Google Search Rank Question - Will I lose My Current Position If ...

1. 60

   Cls1321posted 13 years ago

   Hey everybody,
   
   I have a hub on "defensive lineman tips" that I wrote in about 20 minutes last year. I just realized it's the 3rd result on Google when searching "Defensive Lineman Tips", but reading the article (it's one of my first) makes me cringe because it's pretty bad.
   
   
   I want to give it an overhaul and fix it up, because I've worked on my writing quite a bit this year. My question is, if I make drastic changes to the hub, will that effect my position on Google ?
   
   
   I'm not trying to be rude when I say, please don't answer this if you don't know, or haven't ever tried changing a hub and checking it's position. I really don't want to mess this up, it brings me thousands of views per year.

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   1. 72

      KeithTaxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If you step out of line you go all the way to the back. Then you have to wait until everyone else is served first.
      
      Ah....
      
      Are we talking about the lunch line.

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   2. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I don't see why it should. 
      
      Take a look at the "Keywords" section under "Stats" on the Hub.  That will tell you the top search terms that people are typing in to find your Hub.  There will be some that only got you one or two visitors - don't worry about those.  But you do need to note the ones that got you most visitors, and make sure you don't delete any of them from your title or text when you do the edit!
      
      Provided you preserve those search terms, you shouldn't lose any of the visitors you're already getting.  And who knows, if you add more material, you may attract some more.
      
      Don't unpublish while you do the edit, there's no need.

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   3. 58

      Adult Contentposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You need to decide which is more important: getting all those views OR NOT looking like you can't really write.
      personally, when I am faced with an issue like that I simply post the article in all its different versions in different places online.
      You should honestly be able to make SOME changes but becareful of your keywords for sure!

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2. 60

   Cls1321posted 13 years ago

   I hope I can edit it. I broke every rule I try to follow now.
   
   
   I clumped up long paragraphs, I didn't write with any authority, and in general didn't use proper grammar in a number of places.
   
   At one point I wrote "this may or may not help you". That must really fill the reader with confidence.
   
   At least it's good to see how much I've learned in just one year.

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   1. 60

      Greg Cremiaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I change #1 pages all the time and it doesn't hurt IF;
      
      You don't change the title/url.
      
      You keep the content you have but move it around and add to it.
      
      The big g actually likes change and the additional content might take you to #1

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   2. 0

      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think that you could correct the grammar and spelling mistakes, whilst rearranging the paragraphs without altering the core text.
      I would stop short at completely rewriting it.
      
      Although of course, you could just find out what all the entrance keywords are via google analytics, and just ensure that you retain any that provide you with a significant amount of traffic

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3. 66

   lrohnerposted 13 years ago

   There's an old saying, "If it ain't broke, why fix it?"
   
   I usually edit hubs for the opposite reason--they're not performing and I'm trying to up their game. But if your Title, URL, backlinks and primary and related keywords remain pretty stable, you should be fine changing up the text. SunForged or Darkside may have a more authoritative answer for you though.

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4. 67

   Peter Hogganposted 13 years ago

   Changing the content of the page might affect rankings positively or negatively, but it’s more likely that your rankings are being influenced most by the links that already point to your hub. HubPages does a good job at getting your page well linked from related hubs and through tags etc.

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5. 60

   Cls1321posted 13 years ago

   Thank you everybody who responded.

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6. 60

   DC Researchposted 13 years ago

   I would change it gradually.  Start with the first paragraph because that is what most people read anyways.  It's also what keeps them on your page, which counts for something too.
   
   Google likes freshly updated pages, just no overhauled ones.  I wouldn't change the whole thing right away.  Do it gradually over time and keep watch on your SERPs.

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7. 57

   TerryGlposted 13 years ago

   In my experience when making changes nothing appears to happen with the positioning on Google. What does happen though is the bounce rate and time on site for a visitor improves drammatically.
   
   That would mean the changes are more engaging to the visitor. I agree and concur with the advice given above and would not make huge changes. I would add such things as photos and maybe video in keeping with what Hubpages want from our hubs.

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8. 38

   Dale Nelsonposted 13 years ago

   On the page that shows the results in the search engine, you will notice the highlighted part of your hub that google determined to be of relevance to the search term in bold font. I would leave that sentence as is so that it still returns the result for the search term.

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