Question: Has HP become more difficult or easier for you?

1. 0

   Sophia Angeliqueposted 13 years ago

   I have to ask.
   
   Has HP become easier or more difficult as you've gone along.
   
   For me, my readership has fallen off completely during the last week or so. Well, it's fallen off on HP but more than trippled on search engines (which isn't saying much because it didn't have any hits when I started). Well, it's now 40% of my HP hits.
   
   I'm not quite sure why but although I know that I'm making progress, it feels like with the loss of HP readership, I'm doing worse. Of course, most people will read the stuff of newbies first, just as I was a newbie the week before last.
   
   So, let's say you've been here six months. Has HP become easier for you in terms of getting the traffic you need/want, or more difficult?

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   1. 81

      Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Sophie,
      
      I have been here 3 weeks longer than you, but not got the output you have.  Anyway I may be a little bit ahead of the curve timewise.
      
      I was pleased, and still am (oh yes), with hubbers visiting and so on.  Then I started to notice some external traffic.  Then I realised how small that external traffic was.
      
      Now the traffic thing seems busted today - but it has been showing a gradual rise in traffic over the last few weeks - which might be more hubs, better keywords or just luck.  Or that magic ageing thing they talk about.  Or some organic whatever that I don't understand.
      
      So at present 95% at least of my traffic is HP.  But I am hoping that the small trickle of external traffic will grow.
      
      Not sure why I wrote all this - probably doesn't help at all.

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   2. 83

      Aya Katzposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It has gotten easier, because there is more organic traffic, but the meaning of my relationship to HP and to other hubbers has changed over time. I do sometimes miss the period when the comments were more plentiful. As we mature as hubbers, it's like maturing elsewhere in life, your perspective changes, but you feel nostalgia for your earlier, less enlightened state.

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      1. 81

         Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         That's beautifully put.

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      2. 89

         rmcrayneposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I feel much the same way.  When I retired from the Air Force, I took a year and a half off, including my first year on HubPages.  I was averaging about 15-18 hubs a month, and regularly read others' hubs and was active in the forums. 
         
         Since I returned to work, I have much less time for any of those things.  I have fewer comments from hubbers now, especially "regulars".  But I had lots of support, including hub comments from fellow hubbers in the early days when I really needed the support.

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      cookingdivaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Sophia,
      
      I do not have any words of wisdom, but any traffic from hubs or outside is good, right?
      
      I am new to HP so can not tell you how it is for me, as I am still learning but so far it has been very addictive and fun.

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   4. 72

      thisisoliposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You want to be getting search engine traffic, not hubpages traffic.

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2. 91

   Pcunixposted 13 years ago

   I have been here six months.
   
   Easier. No question about it.

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3. 62

   prettydarkhorseposted 13 years ago

   easier as time goes by
   
   HP writers read other hubs when :
   
   you read also their hubs
   they really want that information/knowledge derived from your hub
   curiosity
   your hub is exceptional/you are really a good writer
   or you post your hub for makeover.

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4. 74

   wearing wellposted 13 years ago

   Just celebrated one year here:)
   Definately easier but always learning new things.

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5. 83

   Aya Katzposted 13 years ago

   Thanks, Mark!

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   1. 0

      Sophia Angeliqueposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks.
      
      That's encouraging. I'm finding that the news triggers what I write somedays, shopping triggers what I write other days, and surfing the net triggers what I write most of all.

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6. 85

   Lily Roseposted 13 years ago

   Without a doubt, it becomes easier.

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7. 60

   libby101aposted 13 years ago

   I've found it has become a lot easier! My first few weeks it seemed as though all I was getting was HP hits... but gradually over the past few months my organic traffic (google) has become my primary source of hits--around 80%. And I'm starting to earn more money!

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8. 69

   travelespressoposted 13 years ago

   It's definitely much easier now.  I used to agonize over putting a hub together, adding text capsules etc etc.  Now I can do it all in a flash - well some of it anyway!
   
   The changes Hubpages have implemented have helped to make the process much smoother and easier too.  I feel more comfy around here too!
   
   I'm sure it will get easier for you too.

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9. 76

   sofsposted 13 years ago

   It flows easier with age.. I mean gets easier with time.
   I used to have a trying time with my hubs at first now it is definitely easier.
   I have learnt more, understand how things work and more than that have fallen in love with HP.
   
   The comfort level has made it easier for me to write too!

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10. 80

    skyfireposted 13 years ago

    In 1 year 5 months experience here, i found the interface of publishing hubs turned out to be more better and GPRS friendly.

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11. 79

    Karandaposted 13 years ago

    Definitely easier, and yes, over time the traffic has started to flow from external sources. I made the mistake when I first started of doing little on HubPages apart from adding the odd hub, but in the last 10 weeks paying attention to creating more hubs and being part of the community has shown a steady increase in page views and not all from HubPages itself. Now I get the same amount of views each month that I had in the first 8 months in total.

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    1. 0

       Sophia Angeliqueposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       You all say it gets easier, and that's really nice to know.
       
       By that I'm assuming you mean that the number of google hits go up?
       
       Did you publicize your work on other sites in order to do this? Or did the search engines just pick them up after a while?

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    2. 81

       Mark Ewbieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Pleased for you Karanda.

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12. 80

    PurpleOneposted 13 years ago

    I think it gets easier overall. However, I go through phases where I feel I'm on a roll and then phases where it seems like I'm going backwards.
    
    Yes, the more you read and write hubs, the more you learn and with that, comes increased traffic and earnings if that is your goal. When I look at it logically, my traffic and earnings have drastically improved over the past few months when I started finally pumping out more hubs. At the same time though, now my expectations are much higher for myself, and whereas before I would have been super excited to see $1 a day from Adsense, it now takes more than that to impress me.
    
    But it gets easier for sure! Good luck!

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    1. 0

       Sophia Angeliqueposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks. So the key I'm seeing over here is that you have to keep posting, and I'm also picking up that it's a hit and miss affair. Essentially, the more you publish, and assuming one gets the keywords right, at some point, one of them will be a hit!

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