--- a/ckanext/ga_report/helpers.py
+++ b/ckanext/ga_report/helpers.py
@@ -3,15 +3,82 @@
 import ckan.lib.base as base
 import ckan.model as model
 
+from ckanext.ga_report.ga_model import GA_Url, GA_Publisher
+from ckanext.ga_report.controller import _get_publishers
 _log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+def popular_datasets(count=10):
+    import random
+
+    publisher = None
+    publishers = _get_publishers(30)
+    total = len(publishers)
+    while not publisher or not datasets:
+        rand = random.randrange(0, total)
+        publisher = publishers[rand][0]
+        if not publisher.state == 'active':
+            publisher = None
+            continue
+        datasets = _datasets_for_publisher(publisher, 10)[:count]
+
+    ctx = {
+        'datasets': datasets,
+        'publisher': publisher
+    }
+    return base.render_snippet('ga_report/ga_popular_datasets.html', **ctx)
+
+def single_popular_dataset(top=20):
+    '''Returns a random dataset from the most popular ones.
+
+    :param top: the number of top datasets to select from
+    '''
+    import random
+
+    top_datasets = model.Session.query(GA_Url).\
+                   filter(GA_Url.url.like('/dataset/%')).\
+                   order_by('ga_url.pageviews::int desc')
+    num_top_datasets = top_datasets.count()
+
+    if num_top_datasets:
+        dataset = None
+        while not dataset:
+            rand = random.randrange(0, min(top, num_top_datasets))
+            ga_url = top_datasets[rand]
+            dataset = model.Package.get(ga_url.url[len('/dataset/'):])
+            if dataset and not dataset.state == 'active':
+                dataset = None
+    else:
+        dataset = model.Session.query(model.Package)\
+                  .filter_by(state='active').first()
+    publisher = dataset.get_groups('publisher')[0]
+    return {
+        'dataset': dataset,
+        'publisher': publisher
+    }
+
+def single_popular_dataset_html(top=20):
+    context = single_popular_dataset(top)
+    return base.render_snippet('ga_report/ga_popular_single.html', **context)
+
+
 def most_popular_datasets(publisher, count=20):
-    from ckanext.ga_report.ga_model import GA_Url
 
     if not publisher:
         _log.error("No valid publisher passed to 'most_popular_datasets'")
         return ""
 
+    results = _datasets_for_publisher(publisher, count)
+
+    ctx = {
+        'dataset_count': len(results),
+        'datasets': results,
+
+        'publisher': publisher
+    }
+
+    return base.render_snippet('ga_report/publisher/popular.html', **ctx)
+
+def _datasets_for_publisher(publisher, count):
     datasets = {}
     entries = model.Session.query(GA_Url).\
         filter(GA_Url.department_id==publisher.name).\
@@ -29,14 +96,5 @@
     for k, v in datasets.iteritems():
         results.append((k,v['views'],v['visits']))
 
-    results = sorted(results, key=operator.itemgetter(1), reverse=True)
+    return sorted(results, key=operator.itemgetter(1), reverse=True)
 
-    ctx = {
-        'dataset_count': len(datasets),
-        'datasets': results,
-
-        'publisher': publisher
-    }
-
-    return base.render_snippet('ga_report/publisher/popular.html', **ctx)
-