SEO help for Newbies

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  1. profile image0
    Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years ago

    Hey everyone,

    Recently, I have set myself upon the task of learning SEO.  To be honest, it's felt a lot like how (I imagine) rock climbing must feel, so far (e.g. nicks and bruises, exhaustion, stark terror).  I have been perusing the many Hubs on the subject — and there are MANY — and thought that it might be helpful for other SEO newbies like me, were I to list the Hubbers/Hubs that I have found to be the most useful so far, to save some folks a little search time.

    So, without further ado:

    1) Wrylilt's SEO Hubs — Wrylilt has several SEO Hubs, including an easy to understand beginner's guide, a "Made for Pinterest" guide, and an Amazon sales Hub guide.  The latter two may be accessed through the first (the SEO newbies guide), found here: http://goo.gl/PQ7d5t 
    Wrylilt is also active in the forums, and if you post an SEO-related question, chances are that you will receive a response from her.

    2) melbel's SEO hubs — melbel has a series of SEO guides that I have also found to be extremely informative, which include Hubs about keywords, backlinking, free SEO tools, and more.  I started with the "10 Proven On-Page SEO Methods for Your Website," from which melbel has provided anchor links to her other relevant SEO Hubs, found here: http://goo.gl/36lEFD

    3) Writer Fox — I've only recently discovered that this Hubber has written a beginner's guide to SEO, which I am planning to tackle now.  I resolved to check it out after reading the anthropomorphous author's recent interview with the HP brass (Now playing in an HP monthly email near you!  Check your inbox for local listings.).  Though I have not yet read this Hub, I think I can safely say that it will be worth the intellectual investment, based on what I have read from this Hubber so far.  Writer Fox is VERY active in the forums, and his two-cents are always worthwhile.  In any case, my next SEO challenge is to read this hub by Mr. Fox: http://goo.gl/AEkOOW 

    So that's my SEO journey so far!  If any other Hubbers have been in my shoes, and would like to share links to some content that they found particularly helpful during their SEO training, then please feel free to post here.  I know I appreciate it, and I suspect other SEO newbies who find their way to this thread will as well! wink

    1. Susana S profile image93
      Susana Sposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      These are the 2 best SEO guides available (IMO).

      http://www.copyblogger.com/keyword-research/

      http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

      I think you'll like the Copyblogger site most as it's geared towards writers.

      1. Writer Fox profile image31
        Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Those sources are a little old.  My SEO Hub outranks them both on a Google search for SEO Tutorial 2013.

        1. Will Apse profile image87
          Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Well, we all know that adding a year takes it very niche. What kind of search volumes are we talking here? Adwords suggest 30 searches a month for that term. I can't believe that is right, though.

        2. Susana S profile image93
          Susana Sposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          lol

          I think ranking for phrases such as "keyword research" and "SEO guide" are a touch more valuable!

          Plus, these guides are not at all out of date. They're perfect for a newbie like Noah.

          1. Writer Fox profile image31
            Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Then you should try to optimize something for those keywords and see how well you do. LOL

            1. Susana S profile image93
              Susana Sposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              I wouldn't try. But trying to make out that your hub is so amazing that it's beating out sites like Moz and copyblogger is a bit disingenuous. You might fool the newbies but you ain't fooling me.

              1. Writer Fox profile image31
                Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                No, it's not disingenuous.  What I said was true.  And I think that your decision not to even try to rank a Hub for "keyword research" or "SEO guide" is probably best because it is very difficult for any webpage about SEO to rank, especially for a single Hub on HubPages. That is the only topic where every search result is written by someone who knows something about ranking a page on Google and some listings are written by the best SEO experts in the world.

                Your advice to consider keywords like: "awesome cheap vacations", "relaxing holiday destinations", and "holiday parks near the sea" is so off-the-wall.  No one searches for these terms.  The entry in the Moz guide for keyword research is outdated, but here are some new blog entries for using Google's new Keyword Planner which can help you choose better phrases to target: http://moz.com/blog/category/keyword-research

                1. Mark Ewbie profile image82
                  Mark Ewbieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Would it be OK if I wrote a 2014 one?

                  1. Writer Fox profile image31
                    Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                    But, you don't like SEO.

                2. Susana S profile image93
                  Susana Sposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Your hub ranks for a limited, low volume, long tail phrase. Yes that is true! Well done.



                  I'm sorry that you missed the point of my post! The keywords were not real suggestions *Duh*.

                  I was pointing out that different groups of people use different keyword phrases to find similar information and that understanding that can be key to reaching the right audience. E.g. which demographic is most likely to use "your" instead of "you're" in a search query? It's helpful to know these things if you want to target the "your" group.

                  1. Writer Fox profile image31
                    Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                    My Hub is over 6,600 words and ranks for over 200 major search phrases, which is why it gets the high traffic and income it does.  Read up on keyword research to learn how to do it effectively, because your comment indicates you don't thoroughly understand the process.

        3. healthyfitness profile image71
          healthyfitnessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          I'm sorry, but your content is not better than copyblogger/moz. You are ranking for the "2013" keyword because your content is newer, not better.

          1. Writer Fox profile image31
            Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I think if you read "copyblogger/moz" it might help you achieve the 1,000 view accolade for your one featured Hub which you wrote nine months ago. If you can improve that Hub, then your Hubber score might go up and the link to your website which you are promoting could become a followed link.

            1. healthyfitness profile image71
              healthyfitnessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              Lol. Thanks? Not sure what my personal agenda has to do with the value of your content. Which is not as high as you think.

              1. Writer Fox profile image31
                Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                The value of my content is very high, according to my traffic and income stats. But you posted in a thread for SEO Newbies, so you'll get some advice on how to improve your Hubs here, or you can start another thread and get people to help you out with that.  In order to get a followed link to your website from HubPages, you'll need to raise your Hubber score to 85.  In order to do that, you'll probably need to raise the QAP rating on your featured Hub, improve your non-featured Hub so that it is featured, and publish some more high-quality articles here.  Just posting on the forum won't raise your score by 20 points.  You can look at the QAP chart to see how Hubs are evaluated.

                1. healthyfitness profile image71
                  healthyfitnessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Thanks. But I know how HP works and the reasons I haven't touched it for 9 months are my own. And I actually enjoy the Hubpage community and don't only interact for the style points. Your content is no doubt good, but compared to a powerhouse like Copyblogger and Moz, you still have a way to go.

                  1. Writer Fox profile image31
                    Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                    They each have thousands of pages on their websites.  I don't intend to ever write that many Hubs.  I visited your website. I couldn't find one comment on any of your posts. You still have a way to go.

      2. profile image0
        Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Thanks Susana S.  I am looking forward to checking out those links! wink

        1. Susana S profile image93
          Susana Sposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          You're very welcome!

          My top SEO tip is always (always, always!) write for your searcher. Keep them in mind at all times. Know who they are and think long and hard about the kinds of phrases they are likely to type into search to find what they want....then give it to them! Write in a way that is going to appeal to them - an article geared towards teenagers needs to read differently to one geared towards 30 yr olds.

          For instance, imagine 3 different groups (demographics) of people searching for holiday destinations:

          18 - 25 yr olds
          Over 60's
          Families

          The chances are these 3 groups are going to be typing in different search terms, even though they seem to be looking for broadly the same thing.

          The 18 - 25's might type in something like "awesome cheap vacations"

          The over 60's, "relaxing holiday destinations"

          Families, "holiday parks near the sea"

          Sorry this example is not brilliant, but I hope you get the idea?

          Of course you'll still need to learn how to research keywords and do your competitor research to make sure you have a hope in hell of ranking for your chosen phrases, but do think about who you are targeting.

          1. profile image0
            Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            That makes sense, Susana S — I had not considered taking demographics into consideration when trying to formulate long-tail keywords.  Thanks!

    2. Gail Meyers profile image62
      Gail Meyersposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for these suggestions for the most helpful SEO hubs.

      1. profile image0
        Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Not a problem, Gail Meyers.  Be sure to check out the links provided by Susana S, as well!

        Also, apparently some of melbel's content is outdated.

    3. Hikapo profile image76
      Hikapoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      http://s3.hubimg.com/u/8533142_f248.jpg

      1. isaacasante profile image83
        isaacasanteposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Blown away?

  2. LeanMan profile image79
    LeanManposted 10 years ago

    Good luck with your SEO, I am not going to post any links just make a small warning.....

    SEO is supposed to be how you tell the search engines what your page is about and how important it is, however for many it all about fooling Google and the other search engines into thinking that your page is more valuable to the people searching than it really is...

    Good onpage SEO is about ensuring that if your page is about "Yellow tailed, peruvian, 6 toed, Geckos" that when the search engine reads through what you have written it can understand what your subject is and not about something else..
    Once upon a time in google seo land everyone would use the keyword phrase that they were targeting a million times throughout the article (titles, subtitles, photos, etc..) so as to fool google into seeing the article as important and relevant. Do this now and you will be relegated to the depths never to be seen in a search again. While you have to use SEO to ensure that the search engine knows what you have written about if you overuse and make your page too optimized you will probably find that Google will just label you as a spammer!
    Write naturally about your subject and concentrate on the subject, if you know it and use the appropriate words that Google believes are related to the subject then the search engine will know what your page is about.

    As to off page SEO this usually relates to building links; a link from another site pointing at your work is like a vote of confidence in the quality of your work. So if you have thousands of votes for your work then your work must be important! However SEO practitioners over used link building to the extent that for many phrases you would need to build thousands if not millions of links to get your page seen in searches.
    Links are still important to getting your pages ranked but what you want are real links that the readers make (shares on FB etc..) not the ones that you build by spamming comments and writing on free to use websites.. Google is not stupid, it is very easy for them to see when you are building your own links and when they have been left by a reader.

    So.............. Beware; too much SEO can be as dangerous as NO SEO...... Much of the writing you will find on the internet is outdated and of no use! Use common sense and concentrate on providing value to the person that actually reads the page!! If you are doing something only to fool the search engines then it will likely not help you!

    1. profile image0
      Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Goog points, LeanMan!  Yes, from my reading thus far, I have learned that it is best to employ whitehat SEO practices in your content creation — not to mention that it's just good manners (and the internet, nay the world, could use a lot more common courtesy)!  BTW, I hope things are going well for you and yours in the Philippines.  I was reading your comments on Writer Fox's thread the other day (http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/118309), and was pleased to see that you were located away from the Tsunami when it hit.

    2. Marisa Wright profile image84
      Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This is very very very very very good advice, especially the sentence about "too much SEO is as bad as no SEO"

      1. isaacasante profile image83
        isaacasanteposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Definitely... And I can testify that from experience years ago. Best is not only to  "look natural" to Google via overly enhanced tricks, but to "be natural" while targeting your audience.

  3. bodyathletics profile image78
    bodyathleticsposted 10 years ago

    Use some social signals especially Google+ to get indexed quickly and then link from respectable, related, high PR websites.

    1. profile image0
      Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I admit that I'm still a little confused about what it means to be "indexed?"  Does that mean "placed in Google's cache?" 
      I have learned that Hubbers are supposed to visit Google Webmaster Tools and reset the crawl rate for a higher frequency, and then put in a request to the Googlebot to index your site ...  Did I get that right?

      1. Writer Fox profile image31
        Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        No

        1. Will Apse profile image87
          Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Why not simply give the poor man an answer?

          Google's index is Google's list of webpages -- the pages it has discovered by crawling the web. A page can be dropped from the index if it is spam.

          The cache contains an older version of the list.

          Google will crawl featured pages here whatever you do.

          1. profile image0
            Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I see.  I imagine the cache is used to reduce lengthy crawl times, then?  It must be what people see on a SERP, right?  If so, is there a way to update your Hub's information in the cache instantaneously; say, when you ad a new summary and would like for SERPs to reflect that (newer) version instead of the old?

            1. Will Apse profile image87
              Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              Google will offer the updated version of a page as soon as it has been crawled. It crawls HP every few hours as far as I tell. Except for brand new accounts which it can take a few days to discover.

              The cache has a version of a page from several day before usually. Although, stuff can be deleted and stay in the cache for weeks. You can request deletion if you are micro-managing.

              Frankly, I would not be worrying about this stuff, lol.

              Let HP handle ninety nine per cent of the SEO. That is what you pay them 40 per cent for.

        2. isaacasante profile image83
          isaacasanteposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Why a simple "No" without an explanation?

      2. Marisa Wright profile image84
        Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        No

  4. Will Apse profile image87
    Will Apseposted 10 years ago

    You are far better off reading the learning center stuff than hubs that might not be kept up to date.

    Also what is wrong with taking a genuinely professional approach?

    Read what Google has to say. Google is the only genuinely reliable source on the planet for Google-related SEO. Everything else you read is an interpretation of what Google has said or done,

    Frankly you are not 'learning' SEO with your current strategy, you are simply catching up with current superstitions and misconceptions.

    https://support.google.com/webmasters/t … ic=1724125

    If you want a brief but reliable overview try Search Engine Lands 'periodic table' (the updated version).

    http://searchengineland.com/now-updated … ors-162513

    1. profile image0
      Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      NOW he tells me ...

  5. Will Apse profile image87
    Will Apseposted 10 years ago

    Sorry Earl. these forums used to be plagued by SEO 'experts' offering bad advice and seeking to profit from the unwary quite often too. Given how harmful outdated or blackhat SEO can be, you need to be very careful.

    That Search Engine Land article is pretty good and Danny Sullivan is one of only a handful of commentators I would put any faith in.

    But it is simple stuff really. Research your keywords, get them in title, URL and text at least once early on. Produce original material. Avoid link spam. Tweet, like and pin a bit.

    Also Google treats affiliate pages differently to other pages and they will get extra scrutiny on the spam front. If you do not want extra scrutiny, do not use them.

    Topics that are not saturated but are popular are the best route to success.

    1. profile image0
      Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No worries — I appreciate your candor, Will.
      Thanks for the links, as well!

  6. Joseph041167 profile image61
    Joseph041167posted 10 years ago

    I never gave a rat's ass about SEO. I learned at an early age how to write very good term papers. I see no reason to ever change. I also write personal short blogs. If just a few personal friends like them that is fine. I do not give a care what everyone else thinks. On my more serious pieces, I am happy if they grace Google Search, five pages back in there, as long as I make it there and stay in search, that is a plus. I just never took SEO very seriously and I do not care to. Also, I hate to dissillusion you. There are tens of millions of people on here who actually think they are going to make any money at all, or decent money. Only maybe 1/1,000,000 will make decent money on here, and only maybe 1/10,000 will make a single payout, and at this stage in history, even that is doubtful. I do not know of anyone making money on Hubpages at all anymore at this stage in history. Stick with it long enough and you will learn and so will they. Being an SEO rocket scientist will not help you in those endeavors eithor. I just hate to see one more Hub Page snob happen who really thinks that HubPages is someday going to do anything for him. Just blog and do your best. I am not going to tell you on here what orifice you can stick your SEO in. It is not my intention to be unreasonably rude to any single person on here, but you gather well my cynicism.

    1. WryLilt profile image88
      WryLiltposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I disagree.

      You can earn money here. It shouldn't be your ONLY source, but it's a great place to get viral traffic, or test ideas to build websites from, or learn the basics to go jump into better affiliate forums and serious money making elsewhere. It's a good stepping stone.

      1. lobobrandon profile image89
        lobobrandonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I have to agree with Susannah on this one. HP was the best thing that happened to me when it came to my online writing career. Taught me all that I needed to know and it's still doing well.

        1. mgt28 profile image59
          mgt28posted 10 years agoin reply to this

          + 1 , I agree with Lobo, for agreeing with Susannah, I have not made any cent here, just 5 weeks in the game. But I do not see why a hardworking person cannot be rewarded. How can I rely on the opinion of a person who registered 2 years ago but does not even have 1 hub published?

          If I do not make money, I will still learn how to write and behave on an online forum without saying bad words.

    2. LeanMan profile image79
      LeanManposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think someone dropped their icecream.....

      Earning money online may not be as easy as it once was but it is still possible, even with hubpages.

      But an understanding of SEO is a must if you want to get found and earn! If you don't want to earn money then it really does not matter what you do, but we don't have to follow your lead!

      HP provides me with a steady little income with the minimum of work from me. But my own sites are still far more successful.

      I hope that someone buys you a new icecream..

    3. aa lite profile image86
      aa liteposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Everybody is entitled to their opinion, however nobody is entitled to get the facts so badly wrong.  There are NOT ten millions of people here!  There are about 100,000 hubbers who have actually published a hub. 

      True most of them don't make much money.  However there are hubbers who earn decent money (as in several hundred a month).  I bet you anything, the hubbers who earn decent money do understand SEO.

    4. profile image0
      Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I'm sorry that you have not found success here, Joseph041167.  Perhaps you'll change your mind someday, and give it another go.  In the meantime, I'll be pondering exactly which orifices you were referring to! big_smile
      In any case, good luck to you.

  7. LongTimeMother profile image93
    LongTimeMotherposted 10 years ago

    I think you've done new hubbers a great service by offering those links, Earl Noah Bernsby. I have picked up tips from those very same writers in my time here.

    Here's my current list of traffic sources to my hubs ....

    google.com     google.com.au       google.co.uk        google.ca      search.yahoo.com    bing.com    google.co.in        google.co.nz          google.co.za      google.com.sg      google.com.ph       google.com.mx             ask.com           isearch.avg.com       google.com.hk      google.gr    google.ie    google.es    google.nl    search.aol.com      google.fr

    Plus pinterest and facebook and a few other places, but these are the ones that are relevant to your discussion here.

    Keep studying SEO.  It is certainly worth the effort. smile

    1. profile image0
      Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks LongTimeMother!  I have experienced the thrill of seeing regional Google's pop-up on my Traffic Report, as well — albeit, with less frequency than your Hubs, I'm sure! wink

      I find myself marveling that folks in Vietnam, South America, Poland, etc. would care about what I write!  I think that is what keeps me coming back.  It's amazing to think that — in some small way — you can contribute something of use to people all over the world (provided they didn't just sneeze and accidentally click on the links), with wordsmithery delivered via keyboard.

      <<"Wordsmithery" is a trademark of E.N.B., et. al — 5 cents/use (Note: Chocolate will also be accepted as payment.)>>

  8. Writer Fox profile image31
    Writer Foxposted 10 years ago

    AdWords Keyword Planner now only shows exact match results, not broad term so you don't have the figures I used when I targeted that term.  But that Hub also ranks for a variety of keyword terms, especially since the Google Hummingbird algorithm.  That's part of the reason longer Hubs generally produce more search engine traffic.

    1. Will Apse profile image87
      Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      So 'SEO Tutorial 2013' is worthless on its own? Why did you mention it then?

      1. Writer Fox profile image31
        Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Most definitely NOT!  Search on Google for the difference between 'exact match' and 'broad match' for keyword selection.   Look for articles dated before June, 2013.

  9. WryLilt profile image88
    WryLiltposted 10 years ago

    http://s3.hubimg.com/u/8103650_f248.jpg

    1. Will Apse profile image87
      Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, that is about it.

    2. Writer Fox profile image31
      Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think you might have difficulty ranking #1 for that since you'd be competing against 19,300,000 search results.

      1. Will Apse profile image87
        Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Just to back up a little. You were using this Seo Tutorial 2013 claim to suggest that your page was superior to moz and copy blogger, in some way. It was more up to date or more widely read. Are you really going to stick to that claim?

  10. Writer Fox profile image31
    Writer Foxposted 10 years ago

    Just to back up a little: You claim that reading a chart is going to help people learn SEO!  And, of course, I am breathlessly waiting to read a Hub from you about SEO since you claim to know so much about that topic. ROTFL

    1. Will Apse profile image87
      Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Out of interest WF how did you come to be an expert in SEO? Do you have a degree or diploma in anything related?

      1. Writer Fox profile image31
        Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        You can read my interview in the HubPages Newsletter.

        1. Will Apse profile image87
          Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          And where exactly would I find this? Are we talking email or blogpost, when was it published, where is the link....

          Also why can you simply not say?

          1. Writer Fox profile image31
            Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this
            1. Will Apse profile image87
              Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              So you have no qualification related to SEO? Could we not have arrived at this point a little quicker?

              So you have just picked up stuff as you have gone along like the rest of us?

              1. Writer Fox profile image31
                Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                Not at all and I assure you that I am not anything like you.  I am a professional SEO consultant and have been for more years than you have been online. This thread was started by someone who wanted to point out Hubs about SEO which he found useful and recommended.  He didn't pick yours because you don't have one.  If you want to give out SEO advice in the forum, why don't you point to something you have written about the topic. LOL

                1. Will Apse profile image87
                  Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  I worked for some SEO companies for a while- several years ago when it was all about cheating search engines.

                  I started off writing fake forum posts and some guy in Pakistan created 5 backlinks to each. I then moved on to writing blog posts (twenty backlinks each from the guys in Pakistan). Then I was promoted to writing real linkbait articles (fifty faked backlinks just to be on the safe side, of course).

                  SEO, lol.

                  Better to learn to write a decent article on a subject that is not saturated. Better to learn the simple stuff about keywords, competition analysis and routine updates. Best of all, learn how to write on subjects that really make some money.

                  1. Writer Fox profile image31
                    Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                    Your 'experience' explains a lot.  Thank you for posting.

                  2. profile image0
                    Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                    Guys!  Try to settle this like gentlemen, ok?  Shall we say ... Pistols at dawn?? (Although, Will might have the advantage there due to Writer Fox not having opposable thumbs.)

                    BTW — Will, when you work SEO jobs for blackhat content creators in Pakistan, the terrorists win.

                    In any case, please don't let this thread devolve into a bickering contest.  I started it in the hopes that it would serve as a helpful resource for SEO newbies such as myself.

  11. profile image0
    Beth37posted 10 years ago
  12. profile image0
    Beth37posted 10 years ago

    Note*
    Not her profile pic., but the pigeon poop thing she posted.

    1. Writer Fox profile image31
      Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      She really likes that image, which is why she has posted it several times on the forum.  Google calls it feces clip art.  Maybe she is a collector.

      1. profile image0
        Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Im sorry, Im not allowed to talk to you. But once I have learned what SEO is, I will totally give you a run for your money. Good day sir!

        1. Writer Fox profile image31
          Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          So, why are you talking to me?

          1. profile image0
            Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I was just being courteous. I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you. I just wrote to say I have been banned from this thread. Good day sir! lol

            1. profile image0
              Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              Nobody puts Beth37 in a corner (re: banned from the thread) ...  Not on my watch. #LongLivetheQueen!

              1. profile image0
                Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                The teacher has kicked the student out of the class for being a clown. Sadly, the teacher didn't realize the silly student had learned something merely by being in the presence of the amazing scholars. *loud sigh, followed by a pitiful sort of moan.

  13. LongTimeMother profile image93
    LongTimeMotherposted 10 years ago

    There will always be hubbers who just write for personal pleasure and hubbers who are quick to say they are not succeeding because 'nobody else' is succeeding.

    I am sure there are hubbers who are disappointed by their unsuccessful attempts to tap into a money stream. Some keep trying to learn more and improve their hubs, and others just blame the system and anything and anyone else other than themselves. You can spot them a mile away.

    Newbies should be encouraged, however, by the fact that there are those of us who actually write from personal experience about topics that interest us with a basic (or developing) understanding of SEO who are actually rewarded for our efforts.

    I am certainly not among the highest earners here at hp, but I am making money regularly. Don't be disillusioned by the negative comments on forums like this one. Just keep writing and learning and editing your hubs as you get a greater understanding of SEO.

    smile

    1. Writer Fox profile image31
      Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      +1
      It's really very easy to make money on HubPages!

    2. Will Apse profile image87
      Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You could replace SEO in what just said with 'what readers want'.

      The most important thing is the ability to produce a quality article that satisfies readers.

      WF imagines that he gets traffic because of his SEO. This is just superstition. He has refined his pages over a long period and he is a decent writer who can keep the attention of a reader.

      SEO for HP is stuff a simpleton can pick up in minutes. Keywords in titles etc etc.

      How many time does it have to be said? SEO is easy, finding the topics that will succeed and writing a decent page is the hard part.

      1. LongTimeMother profile image93
        LongTimeMotherposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Give us a break, Will Apse.

        Finding the topics that will succeed and writing a decent page is a part of Search Engine Optimization.

        SEO for HP might be 'stuff a simpleton can pick up in minutes', but I am not a simpleton so I wouldn't know about that. It certainly took me longer than a few minutes.

        You've made your point and I've made my point. I'm thinking it is time to let other people have a say now. smile

        1. Will Apse profile image87
          Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Have you always been like this?

          1. Writer Fox profile image31
            Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Wow, 44 Forum posts in the past 24 hours!  Didn't you just make a post that you were going to take a nap or something?

          2. LongTimeMother profile image93
            LongTimeMotherposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, but generally I exercise self-control and think it but don't bother typing it. You'd be surprised how often I wish you would give us a break and stop hammering your point, Will.

            It is interesting to note that since I expressed my annoyance, you suddenly made some positive and helpful contribution to this thread by answering ENB's question instead of bagging Writer Fox and others who try to help - and referring him to google.

            Perhaps I should express my frustration with you (and others) more often. It is good to see you trying to be helpful.  smile

            1. Will Apse profile image87
              Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              Incomprehensible, lol.

  14. aboutpeople profile image60
    aboutpeopleposted 10 years ago

    Thanks for the info. There are very few things I understand about SEO. One is that it is very daunting and the other is that what works currently is not necessarily what worked in the past.

    1. Will Apse profile image87
      Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This page in the learning center helps to make it relatively simple:

      http://hubpages.com/learningcenter/How- … ndly-Title

  15. Ranveer Bhatia profile image59
    Ranveer Bhatiaposted 10 years ago

    Hey Earl, it seems a pretty long discussions. I could read until Will Apse's input that he has shared a link of Google web master tools. The observation I am going to share is actually based on the discussion till Will Apse's 3rd input that I could read. I have seen some quality input in the thread and the name I'd especially like to mention is LeanMan, he has shared some real fact about SEO.

    Unlike any other techniques it can't be taught, although there are lots of crash courses are available online and offline but ultimately to become a good optimizer you have to be self sufficient to gather knowledge about search engine optimization. There is no shortage of knowledge and Internet is full of information, so what all you need is to go to the right place to get the quality information.

    Being a full time blogger I spend most of the time online on popular forums, blogs, websites and I have seen how weird ideas people share about SEO, they emphasize so much around it but don't concentrate on the bottom line that what Search Engine Optimization is?  Do we really know the answer, if yes then we should stop abusing search engine by practicing the crap.

    Search Engine Optimization is all about producing quality content so that the visitors will get benefited. But do we really care about it. I Think NO....we rather more care about how search engine crawler will crawl the page.

    I do completely agree to Lean Man, as I too think that the term SEO is kind of abusive to the search engine, because we do this practice just to fool around them.

    Therefore I don't recommend any particular website, blogs or link/s. Please devote your time to some top blogs in the world to gain more knowledge. Like Hub pages, Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land, Google Blog, SEO MOZ and many more. This will help you to become a quality search engine optimizer and not a abusive one.

    1. profile image0
      Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your insight Ranveer Bhatia!  I agree that the emphasis should always be on quality content first.

  16. Anita Anne Asra profile image54
    Anita Anne Asraposted 10 years ago

    Hey Earl, I have been inducted into the world of SEO just a few months back and I am really interested in learning more. So, thank you so much for this. I'll go through this and get back to you regarding any queries and/or how useful this was. smile Thanks again!

    1. profile image0
      Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Sure thing, Anita Anne Asra! wink

      One thing I have learned since starting this thread is that some of the information on melbel's Hubs are outdated.  Specifically, as regards article directories like EzineArticles.com.  Thanks to Marisa Wright, Susana S, Will Apse, and lobobrandon for pointing that out!

  17. Writer Fox profile image31
    Writer Foxposted 10 years ago

    Bedtime for Bonzo.

    1. HollieT profile image79
      HollieTposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      @WF, that is not a hopelessly embarrassing claim and I, for one, believe her. Mainly because Susana never boasts about her accomplishments, the hub was written by someone else, and whether Susana still makes that kind of money on HP is irrelevant, the fact remains that she has been highly successful hubber, in terms of traffic and earnings, with less than 100 hubs.  She doesn't have to prove anything to anyone

      1. Writer Fox profile image31
        Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Hollie, people may believe what ever they want to believe, but the truth is that nobody knows who has the "highest earnings per 1,000 views" unless they work at HubPages.

        1. Will Apse profile image87
          Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          It is pretty obvious to me that you have not yet worked out what kinds of page really earn money.

          For instance, I could not be bothered with SEO pages mainly because of the poor return on the labor.

          Also, out of interest, I targeted niches very similar to the ones you have tackled to date (greetings, wishes, celebrations). They are an easy target and get good traffic but again, the money is not great.

          1. Writer Fox profile image31
            Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I do not publish my highest earning topics on HubPages, but the Hubs I do publish earn very well indeed.

            1. Will Apse profile image87
              Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTEzMVgxNjAw/$T2eC16FHJGoE9nuQeWV6BQ!WQkJDyg~~60_35.JPG

              lol.

  18. LeanMan profile image79
    LeanManposted 10 years ago

    Always fun to watch the experts happily expressing their views as to what works and what does not work. Personally I always want to see evidence as to what works and not just people's opinion about what "should" work in their opinion. Who has anything to back up their claims?? Who has used statistics to prove beyond any doubt the cause and effect relationship between the different ideas of SEO? I have seen very few real worthwhile reviews of what really works or anyone posting real up to date evidence.

    There is a big difference between what most people of HP need to think of as SEO and what the "big boys" in the SEO world need to do to get a website ranked in a highly competitive and profitable area.

    I will keep coming back to the most important factor if you want to get visitors on HP, choose a subject that there are searches for and for which there is minimum competition. If there are no searches for the subject (keywords) then you get zero visitors its as simple as that.. If there is a huge amount of quality competition then you will be unlikely to out compete them and get visitors using a single hub page or even a small series of linked pages here.
    Once you have your keywords (Subject) write about it better than anyone else!! Add real value!! If you are going to just regurgitate a copy of what every other page on the web looks like with the same information what are you adding?
    Why should your page be chosen over the others?
    Use your keywords in your title, in some of the subtitles and descriptions for pictures etc; but don't overuse them. Google needs to know what the page is about so if it is about purple pigeon poop and you don't use the words or related words in your page how will the search engine know what it is about? But use it too often and it is obvious you are just there to harvest visits using your page!
    Forget about building links and link wheels etc.. Share your hub in places where you can generate visitors such as pinterest and facebook etc but don't overdo it! It is fine to advertise yourself but do it in a way that is "normal"! Not a link on every bookmarking site on the net and hundreds of social posts! Again, building yourself lots of links says that you are only here for the money, not to share something valuable! It is obvious when you build your own links - google has lots of data about how we do it and can spot it a mile away! If you write something that is good and people really find it valuable it will gain its own links but it will take time!

    Write a GOOD page, make sure that you answer the query that the searcher is looking to have answered. If you don't then the person that does find your page will just click away and google will decide that your page is no good! If people find your page, read your page and follow your links then google knows your page is an answer to the query that they showed it for - your page will get more visitors!

    As Douglas Adams said - "Don't Panic", SEO for most of us is not rocket science and we do not have to fully understand it nor do we want to be using anything to persuade Google that we are more relevant or better than we really are.
    Just read the basic guides, get your research right, write in a great way without overdoing the onpage SEO and you will be fine. You can always rank for purple pigeon poop but no one will search for it, and you will never rank for home insurance as the big boys have the competition sewn up tight! Find that middle ground that people are searching for but no one writes about or does not write about it well..

    HP is a good platform to learn on, its structure makes sure that your pages are found by Google and that you will get a small boost in your rankings. It is easy to make money here but only if you get the basics right and even then don't expect mega bucks!!

    As to evidence for the above, well just look at those that are the most successful here on HP; they are not hard nosed SEO experts trying to spam links to persuade google of their value. Most are GOOD WRITERS who write well in their areas of expertise and they get the basics of onpage SEO right.


    Of course this is just my opinion.......

    1. Will Apse profile image87
      Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No one will argue with this.

      I would say though that no sensible person will tell you what they are earning. If you want to know what does well you will need to put out a good variety of pages and find out for yourself.

  19. Will Apse profile image87
    Will Apseposted 10 years ago

    'Do lots of research before deciding what to write on, and if the SERP's are full of well established, authoritative sites, move on and look for something else until you find a true gap in the market (or something new and upcoming).'

    YES!

  20. Writer Fox profile image31
    Writer Foxposted 10 years ago

    You can read my interview with a very successful Hubber in the HP Newsletter tomorrow.  I know that many of you are busy with Thanksgiving preparations, but you can read all of the previous interviews here:
    http://hubpages.com/about/interview

    All of the Hubbers chosen for interviews were selected by fellow Hubbers and you can learn a lot of valuable information from looking at their Hubs. You can go to the link above and hit Ctrl F to locate your favorite Hubber and read about their techniques for using HubPages.

    1. Will Apse profile image87
      Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Have any of them been apprehended yet? He asked in alarm.

      1. Writer Fox profile image31
        Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Only the turkeys:

        http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8537215_f248.jpg

    2. profile image0
      Earl Noah Bernsbyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Oh, good!  I was wondering if HP had a page dedicated to previous interviews — thanks @WF.

  21. profile image0
    Beth37posted 10 years ago

    It's a Thanksgiving miracle... you two are almost getting along.

    1. Will Apse profile image87
      Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You are interrupting the plucking, Beth.

      It is my favorite part.

      1. Writer Fox profile image31
        Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        It's really sick to pluck a baby turkey.

        1. Will Apse profile image87
          Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          This turkey has earned it, baby though it be.

      2. profile image0
        Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Oh... this was the metaphor? I assumed I'd never know what you meant.
        Im in the way again huh? Sorry... I will drink my coffee.

  22. Writer Fox profile image31
    Writer Foxposted 10 years ago

    http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8537221_f248.jpg

    1. profile image0
      Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      That's so cute, I just almost can't stand it.

      1. Writer Fox profile image31
        Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        For sale on Amazon!

        1. profile image0
          Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

          I can buy a baby on Amazon? Are they expensive? Cause I will totally do it.

          1. Writer Fox profile image31
            Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I think you have to try eBay for that.

      2. profile image0
        Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Look at his little feet! lol

        1. Will Apse profile image87
          Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          I can almost taste them!

          1. profile image0
            Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I will beat you with a stick sir... favorite hubber or not.

            1. Will Apse profile image87
              Will Apseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              I will send map co-ordinates. Pack shorts and mosquito spray,

  23. calcolas profile image59
    calcolasposted 7 years ago

    SEO stands for search engine optimization.
    There are 2 types of optimizations :- On page & off page
    'On page' stands for optimizing meta tags, website pages etc.
    where as in case of 'off page' link building, social media, submission is done.

 
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