In a slight rut.

1. 76

   jenniferrpoveyposted 12 years ago

   I've now been averaging fifty to sixty views a day across all of my hubs for over a month. The overall trend is leveling out. Needless to say, this isn't the performance I would like.
   
   Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong? I'm aware that it might be lack of videos (I don't like using other people's stuff and lack the skill and in some cases the logistical opportunity to make my own). I also don't really backlink because it strikes me as grey hat. Is that what I have to do or is there something else I could work on? I know it's not the quality of my writing itself that's at issue here.
   
   I've been here for five months and been active for about three and a half, posting about five hubs a week.

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   1. 81

      gregasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You have to figure, there are more new hubbers every day giving readers more to choose from. I believe the competition to draw readers is getting stiffer. You probably aren't doing abything wrong. Greg

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      1. 81

         gregasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         May I also suggest increasing how many are following you. Your followers get e-mails every time you publish a hub. The more followers you have, the more reads you should get. Greg

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   2. 87

      IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I would add videos from youtube where they are relevant. People like videos, and they can kept keep readers on a page for longer.
      
      I know what you mean about not wanting to add them because 'you don't like using other people's stuff' but people actually want their videos to be shared, that's why they upload in the first place.
      
      Your subject is very specialized, but people genuinely interested in what you are writing about will read every word, and probably watch the videos too.
      
      This is turn will keep people on the page longer, and Google may well move you up in the serps because of it (in their eyes, if people are stopping on a site for a while, it must be because it is good).

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2. 76

   jenniferrpoveyposted 12 years ago

   I'm ignoring internal traffic and followers for the most part. Besides, I can't control people following me. They will if they like me, they won't if they don't.
   
   Internal traffic is insignificant once you start getting real traffic, although it can make things look better when a new hub is posted.

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3. 87

   Will Apseposted 12 years ago

   One problem with the kind of evergreen content page that you are writing is just how long it takes to get traffic. It could be two or three years before your pages make their way to the top of Google- assuming they are actually better than what is out there already.
   
   If you want quick traffic you will need to be savvy to the kinds of things your target audience (horse lovers in your case, it seems) are searching for. You will also need to learn to spot gaps in what the established sites are covering.
   
   In other words, it is not always enough to be knowledgeable about a subject. You need to be knowledgeable about your audience, your competition, the zeitgeist and what works on a site like hubpages and what does not.
   
   Best of luck with all that.

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4. 76

   jenniferrpoveyposted 12 years ago

   If they're just maturing slowly, that's fine...the problem is I'm adding hubs but still seeing the same amount of traffic.
   
   I'll think about it on the videos. Like I said, I am definitely not comfortable with using anything I didn't make myself.
   
   This is more me thinking 'why am I leveling out while I keep adding new contact' and a feeling that that equates to a traffic *decline* rather than stability.

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   1. 87

      IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You might also be experiencing the 'sandbox effect' from Google, in which case there seems to be nothing you can do except keep writing quality hubs and wait for it to lift.
      Things have been very strange around here since we moved to subdomains last summer, because Google sees each subdomain as a brand new site.

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5. 82

   Mark Ewbieposted 12 years ago

   Hi Jennifer.  I have pretty much stopped moaning about my traffic, but this might cheer you up. Or at least make you feel less alone in wondering where the traffic is.
   
   I have 230 hubs.  Been here fifteen months, I think, stopped checking.
   
   Had my best ever traffic day yesterday, just over 200 hundred views.  Probably an anomaly, my average is 100 - 150.
   
   Income wise, I am still aiming for a dollar a day.
   
   I try not to think about it.

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6. 76

   jenniferrpoveyposted 12 years ago

   I joined quite a bit after the subdomain switch.
   
   I don't think so. For a couple of months I was getting nothing from Google. Then it became a trickle. I don't think it's the sandbox. It might be new site-itis, but not the sandbox. I had a slow but steady upward trend...very slow, but I'm expecting that.
   
   Maybe I need to write some more non horse related hubs?

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      IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The sandbox only hits new domains or subdomains. HP changed to subdomains before you joined, as you say, but your subdomain is brand new starting from your join date.
      So it could be the sandbox. Not saying it is, just that it could be, the point being that you just need to keep at it, keep writing new content (I know that is difficult when you are not seeing results) and one day your traffic will suddenly pour in. No steps and stages, it'll suddenly increase maybe 4-fold like it just did on my other account which is ages with yours.
      You are a good writer, and I see you know about SEO from the way you have written your hubs.

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7. 82

   K9keystrokesposted 12 years ago

   Hi Jennifer, I went over and checked out a couple of your hubs. You have a ton of knowledge in your area. One thing I did notice is that you do NOT have your hubs "grouped" together. This can help add a linking aspect to your work, which can assist in better traffic, because one hub is feeding off of another.
   Other helpful tools are provided by HubPages like Poll capsules, Quiz capsules, Tables, and even video capsules. By adding these to your work, you increase your worth to Google (as well as readers). Possibly adding helpful links (non commercial if you prefer) to great horse organizations, vets, and anything you find helpful in your field. If you don't wish to create internal links, these outside links can have impact, but in my opinion, I would only choose good sites to link in to.
   If you have time or desire, you may decide to read the information HP provides for creating a "stellar Hub" which is really helpful.
   Here is the link if you're interested: http://hubpages.com/learningcenter/Elem … tellar-Hub
   
   I wish you the best of luck!

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8. 86

   cardeleanposted 12 years ago

   Another thing that has been suggested in other threads is to join some discussion groups based on your niche and then as you have been a member for a bit, share some of your work there so that people will check out your hubs.  I personally haven't tried this yet (it's more of a time issue than lack of desire to) so I cannot speak from experience, I'm just sharing what others have said.  For me, I just now feel like I am getting some good regular traffic to my hubs and I've been here just over a year.  Unfortunately much of it just takes time.

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      K9keystrokesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Really good tips cardelean!

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9. 86

   cardeleanposted 12 years ago

   Thanks K9, as were yours.  Sometimes it's just hard to be patient.  This is definitely not a get rich quick scheme.  It takes time for all of that goodness to marinate!  (At least that's what I tell myself when I go to bed at night!) 

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      K9keystrokesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think you are right on Point cara. It is a situation where patience is a real requirement. But, using the right combination of tools and writing talent, it can bring in a pretty nice bit of change or top rank in time (which is great if these are ones goals). Nice to see you today, HubHugs!

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10. 61

    Randy Godwinposted 12 years ago

    Just be careful about any advice you get here, Jennifer.  Some on this page may be sound, but other such advice is merely speculation by some who simply do not have the experience to give it, despite their appearances otherwise. 
    
    Izzy and I have both experienced getting good traffic and then being slammed back down by Google after doing so. We have tried many of the suggestions given by the so-called "experts" here and they have made absolutely no difference in the sandbox effect.  Just sayin'!
    
    
    
    
    
                                               
    

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       IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       This is so true Randy. I bit my tongue the other day when someone posted that the reason those who have lost or are not seeing traffic is because they wrote spammy, poor stuff that Google hates.
       
       This is nonsense really, because nearly every time I search Google for information, their front page is full of crap, basically, short, spammy, poorly written and formatted pages.
       
       Which we are told they hate?
       
       I have hubs I thought were pretty awful, until I took them off here and put them onto a blog, and wow! I impressed myself. Did I really write that?
       
       We get too used seeing the HP format, and after a while we think our stuff isn't very good because Google isn't sending the traffic, but it's not our writing at all, not if we have written with SEO in mind and chosen our titles carefully.
       
       We'll just have to wait and see...

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          Randy Godwinposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Yep, sometimes I think it's just harder to say "I don't know what in the hell is going on" for some people than for others.  Sure, everyone wants to help, but if you read these various threads concerning people losing sudden traffic, or possibly being sandboxed, a lot of the advice comes from those who've never experienced such problems themselves. 
          
          Some of these same advisers  haven't been here long enough to obtain decent traffic, much less, lose it.  We've probably all listened to bad advice as newbies on this and other sites, so I hope people take a look at the experience and station of those giving the advice before taking it to heart.  As you and I both realize, no one knows much about what to do!   
          
          
          My traffic is up a bit, but not much! 
          
                                                                     
                                           

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11. 76

    jenniferrpoveyposted 12 years ago

    Yeah. I looked again and I DO have an upward trend, it had just slowed down. It's very slow, but it's there, and that's all I care about.
    
    I'll look into the grouping when I have a good block of time to do it in.

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       SmartAndFunposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Grouping is quick and easy to do once you find the right button to click on. What I like most about grouping is that it allows the writer to determine and name the groups, as opposed to the HP categories, where you just have to find the best fit. Sometimes the category is close but not quite right, and you have to settle for it anyway.

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