Answers needed from an internet guru...or a psychic!

1. 91

   habeeposted 12 years ago

   Today my HP traffic was the highest ever - WAY higher than it was pre-Panda. Since the switch to sub-domains, my traffic and earnings have steadily climbed. What I want to know is:
   
   Is this likely to last?
   
   Why is it happening?
   
   Just because I've endured some Google algorithm updates, am I likely to continue to do so?
   
   Does anyone really know?
   
   Do you have a crystal ball?? If so, does it work?

   replyreport
   1. 91

      prairieprincessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Habee, I have had exactly the same thing happen to me today, too, and I have the same question. My numbers are almost doubled today!
      
      I hope it is long-lasting. Congrats, by the way, on the climb. That must be encouraging.

      replyreport
   2. 88

      SimeyCposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I've been watching my Google Analytics very carefully for a while.
      I've had four surges and four plunges - there was a pattern, where I'd surge for a week, plunge for a week but that recently changed.
      
      I surged for a week, plunged for one day, and surged again - I'm in surge mode at the moment - I actually follow one of my hubs on Google and I can tell when I am in surge or plunge mode based on its ranking. On a surge it ranks 4, on a plunge it ranks 10 - it's steady at 4 at the moment.
      
      Will this last? I certainly hope so - I'd like to think that all Google are doing now is tweaking the algorithm and it should be getting close to being a done deal (until the next time) - I expect the fluctuations to die down....
      
      What it has made me do though is to really take a close look at my Hubs - I've gone through about half of them already - removed hundreds of Amazon Ads and eBay ads that were cluttering them and deleted about 30-40 hubs. If Google truly want quality, then I'm ensuring that my hubs are generally good and hopefully I will benefit! I'm also making sure I have summaries...

      replyreport
   3. 72

      galleryofgraceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Habee , I googleplus oned your article and posted it to FB and Twitter yesterday. Just felt like sharing your article to folks that would appreciate it.. Maybe that helped.

      replyreport
      1. 91

         habeeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Grace, that was really nice of you!

         replyreport
         1. 72

            galleryofgraceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I do it whenever I run across an excellent article or something that others will enjoy or can use. I believe in doing unto others what I would want someone to do for me, with a glimmer of hope that it will come back. Little selfish, hunh? really your article was excellent.

            replyreport
2. 87

   Will Apseposted 12 years ago

   Traffic surges for me usually mean a panda run/reassessment. I hate them. You never know where you will end up in a few days time.

   replyreport
3. 64

   2uesdayposted 12 years ago

   Hi habee, sorry I do not fall into either catergory.
   
   However if it is any help I watched a few youtube videos of the Google team talking about algorithms and they way I understood it there are constant updates. We just noticed the Panda one more because it was bigger and affected us more dramatically. I have read or seen somewhere that Google algorithm updates are an ongoing process as they tweak and test it as they try to advance the service for 'searchers'. It is I guess about them trying to keep ahead of the competition for search. That is not very reassuring from our point of view as who knows what will happen next.
   
   You must be doing something Google likes, well done habee  and I hope it continues to work for you.
   
   My stats are no where near yours, if anyone is curious, they look more like a roller coaster at a funfair. I have got use to days/weeks of red arrows and then the blue  ones. It certainly keeps us on our toes and looks like it may be how it continues too.

   replyreport
4. 83

   CMHypnoposted 12 years ago

   I would just enjoy it Habee and ride the wave as long as it lasts - you have worked hard and deserve to benefit.
   
   And trust me however insecure the big G is making us all feel, plungedom is worse as the light is currently not shining at the end of the tunnel!

   replyreport
5. 87

   Will Apseposted 12 years ago

   I should say I have never suffered any real plunge on my main account after a surge. The last surge was followed by a loss of a few hundred views a day once it had all settled out.
   
   It is possible Habee will prove worthy of this extra traffic and keep it all. Or a part of it. Or lose a little of what she had before- but not so that you would really notice.
   
   I certainly hope there are no catastrophes. We have all worked hard enough on this stuff.

   replyreport
6. 80

   LeanManposted 12 years ago

   Mine seems to be up slightly today also, even taking into account a batch of new hubs published, it has steadily climbed since the switch to subdomains to being 4 to 5 times what it was pre-panda..
   
   Most of my hubs are informational and only contain a handful of amazon items, no where near the 50 word limit. Most of my hubs are also 1000 words plus with videos, photos and external links to quality sites in the same niches as the hubs. In my mind they are also quality work and I have a good bounce rate and high time on page... so maybe the algorithm for Mr.G actually is beginning to work! Or maybe I just have too high an opinion of my own BS... lol
   
   I have a weekly cycle with my peak always on Tuesday and low views at the weekend, but then most of my work is business related so I would expect that.
   
   I have had no plunge at all - I just hope that writing this does not encourage one!

   replyreport
7. 94

   wildernessposted 12 years ago

   Habee, I don't think there's a soul on the planet that can tell you what has happened or will happen down the road.  Not even google engineers.
   
   I saw a huge surge a month after subdomains, which turned into a very slow climb for around a month.  Then a sudden bump of around 20% that was good for a week.  Now maybe another 20% bump, although only for two days so far, so don't know if it's just odd traffic or a real permanent bump.  I'm at the point I'm seeing traffic at well over 4X pre-panda levels but scared to death it will all go away at one point.
   
   I've kind of decided that I can't just sit and wait - I'll wait forever, trembling in fear and never getting anything done.  I've written a few new hubs and yesterday put in another 30 or so ebay links to add to the 20 I put in when HP got me into the program.
   
   I'll to continue to do what I feel will help traffic and earnings and the heck with google.  If they slap me, they slap me.  I'm tired of waiting.
   
   Yes, I'll keep the # of amazon and ebay links in mind and limit them.  I'll keep the percentage of sales hubs low relative to the total # of hubs.  I'll watch for keyword stuffing.  I'll do all this stuff, but will continue to grow my subdomain and hope for the best.

   replyreport
   1. 91

      habeeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi, Wildebeest. You're right, of course - that's all we can do. Like you, I'm not just sitting back and waiting. I'm writing new hubs, tweaking old ones, and gradually working on my other sites. What worries me more than disappearing traffic is losing my Adsense account. I've read some horror stories lately about people who swear they've never violated the TOS yet still lost their accounts. That would be a nightmare!

      replyreport
      1. 94

         wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, that would be a nightmare indeed, leaving me with only Amazon and ebay, neither of which are doing much yet.
         
         One of the things I've just done is go through the WMT looking for high volume search terms that I'm not doing well with.  As an example, I found one with some 12,000 searches for which I think got 11hits in the last month.  I hadn't used it at all, although I could have; it's now in my title, summary, etc.  Maybe I'll pick up a few hundred extra views that way.
         
         Things like that I'll gloss over even if they do show up in the title tuner, but that 12,000 searches interested me; I want a chunk of that.
         
         Might be worth it to scan down that list...

         replyreport
         1. 79

            Aficionadaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I haven't used Webmaster Tools very much yet - some, not much.  Is the number of searches listed there?  Or does it only list keywords (and then you have to cross-check in the Adwords Keyword Tool)?

            replyreport
            1. 94

               wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               There is a section that lists searches pertinent to your subdomain.  It shows the number of searches and the number of clicks through to your hubs from each search term along with other information.
               
               Lots of good info on WMT and I haven't hardly scratched the surface yet.  This was just one I though to share as I found it useful.  Or at least I hope it will be useful!

               replyreport
      2. 88

         mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Wildebeest??? Is this a 'private' nickname you have for Wilderness Habee?

         replyreport
         1. 94

            wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Not sure about that one either.  I just hope Habee isn't the crocodile hiding in the river, waiting for the herd to cross!

            replyreport
            1. 88

               mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I wonder if she just read my latest hub on the worst pets for families, as it included Wildebeest, (also crocodiles ironically) lol. Perhaps this was still in the back of her mind

               replyreport
               1. 94

                  wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Could be - I don't think I would make a very good pet, and somehow I doubt Habee would either.  Somewhere I seem to have picked up the idea that that gal has a mind of her own!

                  replyreport
                  1. 88

                     mistyhorizon2003posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Perhaps she was getting the habitat mixed up with the animal, i.e. wildebeest living in the wilderness lol
                     
                     Yes, Habee has got a mind of her own for sure

                     replyreport
                     1. 94

                        wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        

                        replyreport
                  2. 91

                     habeeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Wilderness, I'm sure hubby would agree with you about the mind-of-her-own thingie! I meant no disrespect by my nickname for you. It's just that every time I see your hubname, for some reason I think "wildebeest"! Yeah, sometimes my mind is kinda strange. lol

                     replyreport
                     1. 94

                        wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        No offense taken, Habee - I think it's kind of funny.  Maybe I should have chosen that instead of "wilderness".  I don't run with the crowd very well (that mind of my own, too) but am pretty good at jumping into deep water without knowing what's out there.

                        replyreport