Longevity of Hubpages

1. 67

   Traqqerposted 12 years ago

   Can anyone explain if there is a requirement or at least an incentive somewhere somehow that would force or cause Hubpages to keep being active in its current form for many many years to come? The reason I ask is that I went through writing a lot of articles and then promoting eHow (not just my articles, but the site in general) only to have them close shop on their writer's compensation program.
   
   Any insights you can provide would be welcome.

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      CASE1WORKERposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Do some research on how much they invested to create HP and then ask your self that question again

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   2. 57

      Mrvoodooposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      What happened to you on eHow, could easily happen to you here, in an instant.  There are no guarantees on this type of site, as many have found out recently (on HP, and elsewhere).
      
      You got burnt once.  But whether you learn from your mistake, or repeat it, is down to you.

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      1. 67

         Traqqerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         "But whether you learn from your mistake, or repeat it, is down to you."
         
         Are you saying that we should just stop writing for HP and stop hanging out in these forums. What mistake are you talking about? Please clarify?

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         1. 61

            saleheensblogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Keep your eggs in different baskets, spread the risk. Put your work on multiple sites. Creating own website is the best way to go.

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               psycheskinnerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Also this, +1.

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                  Barbara Kayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I added the +1 to my site only to see that no one else in my niche has it. I'm wondering if that is a big deal or not.

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            recommend1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Like any business there is no guarantee that HP will keep going in its current form, the same goes for all the other sites.  I have taken the route of always backing up everything to my own computer so that I can put it elsewhere if I wake up one morning and HP (or other site) has imploded.
            
            The way to go is to construct your own website and use the farms like these to put articles that point to your site or other of your stuff elsewhere. Any one part going down is irritating and a loss of established google points, but can be contained to the one section of your stuff.

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         3. 57

            Mrvoodooposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Your mistake, if I understood your initial post correctly, was investing a lot of time and effort into a site that you didn't control, and then you had the rug pulled out from under your feet.  Making that investment of time/effort a poor one.
            
            To repeat it, would be doing exactly the same thing on HP, or any other site that you don't control.  Because sooner, or later, the same thing will most likely happen again.
            
            The solution: read the Panda's response above ^.  And everybody else's too for that matter (except Caseworkers, which you can disregard).  These sort of sites should only really be used as satellites, to compliment, and support your own sites. 
            
            Backlinks, URL, age/maturity of content, are all hugely important to the way articles rank/earn.  And all of these can be taken away from you in an instant, without apology, or recourse, on any revenue sharing site (as many have recently found out).

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   3. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      HubPages is a business, just like eHow.  While (at least until the recent Panda debacle) they've had a great record of looking after their writers up till now, the bottom line is that their priority is to survive as a business.   They can't give you, or any of us, any guarantees.
      
      As others said, the safe thing is to spread your work over several sites - and your own site, if you feel you've gained enough knowledge.

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      psycheskinnerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The best predictor of future behavior, is past behavior. Hubpages has been around and actively adapting to the online situation for over 5 years now (possibly longer, I have been aware of them since around 2006)--and that is a pretty good record in the world of content farming. That means more to me than some 'promise'.  Today.com promised me all sorts of things before banning me from their forums and then vanishing.

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      1. 67

         Traqqerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Although a little obscure and not really backable, this is the kind of response I was looking for. Just whether you think HP will keep its WCP going for a long time, and an explanation why. That's all.

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   5. 72

      relacheposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Doesn't your experience with eHow make asking this question sort of moot?
      
      Nothing on the Internet is certain and things can change at any time, surely the Panda update earlier this year made that clear.  HubPages is a privately-owned company.  The owners probably consider being in business and making money somewhat of an incentive, but there are zero requirements or incentives for them to stay in the current form.
      
      The present form of HubPages and how the site is operated is kinda similar and also extremely different from how it operated when I joined during the beta test phase.  Each year since then has brought some sort of profound and fundamental changes to the site and people either have liked the changes or they haven't.

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      1. 67

         Traqqerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Zero requirements I would agree with, but incentives...? There are plenty, not the least of which is to keep writers writing and to keep increasing the earnings. Isn't that at least some incentive?

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         1. 85

            Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            You'd think so, wouldn't you, but events suggest otherwise.  You've been here 11 months, but your question suggests you haven't been active in the community lately, so let me bring you up to date.
            
            When Google updated its algorithm (the Panda update) in January, HubPages (like almost all revenue-sharing sites) lost half its traffic overnight.
            
            The sites reacted in different ways, because Google refused to tell the sites exactly where they were going wrong, so the sites had to make their own educated guesses. 
            
            HubPages reacted by changing a LOT of rules.  A major consequence of that was that what we called "Sales" Hubs, heavily promoting products, were seen as one of the things Google didn't like.  Affiliate marketing was also on the blacklist.
            
            Up till that point, Sales and affiliate Hubs were highly successful and easily the best way to make money on HubPages.  Many of the most successful Hubbers wrote them.  They received emails telling them they had two weeks to modify their Hubs or they'd be deleted.
            
            For Hubbers with hundreds of Hubs, two weeks was unrealistic.  Anyway, many of them felt that if they changed the tried and tested format of their Hubs, they would cease to be successful.
            
            The result was that most of the top performers on HubPages walked away.  Nelle Hoxie, one of the most financially successful Hubbers of all time, deleted every single one of her hundreds of Hubs. 
            
            And guess what?  HubPages made absolutely no effort to reach out to those writers to entice them back.  Some of those writers even tried reaching out to HubPages management, but received dismissive or even rude replies.
            
            Either they decided they didn't want that kind of internet-savvy writer any more, or they think online writers are ten a penny and they'll soon be replaced.  Which is true, but will they be as good?

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      2besureposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Sadly to say there are no guarantees.  The difference between ehow and hubpages is ehow did not communicate with it's writers.  They had the attitude like, we don't have to tell you anything.
      
      When ehow did communicate with writers, it was all bold faced lies.  Even though I got paid for a year and a have of my earnings, I still feel robbed of the life time earning that was promised.
      
      Sooo, don't put all your eggs in one basket and continue to seek for other avenues to make money online.

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   7. 64

      hotwebideasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Anything is possible. HP could close up or it could be here for a long time. I suggest just staying here if you like it or leaving if you don't, but since you cannot predict the future, I assume you should just have fun no matter where you end up on the web.

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   8. 74

      Barbara Kayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I like to write here, because I write about anything that hits my fancy and I can't do that at my websites.
      
      Hubpages also has a ranking of 6. It would take a lot of linking to get a new website at that rank. Maybe individual hubs don't pick up that ranking. Anyone with more knowledge about that?

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      1. 85

         Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         No, individual Hubs don't pick up that ranking. 
         
         Google does look at the whole domain as well as the individual URL's, though. Before Panda, the fact that a Hub was part of a high-PR site definitely helped - Hubs would take a few months to get going, but even without any promotion, they would rise in the search engine rankings.
         
         I haven't written any Hubs recently so I don't know whether that has changed since Panda.

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         1. 74

            Barbara Kayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Marrisa, Thanks for the answer. Some of my hubs are doing much better than I could have done on a couple of my sites though. My sites are in highly competitive niches though.

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2. 95

   PaulGoodman67posted 12 years ago

   You would maybe have more security with your own site(s).  There is no security and the internet is constantly changing.
   
   I personally am trying to have diversity.

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3. 67

   Traqqerposted 12 years ago

   I hear what you're saying. As starting out first with eHow back in 2007, and then testing the waters further with other writing and compensation sites like HP and IB, it was hard for me to say that I should have known....these were my first experiences. I didn't understand the business end of it then as I do now. One could say that it would have been in eHow's best interests to continue the WCP as more and more articles would have meant more income for them in the long run (that's appears to sound logical). And this is what a lot of other folks thought as well. So, it's not a clear cut case of knowing that the site could close at any time (of course it could, but so could any other company). The point is, whether we think it will or not. What incentives or requirements (if any) are there that would keep it going or want it to close.
   
   As for spreading our eggs, I tend to agree, but here's my point: realistically, I can only spread my eggs in a few places, perhaps 3-4 places. Overtime, each of those places add up to a significant amount of time invested. Even if I only occasionally write a hub here or there, it all adds up to a substantial amount of time over a few years. That's really why I was asking the question. I already have my eggs spread on other writing sites, and already have my own site as well.
   
   So, all I was really asking for was whether you thought there might be any real reason for HP keep its WCP going for a long time. At eHow, long before they closed the WCP, everyone thought there was a huge incentive for eHow to keep going on literally forever. But there were a few who had some foreknowledge and warned others.
   
   So, it seems to be unanimous more or less that you all think HP could close shop literally at any time. Then my next question would be: why then create so many hubs? Why not just create your own blogs or websites? Is it the comraderie or fun? And I'm really asking this question to those who tend to have a lot of hubs (e.g., 100+ hubs). Sorry if I sound narrow-minded. I'm mostly interested in earning some passive income (i.e., not writing for fun). Aren't there far easier ways to create backlinks to your own websites. Writing a hub is a lot of work.

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      CMHypnoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Some people aren't writing for backlinks or income, they just want to write and find HP an easy place to publish.
      
      Some people do no have the confidence, time, knowledge to build their own sites.
      
      Every hubber is different and has their own ideas and priorities
      
      Nothing in life is ever secure or lasts for ever - change is probably the only certainty

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      1. 67

         Traqqerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         "....confidence, time, knowledge ...."
         "Every hubber is different ...."
         "Nothing in life is ever secure or lasts for ever - change is probably the only certainty."
         
         So, poetic and prophetic......thank you grasshopper....he he he. LOL. Sorry, I couldnt' resist.

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         1. 61

            saleheensblogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            People write in hubpage for few more reasons, even established webmasters like rayankett, sunforged, thisisoli, aya katz, mark knowles, neli hoxie, misha, sufidreamer, waynet............and many more who have their own established websites liked hubpages as a publishing platform because of it's search engine visibility, easy and enriched hub building tools, friendly and wise community and overall earning potential etc. Earlier before Panda update articles in hubpages used to gain better visibility in search engine and generate more revenue in a short span of time. It was one of the champion in it's style and earning potential. Therefore, people loved to write in hubpages even after having their own places. But after the Panda update hubpages has lost it's brightness a lot and crazy updates by the management has had it even worse. Now, hubpages is struggling and I don't think they will regain the position again that they used to hold earlier. Already many a great hubbers who used to really earn good amount of money from hubpages have moved away and taken their materials off. This tells the story of the ups and downs of any online business. Now you know why people used to write in hubpages and why many don't write anymore. Again many still write and many will. Only you can decide what to do now.

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   2. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      ANY business could close shop literally at any time. We're not casting gloom and doom about HP - we're just saying it's a fact of modern business, especially on the internet.  And especially right now, because revenue-sharing sites were a  successful, growing business model until Panda hit. 
      
      Panda was a serious setback for all rev-sharing sites and they must all be considering whether to invest money to rebuild, or cut their losses and get out one way or the other.  Helium.com has just been sold.  Tagfoot is closing.
      
      
      
      1. Because, unlike some other sites, your Hubs belong to you.  Write them in Word and copy/paste them into HubPages - if HubPages folds, or if you change your mind, your work isn't wasted.
      
      2.  While HubPages was riding high, you could write a Hub and not have to do any promotion.  It would rise in the rankings all on its own.  Whereas if you create a blog or website, you have to spend more hours promoting it than you do writing it.
      
      
      A few reasons:
      
      1.  Because a Hub gives you a double benefit:  you can earn money on the Hub itself, plus it gives you a good contextual backlink to your website or blog.
      
      2. Because on HubPages, you can write on a wide variety of subjects - whereas if you have a website or blog, you must focus it on one subject only.  Of course, you can start a lot of websites/blogs, one for each subject, but then you need to create a lot of material, too.
      
      
      
      Give me an example?
      
      Directories and bookmarking sites give you low value backlinks.  Traffic exchanges will lose you your Adsense account.  It's contextual backlinks which have the real value.
      
      There are numerous paid backlinking services out there, where you pay $450 to $150 a month to get those backlinks - but you still have to write the articles!   That's why sites like HubPages are so attractive - instead of having to pay to put your link on a site, you get paid.

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4. 0

   Home Girlposted 12 years ago

   Change is good, though we tend to moan and complain because we do not want changes, they deprave us from illusion of stability most of us need. Nothing in life is stable or guaranteed. It's all about how we can adapt to changes and what can make or break us in a long run. Why do I write for Hubpages? Because they accepted me, and writing helps me to survive difficult times in my life. It's my "mental escape" from hard reality of my life.

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5. 77

   imatellmuvaposted 12 years ago

   I read on the On Demand Studio site, and under ehow-frequently asked questions that they, On Demand, are the new platform for ehow...since April 2010. If you joined before this time-frame then your articles will still be paid under the ehow's writers compensation program. Anyone who joined after will be paid under the On Demand Studio guidelines. Just like ehow, On Demand has revenue sharing, the potential for unlimited revenue earnings, and flat fee assignments. I also read that to be pre-approved for On Demand, existing writers in the compensation program must be current; they must have written at least (5) articles published with 80% accepted by March, 2010. If you haven't met this criteria, then it seems (because it doesn't say exactly) that you must apply as a writer to On Demand. If you've been writing for ehow, but haven't published the required number of articles by the deadline, then it seems all that's needed by you is an application, and once approved you'll still be compensated for new articles just as you were with ehow.

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      Barbara Kayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Changes were made in 2011. Many of the writers had their articles purchased by eHow and others decided not to do that since they felt the offering for them was too low.

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         imatellmuvaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I read this from the On Demand Studio site, under eHow-Frequently asked questions. According to the site the changes began in 2010 at 12 am pacific time...they were no longer accepting new articles. They did say that it will take time to move pre-approved writers over.  Perhaps this took through 2011 to complete (?). The Frequently asked questions did not address the purchase of articles by eHow, perhaps this was addressed in seperate correspondence with existing writers. My point was to simply share, that according to OnDemand, writers can and are still paid for their articles. The amount paid may not be the same (I don't know) I was approved as a writer for On Demand, but only this year ( I have yet to a publish a single article).  Traqqer only mentioned that eHow closed shop  on the writers compensation progam",

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            Barbara Kayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            imatellmuva, Sorry if I understood you wrong.

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