Change in Google Policy ?

1. 85

   Sara Algoeposted 12 years ago

   I remember Hubs being listed in all Google searches in a different way.
   
   For example:
   If Hub address is "hubpages,com/hub/XXXX" it would appear that way but now same hub appears in different way.
   
   Like "hubpages,com › All Topics › Education and Science > xxx"
   
   A friend of mine had his adsense account rejected because they said that they don't support pages that use some kind of code in their source or something similar, i don't remember exact words.
   
   I my self have noticed a fall in traffic from Google. Is there a change in google policy or has Hubpages made some changes.

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   1. 67

      Michael Willisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The code you are seeing may be what is in the forum discussion.
      http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/74570

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2. 69

   Cagsilposted 12 years ago

   Here are some of the changes HP has made.
   
   And, yes, Google has made changes, at least twice(major changes), so far this year.
   
   There are at least a dozen or so forum threads on Google changes and HP changes.
   
   The link below is only some of the changes HP has made, but I am sure if you use the search feature, you can find more in the forums threads.
   
   http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/74274

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   1. 85

      Sara Algoeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Are these changes good or bad for old publishers.

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      1. 69

         Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Some people will say good. Some people will say bad. The only solution is to increase knowledge on SEO and Backlinking strategy, so as to help yourself with search engine results.

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         1. 61

            Julie2posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I never understood backlinking or how to even do that. I probably did it without knowing. Cags, what is that exactly? Did you happen to write a hub on it?

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            1. 69

               Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               A back link is just a link from another source that leads back to your hub. What quality that link is, is what matters. It is nice to have at least 10 different sources pointing back to a hub. Which is why backlinking is so difficult. To bring 10 different links back to you hub, that has value is the problem. Not all search engines value backlinks the same. And, no I have not written a hub about it. I am not qualified to write a hub on it.

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      2. 85

         Sara Algoeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I understand HP changes and i support them because i think they improve Hub quality. But i am concerned about google indexing new hubs and old hubs in weird manner.

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3. 75

   Richieb799posted 12 years ago

   There's no code in the address hun, I think the traffic drop is just from the Google Algorithm change

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4. 70

   sunforgedposted 12 years ago

   Its not a weird manner, its as Hp has designed it.

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5. 69

   lrohnerposted 12 years ago

   As Sunforged said, HP has done this intentionally by using something called "breadcrumb microformats." Basically, instead of the hyperlinked URL below the search engine result, you now have several hyperlinks taking you to different category pages.
   
   IMHO, it means that my articles just lost 50% of their accessibility from the search engines. 
   
   I can see this being a very good thing for a wholly-owned site, but I am very concerned about the implications for sites where each page has a different stakeholder -- like HP.
   
   Where we used to see this in Google:
   
   Dog Walking In Winter (hyperlinked to article)
   New challenges and new opportunities await the wintertime dog walker. My dog is a Brittany spaniel named Skeet who is four years old, has all kinds of ...
   http://hubpages.com/hub/Dog-Walking-In-Winter (hyperlinked to article)
   
   We now see this:
   
   Dog Walking In Winter (hyperlinked to article)
   New challenges and new opportunities await the wintertime dog walker. My dog is a Brittany spaniel named Skeet who is four years old, has all kinds of ...
   wwww.hubpages.com › ... › Dogs and Dog Breeds › Dog Training (hyperlinked to everywhere BUT the article)
   
   Hubpages is not alone in this. I know at least that Squidoo, eHow and Brighthub are using it as well. I see it as all the more reason why starting up your own site is a very good thing.
   
   (BTW, that's not my article I used in the example. Thanks to whoever owns it for letting me borrow it!)

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   1. 79

      Karandaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Wish it was one of mine. Some random backlinks would have been most helpful.

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6. 0

   EmpressFelicityposted 12 years ago

   Ah, so that explains why my traffic has just got even worse. 
   
   Nice one, thanks HubPages!

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7. 67

   Michael Willisposted 12 years ago

   I could see this making potential viewers to the hub found in the search results angry!
   You click one of the links provided and you end up on a page where you have to "search again" to try to find what you click initially.
   I know I would Not go to that trouble, but leave that site and look elsewhere in the search results or use the Google "block" since the link was mis-leading.
   If we are not allowed to use mis-leading links, then how can a site be allowed to do it?

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8. 69

   lrohnerposted 12 years ago

   Notice that those links take you pages with ads that I don't believe we get a share of either. Unless, of course, HP has done some slick programming.

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   1. 67

      Michael Willisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Didn't think about that, but that would not be right to use our work and link and not give US our share!

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9. 69

   lrohnerposted 12 years ago

   Paul used the word "testing" in that thread, although I don't know he meant the breadcrumb microformats specifically. So it's possible that this isn't permanent -- at least let's hope not.

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   1. 67

      Michael Willisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I hope not as well.

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      1. 89

         Howard S.posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Paul's reference to testing in that other link was specifically to displaying the contest announcement on each topic page. Now that the April contest has gone, topic pages are back to normal.
         
         That leaves the OP issue of breadcrumb microformats. I tried leaving out the topic entirely, which would shorten the breadcrumb, perhaps all the way to my hub. However, HP requires at least one level of topic selection.

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