How We've Found Each Other
What search terms have people used to find the BeyondExGay.com site?
Peterson has talked about how people often use search engines as confessional booths, revealing intimate details about their lives which might still be hidden from friends, colleagues, and family.
Checking on the search terms which have led people here to bXg has been intriguing since we launched the site in May. Some of the searches have been wrenching to read, some have made us smile. All of them remind us that we never quite know what impact our words may be having, or on whom, when we publish them on the internet.
Here are some examples of searches which have brought folks to bXg. Each listing starts with the search term or phrase, then a link to the refering search URL, followed by the date/time when the visit to bXg occurred, and a description of the sorts of pages which were looked at during the visit. (Note: The following amounts to a descriptive, subjective glimpse into a few of the visits to the bXg site; it's not intended to be exhaustive or scientific.)
how to deal with a husband who turns out to be gay
AOL Search, Wed 27-Jun 1:18:41pm
A 4-page, 20-minute visit starting with Pam's narrative page.
how to manage gay straight friendship
Google, Wed 27-Jun 12:28pm
A single-page visit: Michael's narrative.
husbands who are not physically attracted to wife
Google, Tue 26-Jun 7:39pm
The What About the Spouse? article was ranked #4 in the search result for this single-page visit.
my family hates me because I am gay
Google, Tue 26-Jun 5:32pm
Alex' narrative page was the #8 search result; 7 pages were visited in 8 minutes.
same sex attraction reparative therapy
Google, Tue 26-Jun 12:13pm
The Special features page was the #98 search result and the only page visited; Daniel Gonzales and Christine Bakke both talked about having done reparative therapy on tha pate.
poems from gay and suicidal
Google Canada, Tue 26-Jun 11:35am
The Poetry page was the first search result and the only page visited.
Gay
Google Thailand, Tue 26-Jun 3:28am
The bXg home page was the 53rd item listed and the only page visited.
how to be free from same sex attractions
Google Canada, Mon 25-Jun 6:33pm
Peterson's bio was the #18 search result (just behind NARTH and ahead of Stephen Bennett) and the only page visited.
Devotions for parents with gay Teens
Google, Mon 25-Jun 4:26pm
The bXg Links page was the #6 search result, and the only page visited.
How can I tell if my husband is gay?
MSN Live Search, South Africa Sun 24-Jun 11:48pm
Pam's narrative has consistently earned visits from people inquiring about their husbands. For this specific visit, Pam's narrative ranked #27 or so, and that was the only page visited. But, it has not been unusual to see questions about whether my husband is gay, or is gay buddy is more than a friend, or a husband and best friend are gay together.
I just told my wife i am gay
Google, Sun 24-Jun 10:40pm
Rick's Narrative was the #7 search result and the only bXg page visited.
poetry about god and homosexuality
Google, Sun 24-Jun 9:34pm
The bXg poetry page was the 22nd search result and the only page visited.
christian girl pride
Google, Sun 24-Jun 9:18pm
Sandy's narrative was the fourth-ranked search result, and 3 more pages were opened in the space of 5 minutes.
Gay
Google Vietnam, Sun 24-Jun 6:46pm
Single-page visit to the home page, which was the 48th site listed.
The bXg site seems to rank in the 500-1,000 range for general searches on Gay, unless you are using a foreign Google search.
gay married men
MSN Live Search, Sun 24-Jun 6:34pm
Brock's narrative page ranked approximately #190 in this search, and was the first of 3 pages visited at bXg.
Coming in at #190 in a search ranking isn't something to aspire to. And yet, in this case, it's intriguing that someone had apparently scanned 189 other sites, opening several of them, and yet not found enough information to be satisfied.
where in the world are exgay programs?
Google New Zealand, Sun 24-Jun 4:21pm
bXg's FAQ page came in at #7 in this search, and that was the only page visited.
frum gay
Google, Sun 24-Jun 2:58pm
The bXg Links page includes a link to the OrthoGays.org site, which opens with the headline, "Yes, it’s possible to be gay and frum."
This has generated a good number of search engine referals to bXg by folks looking for a combination of frum and gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
minister backs gays loses church
Google, Sun 24-Jun 10:43am
This search led to a 5-page, 7-minute visit at bXg beginning with Jodi's narrative.
gay "sexually abused" identify
Google, Sat 23-Jun 11:50pm
The bXg Frequently Asked Questions page is the #5 search result, and the only page this visitor opened.
very femme gay
Google, Sat 23-Jun 8:56pm
Peggy's narrative page, with her mention of the phrase "very femme-fatale" and references to "gay" or "ex-gay," snagged the #2 spot in this search result, and a single-page visit.
"I am an ex-gay"
Google, Sat 23-Jun 7:27pm
This search landed someone at the How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement article at bXg, and the visit didn't go any further.
The "I am an ex-gay" search is intriguing on its own, though. At the moment, it generates only 20-23 hits at Google because it is so specific. In Google and MSN Live search, a bXg page lands in the top 3 hits. In each case, the "I am an ex-gay" sentence is up-ended with a single word: "I am an ex-gay survivor."
christian conference irvine
Google, Fri 22-Jun 8:54pm
This search brought someone to the conference description page, which was the #2 search result. The Ex-Gay Survivor Conference is a gathering which welcomes Christians and includes a good number of them, but is not a Christian event. So the person was probably looking for conferences sponsored by someone other than us.
And yet, 4 minutes elapsed after the conference page was opened, after which the Who We Are link was clicked in the menu.
gay became straight married
Google, Thu 21-Jun 8:27pm
Michael's narrative was the 7th search result in this case, and generated a one-page visit.