Worse Traffic Loss I Have Ever Experienced

1. 57

   Southernmapartposted 11 years ago

   I want to be clear about my reason for being upset that Bing is showing my Facebook profile on the search page.  This year we've all learned we're being followed by advertisers when we are on the internet.  When we go to totally unrelated sites which have advertising, we'll get an ad box on our screen where we have indicated an interest elsewhere.  In addition, a number of the larger websites, Hub Pages is an example, gives us an option of logging on through our Facebook page. 
   
   We all know that any party interested enough to find personal information could search for it through an IP address and other posted information.  I'm concerned about the connection to the extra-personal information that is on FB, such as personal contacts, family connections and face-recognition software. 
   
   Are Hubbers doing anything about this invasion of privacy?  If I create 15 different profiles on Facebook from my IP address, what will Bing and Google do about that to follow?

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2. 80

   Healthy Pursuitsposted 11 years ago

   My count has been recovering today. It's up over 50% of what it was, when it was down by 90%.

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3. 94

   Daughter Of Maatposted 11 years ago

   My account seems to be bouncing all over the place. It plummets then recovers a bit, then plummets again. I'm on an upswing at the moment... I just hope it sticks around!

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4. 81

   dhannyyaposted 11 years ago

   mine also is recovering...

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5. 66

   hazelwood4posted 11 years ago

   Mine was recovering some yesterday, but it is back down today.  Hopefully, will see some of a rebound tommorow.

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   1. 89

      JayeWisdomposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I hope mine will recover soon. This situation is very stressful!

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6. 80

   leakeemposted 11 years ago

   Mine has been down for over a week! It went up earlier this week but crashed back.

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7. 57

   Southernmapartposted 11 years ago

   If Google is giving search placement priority to its advertisers, then other searched hits must be lowered.  Once the ratings recently dropped for so many writers, it appeared to me that only advertisers were getting priority placement.  The past few days has seem some leveling with a few non-advertisers getting a first-page showing, but placement is still top-heavy with advertising.
   
   Search in Google for Paula Deen, Martha Stewart and Emerial Lagassee, all self-made "food" personalities.  You'll get a sidebar in Google suggesting a search for "Rachel Ray" who is not self-made, and in my opinion, is a creation of certain media promoters.  If RR, and her backers are not paying to be featured on a page searched for prominent names in the industry, Google is cheating all of us. 
   
   If Google is going to be a search engine for advertisers, then I'll drop it to third or fourth place in my choices for searches due to being ineffective.  Google may end up being like the phone book Yellow Pages.  Only area land line phone service is advertised in the phone book and you have to look elsewhere for a full compliment of service providers.
   
   Some writers refer to Google in the plural.  Please explain.  Google is a corporation, is it not?  Why are you writing "Google are ...," rather than "Google is ... ?"

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   1. 57

      wabondposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree, Southernmapart. When you use a search engine you expect to be led to best results.  But if you are led to the advertisers who pay the most, then it is not what you want.  The sooner people wake up to the fact that Google is no longer a unbiased search engine, the sooner hubpages will be able to get good traffic volume from search engines not dominated by advertising.

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   2. 83

      Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree completely that Google is singular and an it, not plural and a 'they.'.
      
      Also, you are absolutely right about the commercialization of their searches.  I'm guessing many consumers won't realize they're being steered based on ad placements rather than content.  It's infuriating and if it's not changed will put us at risk of skewing other things. 
      
      People use the Internet as a resource for Information and research.  What would we think if resources in public libraries were displayed and catalogued based on ads?

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      1. 57

         Southernmapartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Public libraries are tax-supported while a Google is a private-for profit corporation.  The problem is that Google is operating across infrastructure that is tax supported and/or fee-based from other entities where users are expecting fair, relative search results.  Google does not own the fiber optic cable, wireless towers and satellites in place that allows for transmission of its data. 
         
         Google's priority given to advertisers is reminiscent of earlier times when land line phone service providers were required to offer options to allow the restriction of harassing phone calls.  If Google is going to sort searches based on advertisement then, at the top of each Google results page, there should be a disclaimer to the effect that "These results are given with priority to paid advertisement."

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   3. 79

      Sufidreamerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      In British English, it is perfectly acceptable to use the plural form of the verb when referring to a group of people or things

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      1. 83

         Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Our style guides here (USA) would classify Google as one entity, in which many are employed.  Google would then be referred to singularly.  We would not say "Congress are passing new laws," we would say it IS passing new laws.  Similarly, we would say Toyota IS building many cars, not Toyota ARE building many cars. 
         
         Google refers to the company/corporation.  If we talk about the staff there (Google developers, for example), we would say 'they are' designing new features.  But it would be in the context of the staff (which is plural), not the company, which is not plural.

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      2. 74

         WriteAngledposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Agreed. Moreover, I see company names used as plurals on a daily basis.

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         1. 83

            Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks for sharing how it's styled in the UK, Sufidreamer and WriteAngled - that helps explain the varying ways people style it here on HP.

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8. 82

   rontlogposted 11 years ago

   After Google's  update several months ago, like everyone else, my traffic dropped dramatically. I  decided to branch out a bit and created a Google Blog based on my previous best performing Hubpages Hub.
   I included the keywords in the title of the blog and it was no.1 on the results page for months.
   Now, after the latest update, when I type in the keywords, the blog is nowhere to be found in the results.
   The original Hubpages hub, on the same subject,  is still on page no. 1 of the search results, although at the bottom of the page.
   I have several photos on this hub which I took myself and one of these has recently found its way onto Pinterest.
   In about 4th place on the search results page is Pinterest, with my photo. 
   Why does my photo on Pinterest rank higher than my original Hub which contains lots of good content and original photos?
   Gotta love Google

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9. 55

   wrenfrost56posted 11 years ago

   I am experiencing a drop in traffic also, I am publishing more frequently then I have ever done before here on hp, yet my traffic tanking. Go figure
   
   If Google is page ranking for profit as has been suggested and seems possible, then I'm not sure how well hubbers are going to fare in the future.
   
   I will carry on writing here on hp, because I like the community and the site generally, however I'm not sure how good earnings or traffic will actually be in a few months or even years time if this continues.

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10. 67

    cdm2009posted 11 years ago

    I found a site that talks about Panda history, diagnosis, and a way to recover. It also may explain why HubPages has been making changes to fit the criteria of Panda and what things we can do to our current hubs and future hubs to avoid any further penalty. If you want you can read about it here: http://www.mytrafficdropped.com/panda/

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    1. 68

       Mazzy Boleroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for that, cdm2009. From what it says there, if the site corrects whatever has caused the Panda hit, we will have to wait until the next algorithm update, 4-6 weeks, for the problem to disappear.  Or is it a technical problem within Hubpages that is causing the problem and once it is correct the traffic will return to normal?

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    2. 57

       Southernmapartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       2009, here is what I find at the link:
       
       " You’re looking for new customers.  Odds are they’re looking for you, too.  With a Google ad, you can be found by people who are searching for exactly what you have to offer.  It’s how you can reach the right customers at the right moment—and we’ll even help you create it."
       
       "Give it a go  Get an additional $75 worth of advertising when you spend $25."
       
       "So how does a Google ad work?  Simply write your ad, choose some search terms that describe your products or services, then set a budget. When prospective customers search for what you offer, your ad is much more likely to be seen by them."
       
       "In order to activate this offer, you need to enter the promotional code through the Billing tab in your account before September 30, 2013."
       
       It is my perspective that Google is blatantly telling us that their advertisers will get preference in search listings.  The conundrum is that most content writers are looking for clicks and this is what Google is guaranteeing their advertisers.  This difference is that content writers are likely not to get listed search priority without providing Google with "clickable" content.

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    3. 57

       wabondposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       The site about the Panda update is a insult to our intelligence.  It is just full of poor excuses for what they are doing.  The fault for the drop in traffic is not anything to do with us, it is to do with Google.  As for claiming it is because of "poor content" on our part, does Google read all our hub pages and blogs? Off course they don't.   It is all about money and advertising.

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    4. 83

       Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for posting this link, cdm - it's good to have any resource we can get that might help us learn what we can do to address things.

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       1. 67

          cdm2009posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks Marcy. I just figured that anything might help. But then again it might not. We live in a very greedy world and as wabond and others have pointed out we may be seeing a huge shift in catering to advertisers with money. If so, we could be looking at a lost cause. I hope not, I'm going to continue to be optimistic about the whole thing.

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    5. 89

       JayeWisdomposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for the link, cdm...I read both the info about Panda penalty, Panda recovery and other reasons (many) for loss of traffic.  I'm still perplexed why traffic has dropped so much on my most-viewed site (from around 466 per day to 222 this morning), although it's still ranked in exactly the same first-page place by Google as it's been for months. I don't understand this, nor do I know how to "improve" what is already an excellent-content hub with no typos, misspellings, etc. (I admit I'm among the technically challenged.)

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       1. 83

          Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Jaye - I had the same confusing numbers - my most viewed hubs suddenly tanked, but are still 'there' and indexed.  Have you posted in Q&A?  According to Paul E., those posts were not supposed to show up as 'pages,' and since they're very short, if they're popping up as part of our work here, they'll be interpreted as substandard.
          
          I agree with cdm2009 that Panda has to iron out the wrinkles - but it appears the site might suffer in the meantime, especially if they don't push out another Panda update for several weeks.

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          1. 89

             JayeWisdomposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             I have posted in Q&A, not realizing that might affect my traffic. (I'll have to stay away for a while and see what happens.) Thanks, Marcy....

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             1. 81

                Mark Ewbieposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                My traffic has been affected and I have NEVER posted in Q&A.  Not asked - not answered.

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                1. 83

                   Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                   It's just my personal guess that Q&A affects things - based on Paul E's helpful info. It sounds like just having Q&A indexed as pages can affect the whole site, not just our subdomains. Mark, I'm thinking you could have been hit as an innocent bystander.

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11. 67

    cdm2009posted 11 years ago

    Mazzy that's a good question. I've noticed that webmasters all over  the internet are experiencing the same traffic issue as we are. I'm guessing that it is a combination of both. Hubpages may be trying to make changes to make our experience better here for us and at the same time trying to satisfy the mighty 'G'

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    1. 72

       Gareth Pritchardposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       This is what I have noticed and if you have your account set up with Google Analytics I suggest you take a look at your own Analytics numbers.
       
       I have lost two thirds of my traffic and this corresponds with a loss of two thirds of the words that where bringing me traffic.
       
       If you go to the left hand side bar in Analytics and click on Traffic Sources, overview, in the bottom right hand corner of the page you will see the total number of words bringing you traffic. compare this with the total numbers a month earlier and see what the difference is.
       
       This is what I am seeing below:
       
       From the 28th Aug to the 05th of Sep I had traffic from 1303 keywords but from the  28th Sep to the 05th of Oct I have had traffic from only 471 which is about a loss of two thirds.
       
       If you are able to do this then please do because if everybody is seeing this kind of drop there is a correlation and it is therefore a word problem and nothing to do with Panda or Penguin. Panda is about page layout and content where as penguin is about links. 
       
       EMD is about keywords in your domain which couldn't possibly be a problem on Hubpages because there are no keywords in the domain only your name and Hubpages.
       
       I am still ranking for my main keywords where I have always ranked on page one of the search, so my pages have not  got a penalty from Panda or Penguin.

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12. 67

    cdm2009posted 11 years ago

    Southernmapart-you found all that at the link I posted?!? Regardless, I am probably going to have to agree with you on your final thought. I think 'G' is out to make money and the more that use their Adwords the more money they will make. Which could mean that content writers, such as us here, will not be a priority in the search queries as much as we were.

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13. 57

    Backwater Sageposted 11 years ago

    What's your tolerance for dumb questions? Is it possible that some rogue, unemployed KGB operatives are stealing traffic clicks from Estonia?

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14. 57

    writing4actionposted 11 years ago

    Man writer longer hubs!

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15. 67

    cdm2009posted 11 years ago

    Hey Jaye! It's hard to say why that is happening to your most-viewed site. Sorry to hear that. I think this Panda thing is like shaking out a rug. You don't just do it once, you shake it a few times, and then set it down and smooth out the wrinkles. I think the Panda is still shaking but hopefully soon it will smooth out.

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    1. 57

       writing4actionposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Google Panda was perfect, now we have the low quality articles out of the way.

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       1. 57

          Southernmapartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Perhaps so.  Product reviews are the leaders on the recovery side.  Where does this leave the humanities?  Should I write, "Joy, oh joy." in hopes of snagging a click from someone seeking dish detergent?

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    2. 89

       JayeWisdomposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for your response, cdm2009....I hope Panda will "smooth out" soon, for it is very discouraging to have my earnings climb steadily for several months, then fall off to nearly nothing. I am also worried about the hubs that formerly got light traffic (mostly fiction) that are now getting nothing. They will probably become "zzzzs."

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16. 66

    isenhower33posted 11 years ago

    I wonder if they are ever going to fix this problem with traffic...

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17. 53

    cheetah786posted 11 years ago

    don't worry guys... wait for the next revision of google engine.. all will be fine..google is thinking to reverse the changes made as it facing to much criticism..

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18. 64

    LucidDreamsposted 11 years ago

    Cheetah86
    
    Curious where you heard this?

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    1. 48

       Doodleheadposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       LucidDreams-I don't think it is a question of "if" but a question of "when".   For example, here's a link from June, and even though it is before the latest ruckus, I think it is relevant.   Google is really faced with the anti-trust issue --http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jun/01/google-european-commission-search-results

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          wabondposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          I tried posting that Guardian link on Facebook, and it wouldn't allow me to do so.

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             cheetah786posted 11 years agoin reply to this

             open you facebook page and copy the entire url of the article.. paste in the "whats in your mind" section you will get this link shared.

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                wabondposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                Thanks I did try that and it did work.  Can't understand why these links about Google, don't work when I post them in groups.

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       2. 64

          LucidDreamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Doodlehead-cheetah
          
          Hope you are both right!

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       3. 57

          Southernmapartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          The official inquiries to Google happened back in June with a deadline for answers in July.  What happened?  A big part of the Panda search problem seemed to have happened in August and September.  Google didn't back up, but jumped forward in their path of vertical search results to priortize their own ad accounts, or that is the way it looks.

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