meaning AAPOD2 pages are increasingly appearing on the first page for both branded searches and highly specific deep sky objects. From Sharpless regions to obscure nebulae, these pages are reaching audiences actively looking for detailed, science based imagery.
This kind of growth does not come from trends or clickbait. It comes from depth, consistency, and respect for the subject.
Keeping AAPOD2 Free and Accessible
AAPOD2 is built and maintained to remain free, accessible, and focused on quality over volume. There are no paywalls, no intrusive ads, and no sponsored placements influencing what appears on the site.
If you find value in the images, the science, and the global community that has formed around AAPOD2, consider supporting the project.
Donations help cover:
Hosting and infrastructure costs
Image storage and delivery
Ongoing development and site improvements
Even small contributions make a meaningful difference and help ensure AAPOD2 continues into the next year and beyond.
