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A newbies guide to hubpages.

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By SimeyC

Introduction

I am not an Internet expert, nor am I an English major but I do have five years or more experience writing on the web. Starting off with 200 word ‘poor’ opinions on products, I branched out to post my own fiction and poetry and eventually ended on content-centric sites like Squidoo and Hubpages.

As a relative newbie to Hubpages I am still learning about what works and what doesn’t work on here, but I felt as someone who does have some experience that sharing my own views and ideas may help others.



Content is the king!

When I read other hubs I tend to look at several things; the most predominant thing for me is content. If the Hub is very interesting, and especially if it has an interesting introduction then I am more likely to read the whole hub, and more likely to click some links.

A hub with 100 words 50 pictures and then hundreds of Amazon ads does not appeal to me as it is simply commercial. If I wanted to see hundreds of Amazon ads then I’d simply go to Amazon’s site.

For me, if the hub is well written and gives me the benefits and downside to any product, then I can make an informed choice on whether to buy the product – and in many cases I will use the hub to buy that product as it helped in my decision.

With that in mind I try to write hubs that give the reader all the information they need about a particular subject, not just the ‘icing’.


Useful Tip

I find that if I proof read my own writing I will miss mistakes - it's a trick of my own brain - I therefore always try and find someone else to read my writing - they are more likely to spot errors than I am.

English Grammar for Dummies English Grammar for Dummies
Price: $2.60
List Price: $19.99

Speeling and Grandma

There’s nothing worse than reading a hub and finding many spelling mistakes and badly written content. Hubpages has an in-built spell checker so there’s no reason for any spelling mistakes.

My advice is to write your hubs in Word or another word processor and use the advanced options available to check spelling and grammar. Additionally, even after this you must proof read – you may have spelt a word incorrectly, but in itself that word is actually a real word so a spell check would not find it (Example: you meant to write idea, but instead wrote ides.)


Useful tip

If you have a lot of content then it is worth considering splitting your content. For example, I have a site dedicated to the Star Trek movies. I created a main page that gives a brief description of Star Trek and the main characters, and then have links to separate pages for each of the movies.

Breaking up is never easy to do!

While we may be used to seeing a lot of text in a book, and have no problem reading the book, this is often very daunting on a hub. If I see a very long hub with no breaks then I’m likely not to read it – it may be the most well written hub out there, but for me I find it hard to read a hub with a chunk of text – my personal preference is to see either sub-headings, or at the very least have a few pictures to break the monotony of the text. The web is a ‘multi-media’ place, therefore the more multi-media the hub is, the better I feel it is.


Useful Tip

Using the Floating Right feature for a 'text' box allows you to add a 'shaded' area of text next to your main text. This is a great way of adding quotes or tips that relate to the main text block that is to the left of the 'floating' text.

Web Design For Dummies, 2nd Edition Web Design For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Price: $9.52
List Price: $24.99

Formatting - setting up your Hubpage.

Formatting of a hub page is one of the most overlooked parts of the design process. Yes you’ve got great content; yes you’ve got some amazing pictures; and yes you have some great products to sell – simply placing them in a huge ‘line’ often doesn’t work. Clever design of a hub, using sub-headings – imbedding pictures and advertising within the text (using the powerful features of hub design) and ensuring your content isn’t overshadowed by advertising and pictures is very important.

Hub pages allows you to really do a good job with the format of the hub – this includes placing pictures to the side of text etc; formatting text by using italics underline etc.

It’s amazing what a little tweak to the formatting here and there will do.


Pictures

Quite often a picture can say more than a thousand words. Finding the right picture to link with your content is very important – if you are writing a hub about a recipe, having pictures of the ingredients, the preparation method and the final product are very helpful. If you are writing a hub to explain how to fix an XBOX 360 that has the ‘ring of death’ problem, then pictures are essential!

The key is to get the right balance between content and pictures.


How often do you use Polls on your hubs?

  • Never
  • Sometimes
  • Often
  • All the time baby!
See results without voting

Polls and other cool features.

There are many cool features that you can add to a hub – news, ebay, amazon, polls etc. The key is to only add these where appropriate. Certain hubs, such as this one, should not have an ebay or amazon section – there’s practically nothing on these sites that relates to my hub. If I added an ebay listing of Harry Potter books then it detracts from the overall hub – generally I advise that you use these additions sparingly and only when it is ‘right’ for your hub.


Comments and Social Networking

 One of the most important aspects of Hubpages is networking and creating a solid fan base. You can achieve this by adding the comment ‘Nice Hub’ to every hub you read, and adding every author to your fan list, but for me this does not work.

I make sure that I put decent comments about the hub, not only to build my social network but hopefully to assist the author in their design process. I only add fans that I am interested in – it’s important that if you are a fan of someone, you pro-actively read their hubs – otherwise how can you expect them to read yours? It’s a game of give and take.

Already after only four weeks on here I am making friends; I enjoy reading their hubs and they enjoy reading mine.


Advertising your hub to death.

Most of us are here to make some money – we’re not going to ever get rich (well not many of us) but we’ll make a few dimes (or pennies or….) along the way. One thing I am learning is that advertising should vary according to your hub and quite often less is more. If I am writing a hub on Harry Potter I don’t list 600 Harry Potter products – I list a couple – if someone is truly interested in buying something to do with Harry Potter, then they are likely to click on your link and then search the relevant site – you still get a ‘sale’ if they buy anything.

Look at the hub you design and then be objective – if you read the hub would you buy anything from it – simply adding lots of advertising may not often produce results.

 

Making a Hub more Interactive

Aside from using the in-built tools to make your hub interactive there are a few things that you can do to engage the reader a little more.

Questions.

Pose a question that isn’t answered on the web page, and perhaps offer a prize for the best answer. On a website I created a long time ago about Pink Floyd I asked the question ‘Do you know what an 'Azimuth Co-ordinator' is? If so, explain’ – put a comment box below. This essentially asks the reader to research and try and come up with an answer. It’s a fun way to get readers to come back. Ask a new question each week.

Facts

Have a list of little known facts about your subject and continually update them – providing some ‘useless’ information often adds to the interaction in ‘real life’ – I’ve had one user comment about one of the facts on my website and a few of their friends then visited the site. For instance, on the Pink Floyd theme - David Gilmour discovered Kate Bush.

Featured Hub / Site

Challenge your reader to create their own website – and offer a ‘featured’ site of the week. Not only does this engage the reader but it also may lead to some back links. If they also create a great hub, it could lead to additional revenues for you too.

Let your readers know you are listening.

Without a reader / visitor there is no point in creating a website or hub; so when a reader comes up with a great idea or simply says something profound in your guestbook, acknowledge the reader and even highlight or feature them if appropriate.

Feedback / What can I add?

As a web surfer I love sites where I know I can make suggestions and see improvements to the site. One of the 'fiction / poetry' sites I use often constantly updates itself adding features requested by writers and readers. Hubpages is constantly adding functionality based on what is requested. So engage your reader and ask them what they want to see on your hub! This whole 'Making a Hub more Interactive' section was written because of a comment from

Featured Hub / Site of the week

Did you create a hub or website using my advice? If so let me know and if it is good enough (OK so it's my subjective view!) I'll feature your hub/site as a Featured Hub of the week.

Leave me a note in the comments section.

September 29, 2009

The Hub I have chosen this week is an excellent Hub that compliments this Hub very well. While I have concetrated on content and formatting, and have given ideas on how to make a great Hub I didn't really touch a very important subject - traffic! Without traffic a hub is worthless - I've given some pointers on how to promote your hub, but the Hub below really goes into detail on how to get decent traffic to your Hub. The Hub is designed by 1974 and is worth reading:

Conclusion

The way I deal with sites like hubpages and squidoo is as a place to have some fun, perhaps get my ideas on the web and with a little bit of luck make a few dollars along the way. I do not come here expecting to earn millions because that is simply not going to happen.

I enjoy writing and while I understand I will probably never get a poem or book published, I am creating my own little space on the web – and if I help someone along the way then I have gained far more than money!

When I first started writing hubs I worried about back-links and SEO - however as time progressed I have started worrying more and more about content and realized that hubpages does a pretty good job of getting my sites visible. So until I want to take the next step I'll continue to let hubpages do all the work!

So the key is ENJOY!

 

And there's more.....

One final piece of advice before I leave - check out the top hubs on Hubpages and see why they are the top hubs! You can learn a lot by checking out successful hubs! See some of the links below:

Comments

RSS for comments on this Hub

suziecat7 profile image

suziecat7  says:
2 months ago

Very informative Hub.

K Partin profile image

K Partin  says:
2 months ago

Great advice! I will use it to tweak my hubs. Thanks. Enjoy your hubs.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

suziecat - thanks! Hope it is helpful for you!

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

K Partin - great! Glad a could be a little help! And yes - I am enjoying my hubs!

James A Watkins profile image

James A Watkins  says:
2 months ago

This is a very nice guide for Newbies, or anyone for that matter. Thanks for the clean presentation.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

James - coming from such a great 'Hub' writer I take this as a huge compliment! Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!

emievil profile image

emievil  says:
2 months ago

LOL, I love the speeling and grandma part. So true that you use the right spelling for the wrong word. I sometimes type in "sites" instead of "sights" for tourist spots. Great hub SimeyC.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

emievil: *grin* glad you liked the Speeling and Gradma! Thanks for your comment!

brownlickie profile image

brownlickie  says:
2 months ago

Very good hub .It has helped me to understand hub pages a little better . well done regards brownlickie

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

brownlickie - glad I could be of help! If there are any questions you have - add one to my comments and I'll try and answer it on the Hub!

rumbling profile image

rumbling  says:
2 months ago

Thank you for this very informative hub , will consider them when next time I write a hub

Robert Ballard  says:
2 months ago

I too am new to this and thanks for you informative hub.

Robert Elias Ballard

poppa123 profile image

poppa123  says:
2 months ago

Great information! I learned a few things from this hub.

Thanks.

Hoop-A-Joo profile image

Hoop-A-Joo  says:
2 months ago

Speeling and Grandma ? I think you are talking about me..lol I have to spell check many times even after publish hubs. I like about breaking up and picture you mentioned. I just skim through to last part or leave to find something easier to read. Nice hub and good information.

Luna di Blu profile image

Luna di Blu  says:
2 months ago

SimeyC,

Thank you so much for this post. I am have a little difficulty moving pictures around on my hub, and your comments regarding breaking up the text will defnitely encourage me to press onward and fix this issue! I am definately bookmarking your hub so I may return and glean more useful tips! Thanks!

Born Again 05 profile image

Born Again 05  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for sharing this. Very useful information. I plan on applying some of these tips to my next hub.

elvislady profile image

elvislady  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for all your helpful information. I am trying to read through all these things before I try to write a hub.

You information will help me through all this. Thanks Roberta.

creativearts2009 profile image

creativearts2009  says:
2 months ago

Hi SmileyC, thank you for sharing your experience. I'm still learning to make hubpages and the fine tuning will come later. Finding pictures has been a challenge so far - and academic work carries a lengthy burden of citation - but I don't expect you to read those unless its useful for your own research. The main thing I would like to know is how we can make the hub more interactive. I've used quizzes, slideshows and polls, do you have any other suggestions?

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

One thing I've done in the past is to pose a question on the web page that is not answered on that page - ask the reader to leave comments with their answer - and then post the answer a week later. It firstly makes the reader do some research, and secondly may create a following especially if you continue to post question periodically.

I'll think about this and add a section on it...

twista21  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for your advice. I just started and this will really help me get going.

creativearts2009 profile image

creativearts2009  says:
2 months ago

I'm looking forward to seeing what you can come up with Smiley.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

creativearts2009: I've added a few ideas - let me know what you think, or let me know of some ideas I may 'steal' from you!!!

Rossyb  says:
2 months ago

Very authorative.

Top hub and useful advice. Thanks - I might even give it a go myself :)

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

Rossyb: knowing your style of writing, and knowing how good a marketer you are, you probably could make a lot of money on here and on a couple of other sites. Without any marketing and SEO I'm doing pretty well!!!

knell63 profile image

knell63  says:
2 months ago

Good info, a lot of common sense here but its amazing how common sense fails people at times.

knell63 profile image

knell63  says:
2 months ago

Good info, a lot of common sense here but its amazing how common sense fails people at times.

Brian Leekley  says:
2 months ago

I'm new to Hubpages. When I get around to writing my first hubs, I expect I'll be referring for ideas and tips to this hub often, and to its links.

sarah.astrid profile image

sarah.astrid  says:
2 months ago

This was a really helpful article. Thanks. I'm bookmarking it to come back to. I appreciate you reminding us it's about enjoyment first. The promotional business could stress me out quick, so thanks.

wisdom_lover27  says:
2 months ago

I found your article very informative and insightful. I am new to Hubpages.com. In fact, before last night I did not even know it existed. By the way, you had several spelling and grammar errors in this article. I.e. "little know facts". Was this intentional? I look forward to reading more of your hubs.

Info Help profile image

Info Help  says:
2 months ago

Hello,

I am fairly new to hubpages also, and I bookmarked this hub as well due to the fact that you have laid out some great guidelines to follow in order to be successful. I just joined the 30 hubs in 30 days challenge a few days ago and wrote a 1500 word hub in which I did break up the text into chunks and separated it with a video. Keep up the good work!

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

wisdom_lover27: thanks for spotting the error(s) - I added a tip about proof reading - quite often when you read your own writing you simply will not see 'silly' errors like this - it's always a good idea to get someone else to proof read your hub too!

maryladd profile image

maryladd  says:
2 months ago

Thank you, Very useful info on guidelines to new Hubpages..maryladd

LindaCSmith profile image

LindaCSmith  says:
2 months ago

I'm a new Hubpages writer and found this hub to be very helpful and full of terrific ideas and ways to use the capsules that I wasn't aware of. Thanks!

johnnyfr profile image

johnnyfr  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for the great info - from a newbie!

It's almost as if you wrote it specially for me! Cheers.

Samantha Red  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for the advice. I know first hand about spelling errors. Sometimes you find them yourself. If you just take the time to proof read before you publish.

Leop profile image

Leop  says:
2 months ago

I read this hub few days ago, I think forgot to say thank for good work. I have used some of your ideas, and I am already seeing good results. Great job.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

Leop: glad I could be of help, and great to see some good results!

GeneralHowitzer profile image

GeneralHowitzer  says:
2 months ago

I just featured this hub of yours in my article:http://hubpages.com/hub/A-to-Z-Guide-for-Hubpages- I hope you have time to visit it.

Luciendasky profile image

Luciendasky  says:
2 months ago

This is incredible! Thanks for the work you put into it!

1974 profile image

1974  says:
2 months ago

Simey,

I am also new to this HubPage thing, although I do not have 5 years of experience writing on the web. I would like to offer up my latest hub (you'll have to find it, called "Traffic Makes You Money". I removed the link to avoid promoting my Hub in a comment) to be your first featured hub of the week. I do have a couple of "grandma" errors, I'll fix them when I become unlazy.

I like what you have written here, and it is good advice. The reason I want you to feature my Hub is because I have a much different view on the importance of social networking as opposed to search traffic.

It may seem like an "in your face" type of approach to some people, but I say it like it is. Anyway, I am starting to see how being social can be beneficial (although I still think search traffic is the key). Keep up the good work and I'll read more as you publish it.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

1974: your hub compliments mine pretty well, and while you may not agree with everything I say, it's always good to have different views. I just featured your Hub.

Ladybird33 profile image

Ladybird33  says:
2 months ago

Excellent hub, very informative! I book marked it to reference now and in the future.

rsubrama  says:
2 months ago

This is an excellent primer for new hubbers like me. Good information to keep in mind and improve as one goes along. Also, completely agree with you on the content part, it gives you more pleasure writing as you progress and creating your own space rather than whatever money it might bring...perhaps we feel something that good writers live in their daily lives.

Island Tropical profile image

Island Tropical  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for your info!

Norma  says:
2 months ago

I don't have a website or hub page yet, but I have found your hub very informative...I'll be talking to you soon..Thank you so much for the advice..

lesterd2009 profile image

lesterd2009  says:
2 months ago

Great Hub My Friend Good Tips really great for newbies

Jennitasia profile image

Jennitasia  says:
2 months ago

I am really new to all of this too. I joined two months ago, but didn't come back until about a week ago. I have many things to learn and will take your advice. So thank you very much for your help!

Csjun89  says:
2 months ago

I've only joined a few months back too, and am still learning.

I do not agree with everything but it is a valuable read

Sarra Garrett profile image

Sarra Garrett  says:
2 months ago

Very informative Hub. I'm new to this and your hub has helped me tremdously.

Louidam1 profile image

Louidam1  says:
2 months ago

Great information! Thanks!

articleposter profile image

articleposter  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for posting this up.

Very good read

Content is the kink :D like that

Isabellas profile image

Isabellas  says:
2 months ago

Very informative! I have been doing this for close to a year now and starting to see some dimes rolling in instead of just pennies! It does take time and with the search engines to get your traffic you have to write really well and be unique!

Awesome Writer profile image

Awesome Writer  says:
2 months ago

There is great info here. Thank you so much for sharing. I have learned a lot from this hub. I will definitely use your suggestions when I create hubs.

caravalhophoto profile image

caravalhophoto  says:
2 months ago

Great information...will most definetly bookmark this and read often as I learn the ropes.

ReMarkaBlogs profile image

ReMarkaBlogs  says:
2 months ago

Thank you. As a newbie and having just posted my 1st Hub, I think I made every one of the mistakes you mention-at least on THAT score I'm 100%. Well,time to go do some editing.

mith_moral profile image

mith_moral  says:
2 months ago

Simply amazing. Very informative and to the point. I love how you gave examples using pictures next to each paragraph. Brilliant. I am quite the newbie here and your tips will be my future success in hubbing. Thank you!

drking  says:
2 months ago

Great tips. Being new to hubpages I will definitely keep this bookmarked as I write more.

MikeNV profile image

MikeNV  says:
2 months ago

I've seen a lot of really short and a lot of really long hubs. I find if they are too long and technical they don't get read so much... you notice this in the comments. The hubs I'm most interested in are those where the user has real experience with what they are writing about. It's pretty easy to tell the difference between the hub written by the guy/girl about forex trading and the professional trader.

Thanks for the tip about the blue boxes, I can't believe I didn't notice that I keep using blockquotes but I like how the blue boxes make your point stand out.

And I totally agree that more is not better with ads. I try to place as few ads as possible... just enough to give an interested party the opportunity to read more. Hubpages already places a ton of ads in your articles.

Layout makes such a huge difference, and so do pictures, bold text and headings. This is one of the best advice hubs I've read so far... I'm voting it up.. it's already 99 so maybe that will make it 100!

Mighty Mom profile image

Mighty Mom  says:
2 months ago

Not just for newbies -- this hub is useful for everyone! I learned a lot and appreciate all the links to other "must read" hubs. Well done.

BTW, I did not know David Gilmour discovered Kate Bush! Cool intel. MM

olga-kay profile image

olga-kay  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for providing such an informative hub. I'm a newbie and just learning the ropes. :)

jimmyred profile image

jimmyred  says:
2 months ago

Another noob over here. So far it looks like there's a lot of good info in this community, but also a lot of rubbish. Yours is in the former category. Thanks :)

niteridah profile image

niteridah  says:
2 months ago

I am truly thankful for this helpful info. I was trying to find out what to do next and you answered 95% of my questions. Thanks again.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

MikeNV - thanks for the comments. What I find is a lot of designing a hub or a website is down to trial and error - intially I had my 'tips' as bold and italicized - they simply didn't look good - I then thought of creating something in Corel Draw or MS Paint and making them stand out that way - but it suddenly came to me that using the features already in Hubpages would work - and voila - idea born!

Island Tropical profile image

Island Tropical  says:
2 months ago

Great Hub, thanks

\Brenda Scully  says:
2 months ago

hub marked this and when i am rich i will buy you a drink

KyonSOS23 profile image

KyonSOS23  says:
2 months ago

Great tip, it useful for me and Other beginner.

mizink profile image

mizink  says:
2 months ago

Thank you very much for your informative and interesting info.

Very tasty, something a person can sink their teeth into.

Bruce  says:
2 months ago

This is very helpful for me, a hub newbie... A writer who hasn't published, and who has written only one hub so far, it's very cool to be able to write a short article that may (or may not) turn on others who want to explore any given issue more deeply, or simply share like interests, and earn a little cash while doing it. Thanks SimeyC

Eaglekiwi profile image

Eaglekiwi  says:
2 months ago

I loved this hub , boy I have a ways to go for sure. Thankyou for sharing, sigh back to the drawing board for this ole bird lol.

abbas73 profile image

abbas73  says:
2 months ago

excellenet hub and a comprehensive guide to hubpages, thank you for the effort.

Below-average Joe profile image

Below-average Joe  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for the tips!

LEWJ profile image

LEWJ  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for the helpful info. A big bunch of ads on a web page always makes me suspicious.

michellebx profile image

michellebx  says:
2 months ago

Thanks! This was really helpful for me as a hubpages noob. I'll get the hang of this yet!

stephanieflood  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for the info! It's overwhelming being a newbie at this stuff, especially when you're trying to make it work. I'm a print journalist crossing over in this online blogsphere and it's pretty insane in this new realm. This information is very useful for me.

futurenetads profile image

futurenetads  says:
2 months ago

Thanks a lot ....I learned many useful things from u r hub ..keep writing more useful hubs

Lourna  says:
2 months ago

thanks for sharing some advice which are very helpful..

cloudy days profile image

cloudy days  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for the tips from a newbie!

Paradiseforever  says:
2 months ago

Within a span of 2 months 35 articles and 124 fans! Wav!! I was wondering before reading your hub. Only after reading it i know how it works. Even though I am a hubber for 2 years with 200 articles nearly my fan circle is only two digits. Now i realised what are all my mistakes and how to eradicate them in future. Nice hub from a great knowledgeable person.

Clet Anni profile image

Clet Anni  says:
2 months ago

You really did a great job here.

Thanks

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

Paradiseforever: thanks for the kind words! I simply hit the right niche at the right time!If anyone has questions please contact me - I'll try and help out where I can!

Laura du Toit profile image

Laura du Toit  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for the great hub. Unless you are a born natural, and perhaps even if you are, you need some guidance on what works best. After reading this hub I can identify my weak areas and what my work lacks.

Thanks once again!

domhain_12 profile image

domhain_12  says:
2 months ago

Thanks SimeyC! Help files are one thing but reading someone's personal experience makes the content a little richer I think. I have 3 hubs to start but this hub will help as I write up some more.

escritor profile image

escritor  says:
2 months ago

Thanks SmileyC. This may be the most useful Hub I have read yet. I will be bookmarking it, re-reading it, and checking your other hubs, as I think you are a great teacher.

pinkdaisy profile image

pinkdaisy  says:
2 months ago

This is very helpful :)

Thanks!

jayorban profile image

jayorban  says:
2 months ago

great information i picked up a few useful pointers thanks!

mobileexpert  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for the useful information! I'll try to implement all your ideas in all my hubs.

isabella. profile image

isabella.  says:
2 months ago

Thanks alot SmileyC, i have just completed my 1st hub, and with your advice did go back a few times to tweek it a bit...great hub really helpful and full of information, your hub is the 1st i have read, very enjoyable.

ponywriter profile image

ponywriter  says:
2 months ago

I have studied your hub and gladly take away some suggestions - for example - I LOVE to take surveys, but have never used one. Also, as I was creating my hub, I had questions as to formatting. Been blogging for years and am a bit screwed up in the translation - but some of the best advice has to be CHECK OUT THE BEST. So I've been sampling. Thanks

privateye2500 profile image

privateye2500  says:
2 months ago

Kudos! ~ I am obviously doing hubbing ALL wrong. No matter how much work I put into my hubs; they get scored poorly.

One thing I HAVE noticed though is that the more comments a hub has - the higher the scores eem to be.

...sigh...maybe I'll get it right someday.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

Privateeye2500 - there's nothing wrong with your hubs - they are all as good as mine if not better. I was lucky with this one - it hit the right note with many users and got lots of traffic - there's nothing really special about it - I just wrote down a lot of what many people already knew and hit the right niche!

privateye2500 profile image

privateye2500  says:
2 months ago

OK - maybe you can tell me why this hub stinks and gets a 44 rating.

I would REALLY like to know why. I know it is not long. I have written many LONG hubs. I have done a lot of things mixing it up - I just do NOT get it - it all seems to revolve around the comments to me.

Your Hub URL: http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Drug-Guide

PLEASE Simey - I'd really like to know what you have to say :}

james hoyer  says:
2 months ago

I found your hub informitive, but I still have a lot unanswered questions on hoy to create a hub, may I am just ignorant or to dumb.But I will figure it out and when I do watch out, there is a new kid on the block HA HA

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

James - feel free to contact me with any questions! I am not an expert, but I may be able to help out a little!

furious Pro profile image

furious Pro  says:
2 months ago

Just joined hubpages and yours is the second page I've read. Thanks for the tips!

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

Furious Pro: thanks! Hope the hub helped you! Good luck!

getting there profile image

getting there  says:
2 months ago

Hello SimeyC,

I really enjoy this hub. I have been using it as a reference for my own hubs, as I'm just getting started. I've created two now. My second hub includes a conversation I had today with the FTC regarding the recent changes going into effect December 1st that affect bloggers. It includes some unique information that anyone reading this hub should be made aware of. The hub address is here: http://hubpages.com/hub/New-FTC-Guidelines-Affect-

Thanks for your great advice!

Taylor

Jessica Horn profile image

Jessica Horn  says:
2 months ago

You're absolutely right! I tend to fill up my hubs with too much text, and out of respect for my readers, I really should put more effort into breaking them up with headings & pictures at the very least.

Doc Snow profile image

Doc Snow  says:
2 months ago

Thanks for the tips. I especially liked the idea of checking out top hubs with an analytical eye. Why didn't I think of that--I already do that in other parts of my life, after all!

Again, thanks!

tuacadoll profile image

tuacadoll  says:
2 months ago

Great advice! I acutally read the whoel thing. I noticed off the bat how much different my page looked when I added more content to it. I will use some of the tips from here to change my page. Thanks again

akirchner profile image

akirchner  says:
2 months ago

As a newbie, couldn't be more timely~! Great tips!!!

Chandan  says:
2 months ago

I am a newbie on hubpage, this is really helpful article for me.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

Doc Snow - checking out other writers is so important! I did it on other writing sites and gained so much insight into how to format and write that I really think I can do a good job these days - it's not down to talent really, it's down to following a few simple guidelines!!!

allhallowseve  says:
2 months ago

Thank you for the great advice Simey! I took your advice and asked others to create a hub of their own!! You rock!

purplefairy2 profile image

purplefairy2  says:
2 months ago

Thank you so much! Yours is the first hub I've read and I'm sure I will be refering back to it!

realtorcards profile image

realtorcards  says:
2 months ago

Thanks! This was helpful!!

hubpageswriter profile image

hubpageswriter  says:
2 months ago

Awesome stuff here that you've written.

turnup4thebooks profile image

turnup4thebooks  says:
2 months ago

Great to see a well written hub. I wasn't aware of the 'floating right' feature until now and shall experiment with it on my next hub.

turnup4thebooks profile image

turnup4thebooks  says:
2 months ago

And aswell as leaving a comment, don't forget to mark the hub up if you like it.

K Kiss profile image

K Kiss  says:
2 months ago

Hey thanks for this hub....:D

Diecast Guy profile image

Diecast Guy  says:
2 months ago

Wow I'm glad read this hub, as I am a newbie I need all the help I can get. Thanks for all the great info.

Charia Samher profile image

Charia Samher  says:
2 months ago

I have learn a lot from this. Thank you so much!

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

Diecast Guy: you are more than welcome! Let me know if you have any further questions.

BrianLeanza profile image

BrianLeanza  says:
2 months ago

This hub was a real eye opener to me. I am still pretty new to Hubpages and so many questions I had were answered. Thanks a lot for this.

shabnam  says:
2 months ago

hi

i m new & ur article is very useful for me...wanna ask u one thing whats the differance between blog & hub pages plz explain in detail...is it neccesarry that hub pages will be filled by articles written by me or can i post an useful article copied from net with source link?

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

shabnam: I would say that a hub is generally about one subject - for instance I'll have a Harry Potter hub, or a top ten books hub, whereas a blog will be far more varied - I'd use a blog to introduce a subject, and then link to the hub on that subject.

I wouldn't copy articles, rather it's better to write complimentary articles on different sites...they can contain similar content...

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
2 months ago

BrianLeanza: glad I could help! Feel free to contact me with any questions

N Holding  says:
6 weeks ago

Thanks for all the useful info. im new to all this and it is a real eye opener. Thanks again.

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
6 weeks ago

N Holding: you are welcome - hope the hub helks - feel free to contact me with any questions!

Jenny-Anne profile image

Jenny-Anne  says:
6 weeks ago

Hi SimeyC, I've just done my second hub and your tips here were very helpful. Thanks and all the best!

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
6 weeks ago

Jenny-Anne: glad I could be of help! Hope to see your two hundreth hub soon!

Jenny-Anne profile image

Jenny-Anne  says:
6 weeks ago

oh any day now! :)

dollarmags  says:
5 weeks ago

Newbie on hubpage, so thanks a lot for the great article!

poetlorraine profile image

poetlorraine  says:
5 weeks ago

the quality hub i have come to expect from you.... well done once again

wolfpack5 profile image

wolfpack5  says:
5 weeks ago

great hub, thank you so much.

Grisel  says:
5 weeks ago

Wow! I'm so impressed by the organization of your thoughts, links, ads, headings and all details in this article. I am visiting this site for the first time, just googling for writing jobs or columnist jobs and clicked on Hubpages. It sounds like something I would be exceedingly interested in doing were I not terrified of the technical challenges. I will, however, continue reading information and perhaps put together my own Hub seeing that this format might be what I've been looking for in my writing endeavor. Congratulations!

Army Infantry Mom profile image

Army Infantry Mom  says:
5 weeks ago

You certainly know your stuff SimeyC, These were great tips, Infact I think I'm gonna have to bookmark you and stick ya in my fav's,...

creativeone59 profile image

creativeone59  says:
5 weeks ago

Thank to you for all your great information. I didn't use your advice to start my hub, But I wish I had.your advice is grand, thank you for sharing it. I will bookmark this page. you have a blessed day SimeyC. creativeone59

G.L.A. profile image

G.L.A.  says:
5 weeks ago

Thanks!!! I'm brand new, and your advice is priceless!!!

Coaltrain profile image

Coaltrain  says:
5 weeks ago

Great information! Im very new to hubpages and this kind of informative hub can always help us newbies. thanks a bunch

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
5 weeks ago

Grisel: thanks for your words! I really hope you join, it may be daunting but there are a lot of helpful people on the forums who will always point you in the right direction! Good luck!

trose profile image

trose  says:
5 weeks ago

This is so helpful. Thank you.

wondergrl profile image

wondergrl  says:
4 weeks ago

Thanks for the info and tips......I'll keep my fingers crossed for a publisher of your poetry or book. I look poetry!

CrystalStarWoman profile image

CrystalStarWoman  says:
4 weeks ago

I'm just starting out and this has been very interesting and very helpful. Thank you!

Chanda Shahani  says:
4 weeks ago

Hello there. I am a frustrated small newspaper publisher who never made it years ago, but I am hoping to regroup by getting into hub publishing. Thanks for the wise and timely advice. It's really useful.

Sheila Wilson profile image

Sheila Wilson  says:
4 weeks ago

I appreciate your idea of posing a question to the reader. I'm new to HubPages. So far, my articles are fairly typical of what I would write for a freelance writing client. I need to look into including more tools and things that encourage interaction.

Thanks for your informative Hub.

Wood Dragon profile image

Wood Dragon  says:
4 weeks ago

What a great page. Thanks for all the practical advice. I too am a newbie and have just done my first hub but I will be back to read this again before I do my second.

dburkeaz  says:
4 weeks ago

Well done article, it has inspired me to publish my first hubpage...

http://hubpages.com/hub/robertlichelloAIMSystem

Thanks for the inspiration!

Doug

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
4 weeks ago

Dburkeaz: thanks - glad I could inspire you! I left a comment on your first hub.

Wood Dragon: Thanks - hope you find my hub useful!

Drew Breezzy profile image

Drew Breezzy  says:
4 weeks ago

Good stuff. Helpful for newbie. Being rather new myself this is all stuff I learned.

jbryant22  says:
4 weeks ago

Great hub.. thanks for the info

popkultureking profile image

popkultureking  says:
4 weeks ago

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate that someone on the site is out there to help us all make that extra dollar, or dim, or... lol. Thanks much again- Popkultureking

endeliz profile image

endeliz  says:
4 weeks ago

Thanks but keep in mind just because you have writing experience ,does not mean every one does.

The main thing is that people are getting their thoughts and ideas out.

If its not written well enough for you ,then just do not read it.

kerrinicoles  says:
4 weeks ago

I think this is some great information. I am personally a new blogger and I am very excited about getting information out there to people about topics that are interesting to me and other. Thank you for the information and tips!

Lee Thacker profile image

Lee Thacker  says:
4 weeks ago

I like the way your brain thinks, makes me feel alive listening to what your thinking, very cool...Keep it up ...PS Now I Know Why I bookmarked your page ;-) ...Hope you are doing well,

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
4 weeks ago

endeliz: you are right of course - the idea of my guide is to assist people - you don't have to be a great writer to do well - if you present it well then you can get away with some mistakes.

Kidgas profile image

Kidgas  says:
4 weeks ago

Excellent hub. Very nice.

Glenn Stok profile image

Glenn Stok  says:
4 weeks ago

Thanks for writing this hub. It caught my attention when I saw you had a score of 100 on it. So I just had to read it with the idea of paying attention to what you did as well as what you said. I can see how you implemented what you spoke about in this hub. Now I need to go back over my four hubs and rework them. I agree about the idea "less is more" with advertising. Displaying one good item in an eBay or Amazon capsule is all that is needed, rather than showing a long list of items. Thanks again for a very informative hub.

Lisa HW profile image

Lisa HW  says:
4 weeks ago

Good points made here. I do have to say, though, that I've run into some photography Hubs with incredible photographs (NOT of the actress/model variety, but of places around the world or natural phenomena) that I thought were great.

johntriggerman profile image

johntriggerman  says:
4 weeks ago

Thanks for the insights and ideas on how to build a kickass hubpage. I will try these and follow your advice. Pictures are indeed an eye-candy.

John

http://www.colinklinkert.com/finding-good-joint-ve

MissE profile image

MissE  says:
4 weeks ago

Good advice. I'm fairly new also. I always enjoy hubs that give tips to other writers! Thanks so much!

linda gray profile image

linda gray  says:
4 weeks ago

This helps very much. I'm always looking for ways to improve. Thanks!

carmenjones profile image

carmenjones  says:
4 weeks ago

These are great tips for a newcomer like me. It's very much appreciated!

wendi_w profile image

wendi_w  says:
4 weeks ago

Thank you once again , a very informative and useful hub . I,for one , appreciate all the help I can get.

sororityhousemom profile image

sororityhousemom  says:
4 weeks ago

Thanks for the helpful info.

kfg13 profile image

kfg13  says:
4 weeks ago

As a very new "hubber", this was a great help. Does everyone feel overwhelmed in the beginning, though? So much to think about; how do I remember it all?...not to mention how to be effective at it! It is a little paralyzing when all one really wants to do is write (well...and make a little $$$)!

starme77 profile image

starme77  says:
4 weeks ago

Good Advice - Us Newbies Need it :)

Austinstar profile image

Austinstar  says:
4 weeks ago

Well, this is about as in-depth as you can get for writing hubs! I really appreciate all of the great info and it has given me a really creative idea for a new hub or two or three. Thanks!

masmasika profile image

masmasika  says:
4 weeks ago

Hi, another great hub of yours. I love how you make writing as something simple and especial.

docran profile image

docran  says:
4 weeks ago

Wow many tips I can get here. I really like the "USEFUL TIP". Brief with deep meaning

Beth04364 profile image

Beth04364  says:
4 weeks ago

Great HUB !

bestcellphones  says:
4 weeks ago

cool thx for the info!

Dennis kirk profile image

Dennis kirk  says:
4 weeks ago

All points are nice for a newbie. Even i am here for 4-5 months but i didnt realize on this point "Feedback / What can I add?" As this will help to update the data regularly and vast information. good one.

poetlorraine profile image

poetlorraine  says:
4 weeks ago

You have a high standard, and after reading this, i feel i must make lots of improvement..... HELP i thought i was doing o.k. Maybe not so many amazon adverts, but not everyone knows amazon sells so much, we direct them there, don't we ????? YOU read my beatles hub toooo now i am ashamed i know i need to fix the grammar on that. Are you a teacher, or headmaster more like

Robert Clinton profile image

Robert Clinton  says:
4 weeks ago

Great hub,I always want to increase the rank of my hub by updating it regularly. But the things you stated for interacting the reader are great, They will really help in adding fresh content and hub live.

programming`  says:
4 weeks ago

thanks for this work

crazybeanrider profile image

crazybeanrider  says:
4 weeks ago

This a useful hub for me. I have been on HubPages for about 18 months. I didn't write anything for a long time for a number of reasons. One being I felt I was a rotten writer and nobody really wanted to read my crap. But reading this makes me feel a little more positive about writing.

I like the idea of less is more. Unless a lot of content stays on course, as does your hub. I am able to learn from reading your hubs. Good work, but I bet you know that already.

Boo

LazarDRod profile image

LazarDRod  says:
4 weeks ago

Hey, this hub is great. I joined just a couple weeks ago and my hubs are doing OK but should perform much better now that I know how to make them properly. Thank You for the information :).

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
4 weeks ago

lazarDRod: thank you!

crazybeanRider: you don't necessarily have to be a great writer to create a great hub - formatting, context etc are just as important.

Cheeky Girl profile image

Cheeky Girl  says:
4 weeks ago

Hy SimeyC,

I have been on HubPages for about 2 months and my rating has gone up to 87, with just 7 hubs. I read your hub here a while back and didn't leave a thanks comment, but you have great advice here. You prove it can be done! Just stick to good quality Hubs and be patient! Many thanks for the Inspiration. I am a Fan!

Belle24 profile image

Belle24  says:
3 weeks ago

I'm a newbie, thanks for the information!

SimeyC profile image

SimeyC  says:
3 weeks ago

Cheeky Girl: glad I could help!

BrownEyedGirl  says:
3 weeks ago

I just signed up and I'm finding my way around.

thilaganesh profile image

thilaganesh  says:
3 weeks ago

Great Hub! It would be really helpful for the newbies to give good hubs. Every point here is acceptable and can be easily followed.

untara profile image

untara  says:
3 weeks ago

Grammar ... Grammar (my indonesian english spell, doh)

think that I should buy some grammar books ...

Thanks for this very informative hub, SimeyC!

Dennis kirk profile image

Dennis kirk  says:
3 weeks ago

Don’t make them think they reading, Make them fell that. Those things you stated is really help in interacting with readers. Facts is also a good thing, as there are many facts on a topic and through which we can update our hub regularly.

Dorrene R profile image

Dorrene R  says:
3 weeks ago

This is very informative and helpful. Thanks for writing!

samsungbeholdt919  says:
3 weeks ago

great hub, thank you very much

ddsurfsca profile image

ddsurfsca  says:
3 weeks ago

Thanks for the information, for now my ideas may have somewhat of a chance to be seen, read and possibly even enjoyed by others. I was beginning to feel lost in this great big huge sea of hubs, but using some of this advice may change my sub, sub standard formatting and content, into a possible average or better layout that doesn't hurt anyone's eyes, leave readers with a headache, or any other physical conditions.

I do have a much better grasp of what is supposed to be happening, and I thank you again.....

Look for my future hubs, all sarcasm is included free of charge...

scheng1  says:
2 weeks ago

haha, I love the sentence "advertise your hub to death"! I have to do the same for my blogs. Hope my two little blogs can appreciate what I have done for them.

sohaibshaheen profile image

sohaibshaheen  says:
2 weeks ago

you got nice writing style..... honestly

sohaibshaheen profile image

sohaibshaheen  says:
2 weeks ago

you got nice writing style..... honestly

swosugrad09 profile image

swosugrad09  says:
2 weeks ago

I'm a newbie and I appreciate your up front advice on hubbing! Thanks for the informative piece.

Tammy Lochmann profile image

Tammy Lochmann  says:
2 weeks ago

Hi thank you for this. I printed it for reference. I will be reading more of your hubs in the future. Tammy

The Bard profile image

The Bard  says:
2 weeks ago

Great Hub! An outstanding demonstration of a man of measure!

voinetwork profile image

voinetwork  says:
2 weeks ago

I myself am new to the world of hubs, I really appreciate your advice and will tak it into consideration when writing future hubs. I have never been a great writer, but hopefully tips I learn from the community will make me a better writer....cause I have alot to tell!!! :)

jayjay40 profile image

jayjay40  says:
7 days ago

Thanks for the information, well written and easily explained Well done

ABTEODORO profile image

ABTEODORO  says:
22 hours ago

I'm a newbie in hubpages. any advice or suggestion where can i link my first hub?

Thanks

ABTEODORO profile image

ABTEODORO  says:
22 hours ago

I'm a newbie in hubpages. any advice or suggestion where can i link my first hub?

Thanks

M. T. Dremer profile image

M. T. Dremer  says:
10 hours ago

There are a lot of comments on this article, but I still thought I would throw up my own two cents. I really appreciate articles like this (as a newbie myself). I haven't even given much thought to the design of my hubs, other than trying to break up large chunks of text. I'm going to have to give in-text pictures and ads a try to make mine look a bit more professional. I also really liked your suggestions about being a courteous fan. Leaving meaningful comments and keeping up to date on your friends can go a lot further than a simple 'nice hub' comment. Thanks for all the advice!

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