Plea for HP to Fix Bad 'Related Links' in the Lists it Adds to Pages

1. 53

   janderson99posted 8 years ago

   There appears to be a bliz on unfeaturing pages for quality based on users adding 'unrelated links' (spammy elements). However, the HP system adds 10 or more links to each page many of which are clearly unrelated. [see examples below]. If authors added these links the article would be unfeatured. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. These unrelated links added by HP must be damaging the ranking of the pages. The claim that links added to the 'right column' are less damaging that those added by the author, does not wash with me. The Google bot just sees links and acts accordingly. Also It creates a very bad impression with readers who must regard unrelated links as spam and poor quality, even an attempt to trick or deceive them.
   
   A major Penguin update looms in the new year. Surely it is time for HP to get its talented software engineers to fix this. If no links can be found to match the primary keywords then the unrelated one should be omitted with only 'good' ones added. This has been raised before but surely now is the time to fix it. Many of the links are not even in the same top level category! perhaps that should be a criterion.
   
   EXAMPLES
   
   Title: How to Polish Leather Shoes
   
   Bad Links
   History of Shoes - 19th and 20th Century Women's Footwear18
   Complete Guide to Wearing Black Stockings
   Best Running Shoes for Supination:  Top Athletic Shoe Models for Underpronation
   Discount Mens Brown Leather Sandals – Perfect Mens Summer Shoes
   What Are The Top Rated Hiking Boots For Women: 5 Reviews
   Wedding Shoes - Retro Vintage to Classic Styles
   How to Make Your Nails Stylish Using Nail Art and Nail Polishing
   
   Title: How To Paint a Wood Dresser
   
   Bad Links
   What Different Types of Innerspring Mattresses are Available? Which Ones are Best and Why?
   Gel Fuel and How to Make it
   Warnings About Memory Foam Mattresses and Why They are not the 'Best Mattress' nor Good for a Bad Back
   
   Title: How to Cook a Potato in the Microwave
   
   Bad Links
   How To Make An Easy Lemon Meringue Pie In The Microwave;  Flaky Pie Crust Recipe Included:  Instructions With Photos
   Quick & Easy Microwave Flapjacks Recipe on a Budget
   How to Make Microwave Popcorn without a bag (And no oil!)
   10 Useful Gadgets for Gourmet Microwave Cooking
   
   Title: How to Teach a Kid to Snow Ski Using a Harness
   
   Bad Links
   Free Printable Play Money For Teaching Kids
   Learning to Ski at 40, Is It Too Late?
   Restaurants And Bars To Visit In Arinsal, Andorra On A Ski Holiday
   
   
   Title: How to Program a Homelink Garage Door Opener Using Rolling Codes
   
   Bad Links
   Brake Noises: What Causes Them and How to Fix Them
   Number-One Reasons for a Slipping Transmission
   Five Signs That Your Car Has a Bad Heater Core
   Home Improvement Coach House 3 Car Garage and More Dream Garages
   How to Install New Glass Garage Door Windows
   
   Title: How to Start a Wood Fire with Vegetable Oil, Paper, and Matches
   
   Bad Links
   Best Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipes: 5 Recipes by Region
   Filet Mignon and Beef Tenderloin
   Low and Slow Pulled Pork Shoulder Recipe on the Kamado
   The Yeast Bread of Childhood: Le Pain De Mie Recipe
   Four Fast & Fun Mexican Dessert Recipes
   The Liberator Newspaper by William Lloyd Garrison
   Urban Survival, Going Off The Grid, Cooking And Refrigeration

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   1. 84

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      You need to send this directly to the team.  I would like to know their reasoning for putting this garbage on our hubs.  Somebody has dropped the ball on this one for sure.

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   2. 67

      Pearldiverposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      + 5 for the relevance of this and... the powerful reference to gander needs!
      
      But Wait...
      
      There's More...
      
      + 5 for letting us know where to find 'Complete Guide to Wearing Black Stockings' that potentially life changing hub for every guy who thinks "Umm... what's next now that I know how to polish my shoes perfectly?"
      
      

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   3. 93

      Susana Sposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      HP's coding for displaying related pages is clearly quite poor, and yes, likely doing us more harm than good. It would be better if hubbers got to choose a couple of related hubs (2 or 3 is about right IMO). Hubbers could choose from their own or someone else's hubs and they'd be most likely to choose high quality pages.

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2. 82

   Mark Ewbieposted 8 years ago

   Less links for writers means more links for HubPages.
   
   Less anything such as 'our' Amazon ads means more ads for HP.
   
   I guess they have maximised the garbage look of their pages and figure that will do for Google.
   
   
   Imagine a world where you write some content and put your own ads - AND NOTHING ELSE - on the page.

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   1. 84

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe some of us should get together and start our own site....good writers, good content, our own ads and nothing else.  Wouldn't that be sweet!!

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      1. 82

         Mark Ewbieposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Lol - well maybe.
         
         HP could remove the garbage content of which there is plenty.  They could slim down the ads and links of which there are many.
         
         But I suspect that would leave them with no income.

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         1. 84

            TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

            If all they want is to be an advertising site, then why don't they just do it and stop aggravating everybody!  Tell writers to produce nothing but product reviews with plenty of ads and be done with it.  That way quality would not matter and they'd still get rich!

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            1. 82

               Mark Ewbieposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               I believe Paul genuinely wants HP to be an open writing site for anyone to contribute.  That is a great idea for a number of reasons - freedom of expression, open internet and so on.  He can also make some money as can the contributors.
               
               He never wanted to be a Squidoo style site with lots of adverts and sell, sell, sell,
               
               Unfortunately like everyone he needs to make some money.  To support the site, hire SEO experts, and so on.
               
               At the same time Google is quite rightly attacking sites like this precisely for the 'open' model.  Because sadly anywhere money can be made is immediately invaded by crooks.
               
               HubPages has done well to still be here.  Perhaps we should all just be grateful.

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      2. 84

         Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Many ex-Hubbers and ex-Squidoo members have tried.  Where do you think Wizzley, DailyTwoCents, PersonaPaper and other small writing sites came from?

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3. 82

   Mark Ewbieposted 8 years ago

   And actually, while I am a bit hacked off... how come the SEO gurus have not noticed the dodgy links?
   
   The ones who thought we would get rid of subdomains because - er - well - because they are experts.
   
   Let me tell you all about SEO 'experts'.
   
   They are not experts.
   
   If they were - they would be making money by means other than pretending to have the secret.  They are like internet witch-doctors.
   
   Next week when the SEO market dries up they will be selling MLM or their latest 'tribe' book.

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4. 87

   Will Apseposted 8 years ago

   I favour a 'sidebar of shame' in the style of the (Daily) Mail Online. It got the beast into the Top 25 most trafficked news sites in the world last year.
   
   The sidebar is often two or three times as long as the article and nothing there is ever related to anything but the average persons most voyeuristic impulses.
   
   The broadsheets are shocked and titillated in equal measure.
   
   Here is how it works:
   
   'Jennifer Starlet's crimson skirt, slashed almost to the waist, is a must see as she enjoys an intimate dinner with ruggedly handsome, estranged husband of best friend.'
   
   Add Jennifer's flushed face in a little pic...
   
   Resist that.

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