Turning off HubPages Ads - is this really the answer?

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   sallybeaposted 8 years ago

   If we turn off HubPages Ads and replace them with one Amazon Ad would our ability to earn decent money be compromised?   Would we still earn from Adsense?  Could someone please explain the different scenario's to me so that I can better judge and understand which option is better for all of us as writers on this site.  I would also like to know what impact if any, would it have on the site in general if we all turned off ads?

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      Susana Sposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      If you have a hub that was written to target buyers and it regularly makes sales via amazon/ebay capsules, then try turning HP ads off on that hub to see if it increases sales.
      
      Leave HP ads on on any other hubs.

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         sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you Suzanna.  Does one still earn from Adsense if you turn the ads off?

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            makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Not from that hub.
            
            If you turn adverts off on the hub there are NO ADVERTS

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               sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               So on the off chance that one might make a sale on Amazon, one sacrifices earnings from both HubPages and Adsense.  What exactly is the point of removing ads if the site can't earn from adverts.
               I think I noticed too that there is an alternate 40/60 split between writers and HubPages for Amazon sales!

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                  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  Some low traffic sales which are carefully marketed at their target audience may have low levels of traffic and high levels of conversion for Amazon modules
                  
                  This sort of hub is obviously a candidate for turning off the adverts to help with that conversion (i.e. fewer adverts makes Google think better of it and makes for fewer distractions). The low traffic means that the impact on income from advert impressions is very limited / infinitesimal.
                  
                  Another hub might get lots of traffic but make no obvious sales. It would probably be better to keep the adverts and limit or remove Amazon modules from this type of hub. At the very least any Amazon module used must have content which is 100% relevant to the topic.
                  
                  Somebody was doing an explanation the other day about how income from HubPages/AdSense/Display advertisment "impressions" was calculated - and highlighting how much traffic needs to be generated to generate any income.
                  
                  It was very instructive - and could possibly bear being repeated in simple terms for those trying to get to grips with this important issue.

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                     sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Thanks for the explanation, it is appreciated.

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      tsmogposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Bear in mind I have not had Amazon sales since a year back. At this stage I am a learner listening in the forums while reading with research. Reading Paul's article while listening in Will's forum post is this approach I am taking again while learning here:
      
      Paul said Google frowns on a Hub being a funnel to the Amazon site with too many adverts. Google considers Adverts as part of the overall content. Google looks at the purpose of the overall content. Now follows TMI from their latest User Guidelines 5.0 (3/31/14):
      
      Common helpful page purposes include (but are not limited to):
      • To share information about a topic.
      • To share personal or social information.
      • To share pictures, videos, or other forms of media.
      • To express an opinion or point of view.
      • To entertain.
      • To sell products or services. → → → (Our Amazon & HP placed ads combined?)
      • To allow users to post questions for other users to answer.
      • To allow users to share files or to download software
      
      When Amazon is combined with the adverts provided by HP it slows load time, which is part of Google's Algorithm for reader experience.
      
      At the article alluded to is if the Amazon advert(s) are producing good to great results a recommendation is to discover which ones I presume through Amazon tools? Consider the option of choices for the reader with how many, otherwise reduce to those that do produce.
      
      If Amazon is the bread winner, then switch off the HP / Adsense adverts, which will give a better advantage to the Amazon adverts while there will be less total adverts. Perhaps then it is rated by algorithms as something other than "To sell products or services"?
      
      That may offer strategy? with present Hubs or future ones when experimental. I dun'no . . .

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      Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      tsmog's explanation is a very good one, Sally. Paul Edmondson just meant that if you have a Hub that you know is already very successful with Amazon sales, and that you're earning more from Amazon on that Hub than HP Ads and AdSense, turning ads off may cause Google to send more traffic to that Hub resulting in even more Amazon sales because the entirety of the page will have less ads overall.

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         makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         How about some better feedback re Amazon sales for all those hubs where the situation is unclear - since HubPages provides no feedback on total sales or which hubs generated sales?
         
         Don't you think it's a bit difficult to make an assessment of the best thing to do when you have incomplete data?

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            sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            snap, my sentiments exactly.

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         sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Christy Kirwan - yes tsmog's explanation is a good one.  The difficulty is in how we have to determine which hubs are getting sales.  Some of them can be obvious when the person buys a product directly related to a hub but most times this is impossible to determine.  Perhaps this is something HubPages staff need to look at.  We can see which e-Bay ads convert into sales, but we cannot with Amazon sales.

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            Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, I realize it can be more difficult to tell which products are generating sales in some Hubs than others. Providing more detailed information on Amazon sales would require an overhaul of the way our tracking system works now, which we simply don't have the engineering resources to do currently.
            
            If you aren't sure if a Hub is generating sales or not, I'd recommend leaving ads turned on.

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               makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               However if people used their own Amazon Associates accounts (rather than the HubPages one) and then used tracking IDs they could presumably identify the source in future.
               
               Maybe that's the answer?

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                  Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  Amazon does not disclose that information to Associates, so if you use your own Affiliate ID you will not have access to it. They are sometimes willing to give more details to large publishers like HubPages, but it would require us to essentially rebuild our current tracking system.

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               sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Something to explore but at this stage I think I will leave things as they are, with the exception perhaps of reducing the number of Amazon capsules.

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         makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Also could somebody please stipulate the Google reference for the notion that Google does not like a Hub being used as a funnel to Amazon
         
         These are the questions Google suggested webmasters should ask back in March this year
         
         ++++++++++++++++++++
         re. http://searchengineland.com/google-to-l … thm-216974
         
         How do you know if your web pages are classified as a “doorway page?” Google said asked yourself these questions:
         
         * Is the purpose to optimize for search engines and funnel visitors into the actual usable or relevant portion of your site, or are they an integral part of your site’s user experience?
         
         * Are the pages intended to rank on generic terms yet the content presented on the page is very specific?
         
         * Do the pages duplicate useful aggregations of items (locations, products, etc.) that already exist on the site for the purpose of capturing more search traffic?
         
         * Are these pages made solely for drawing affiliate traffic and sending users along without creating unique value in content or functionality?
         
         * Do these pages exist as an “island?” Are they difficult or impossible to navigate to from other parts of your site? Are links to such pages from other pages within the site or network of sites created just for search engines?

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   Mark Ewbieposted 8 years ago

   My opinion.
   
   Each page is individual.  It may be angled for sales or information. If might be poetry - I can't help you there.
   
   People sometimes add Amazon ads as an extra.  An afterthought. In the hope someone might buy something.  Mostly they don't.  They are already assailed by other ads from all possible angles.
   
   Cutting out that hopeful Amazon ad MIGHT improve Google but MORE importantly might improve your user experience.
   
   The other side of the coin are sales pages.  IF you have a sales page that actually makes some sales - there is possibly MORE money to be made than from the other ads.  The ones that make Ad Blocker so popular.
   
   Therefore it MIGHT make sense to switch OFF the Adsense and HP adverts - and lost a few cents / whatever - in the hope it improves user experience and focus on the sales ads your page is really about.
   
   It is ABSOLUTELY an individual decision.  Know your pages, your angle and your visitors.  Understand why they came and what they want.
   
   Ignore forum chatter and use your brain.

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      Susana Sposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      +1
      
      Perfectly explained.

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      viryaboposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      +1. Well said.
      As far as I'm concerned,  case closed!

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      jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      +1
      Well put, Mark. This is why I refer to the whole thing as "my" experiment. I can turn ads on and off anytime. I can change or delete an Amazon capsule anytime. We have to find the balance with discernment and, at the same time, take risks.

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         jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Alrighty then. I need to decide which ads to turn back on, probably high trafficked hubs. Monday earnings plummeted. My problem is I have no Amazon sales to make up the difference.

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            sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Jan
            I reduced the number of ads on Amazon at the same time as you but did not turn off the HubPages Ads.  All looking good, traffic and earnings are up, Hub average too.    I don't think I would ever have the courage to turn off HubPages ads, especially now with all the changes going on.

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               jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks for the feedback, sallybea. Good news for you. I will adjust, no worries.

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   Mark Ewbieposted 8 years ago

   The more I look at my mixed pages the less I want HP ads on them.
   
   They look awful.  Far too many adverts - like other sites that I never go near any more.
   
   That's on MY pages - the stuff I created.  After all that effort in getting the words right - to see them lost and smothered by garbage is a little irritating.
   
   So now I am thinking if I have even a single Amazon ad on a page, which is about that product, I will take off the other ads.
   
   I guess I am getting used to having complete control on my own site.  Gently placing ads where they will be visible but not oppressive.  Thinking "less is more".  Being able to fine-tune.
   
   Now if only I could turn off those stupid links.
   
   Oh and before the f---ing experts turn up.  Save it.  I make less than payout monthly.  Three hours in a burger bar would cover it.  Do I need to prostitute myself for that?
   
   Answer is no I don't.

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      jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I hear you, Mark. The pennies we lose or gain trying this out is not so significant. I don't receive payout regularly anyway so I don't have much to lose. I'd rather have my readers enjoy my some of my pages that aren't so cluttered with ads. I'll work it out, no worries.

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   AshlyChristenposted 8 years ago

   I will be following this. I am writing new content still before I can put ads on but I will need to gather as much intel as I can. Stop by for a read if you can spare the time

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