News services like to have a handle on readers' interests, but we never really know which stories will strike a nerve.

This is especially true on the Internet, where local articles are open to a global audience.

With this in view, our most popular stories for the year naturally tended to be those with an appeal outside Atlanta, but they weren't all as flashy as the one about the Cavalia equestrian show's return to Atlanta (No. 10).

Many addressed forums where people came together to talk business and competitiveness. Others had to do with grant programs or trade missions.

Whatever the attraction, GlobalAtlanta drew record numbers of readers in each of the last few months of the year. The increased traffic was led by a few stories that quickly skyrocketed and cracked the top 10, though they were published late in the year and had less time to accumulate attention.

The 10 most-read stories for the year, listed by pageviews:

1. Competitiveness Forum Moves Out of Atlanta  

2. Video: Accounting Alliance Focuses on Globalization 

3. Saudi Forum on Track for May 

4. Gov. Deal’s U.K. Trip on British Consul’s Agenda

5. Executive Mentor Program Aims to Keep Talent in Atlanta 

6. Lawmakers Criticize Fulton Board for School Charter Denial

7. Growing Asian Wealth Provides U.S. Export Markets

8. African Entrepreneurs, Grantees Sought at Atlanta Workshop 

9. French Chamber Gala Highlights Joint Ventures, Friendships 

10. Cavalia’s Atlanta Success Spurred Return Visit 

Fittingly, our newsletter readers found local stories more interesting, particularly those having to do with China, which occupied the top three slots. Other popular stories looked at Atlanta's emergence as an international business center or the hurdles that have kept it from rising faster.

Top 10 stories by clickthroughs in an individual newsletter:

1. Delta Cutting Atlanta-Shanghai Route Again

2. Chinamex Closing Atlanta Office

3. Chinese Telecom Giant Opens New Atlanta Office 

4. Passport Day Coming to Atlanta

5. Isdell: Atlanta Fertile Ground for 'Connected Capitalism'

6. Dubbed as Diplomats: Honorary Consuls in Georgia 

7. Atlanta to Get Passport Agency 

8. Dutch Firm Still Growing After Decade in Atlanta

9. Atlanta's International Department Delayed Till Summer 

10. Fulton Charter School's Status Threatened Despite Honors

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