Change this Description in the FAQ!

1. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 11 years ago

   I have just come across this deceptive paragraph in the FAQ
          
       Is it bad if a Hub is not Featured?
   
     "      No. Only highly rated and engaging content will be Featured on HubPages. If your content does not get Featured on HubPages that doesn't necessarily mean it is bad content.
   
           Whether it is Featured or not, a Hub is accessible to anyone via its URL (which you may share through email or social media), via HubPages internal search, and in the Feeds of your Followers, so you are still very much able to share this work with your friends, followers, colleagues, and family. For many, this is enough. If you would like your Hub to receive the additional promotion on HubPages that comes with Featured content, we recommend reworking it to improve its quality and make it more engaging to people searching for this content."
   
   I understand HubPages wanting to put a positive spin on the Featured process, but that statement is downright  misleading because of what it doesn't say.
   
   I don't think a newbie, reading that, would understand that their Hub cannot and will not appear in Google searches.   It's lying by omission and it's not the kind of behaviour I expect from HubPages.

   replyreport
2. 86

   Simone Smithposted 11 years ago

   Hi Marisa,
   
   We did our best to make it very clear what it means when a Hub is Featured vs. when it is not Featured- I'm confident that at this point our messaging is fair on the point of making it clear that Hubs that aren't Featured are not made available to Google.
   
   If, however, you see a particular weak point in the FAQ in which we fail to point that our when defining Featured Hubs, let me know!!
   
   Re: that particular paragraph- I earnestly think we haven't emphasized the positive aspects of having Hubs not Featured *enough*.
   
   It hurts our entire site (not to mention an individual's portfolio) to have Hubs that Google can 'see' that are (1) of low quality (2) determined by Google to not be worth sending traffic to (e.g. they have very low levels of engagement and low levels of traffic).
   
   So it's GOOD if some Hubs aren't Featured. I'm glad that many of mine are hidden from Google's spiders.
   
   And I'm also glad that I can still share them with my friends when I want to- just because they explain something I'd like them to know about or something like that.
   
   In sum, I think the paragraph is good- and that that message could stand to spread. Though again, please do point out messaging in which we say inaccurate things!!

   replyreport
   1. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The bit I have a problem with is that this paragraph is answering a specific question.  The people asking that question may have skimmed the rest of the FAQ and just read this answer - in which you don't mention Google at all.   I'd suggest:
      
      Whether it is Featured or not, a Hub is accessible to anyone via its URL (which you may share through email or social media), via HubPages internal search, and in the Feeds of your Followers, so you are still very much able to share this work with your friends, followers, colleagues, and family. We will not make it available to Google to include in their search engine results..   If you would like your Hub to receive the wider audience on HubPages that comes with Featured content, we recommend reworking it to improve its quality and make it more engaging to people searching for this content."
      
      I appreciate the value of the Featured process.  But trying to make out that being "not Featured" is no big deal - surely that's not a good thing?  If people think being not Featured is enough, and there's not much to be gained by being Featured, why should they bother trying?

      replyreport
      1. 86

         Simone Smithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         People see it as a big deal whether we want them to or not- and relative to the present perception, it is a vastly smaller deal. That, I can guarantee.
         
         That said, I appreciate the suggestion, and have changed the paragraph to read:
         
         Though only Featured Hubs are made available to Google Search and highlighted on related Hubs and Topic Pages, all Hubs are accessible to readers via their URLs (which you may share through email or social media), via HubPages internal search, and in the Feeds of your Followers, so regardless of the status of your Hub, you are still very much able to share this work with your friends, followers, colleagues, and family.
         
         Huzzah!

         replyreport
         1. 85

            Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            That is a wonderful edit.   Thank you!
            
            I have to confess I don't quite understand your comment about the "big deal" - but the main thing is, we have a result!

            replyreport
3. 85

   rebekahELLEposted 11 years ago

   Is all this clear to a new hubber when they sign up and begin writing; the possibility that their hubs will not even be featured?  I don't know what a new sign up sees when they first sign up, but I think it should be clear before they begin writing their first hub that their hubs will go through an assessment and may or may not be featured.  We know that many never visit FAQ or the Learning Center before writing their first hub.

   replyreport
   1. 86

      Simone Smithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yep! Right after one publishes a Hub, there is a notice letting them know that their Hub is going through the Quality Assessment Process. We figure that's when the message is most relevant.

      replyreport
4. 88

   innerspinposted 11 years ago

   That reads a lot more clearly to me, Simone. I would agree with Marissa's initial comment, it's great to see the change.

   replyreport
   1. 88

      mistyhorizon2003posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree 100%

      replyreport