First Year at HubPages: What I Wish I Had Known
A few years ago, when I started writing online for HubPages, I thought I would just get online and write and that would be it.
I knew nothing about keywords, using pictures, stats, titles, subtitles, backlinks, SEO's, or the Hub Page community. These are keys to success, so I have had to learn these important factors along the way.
At times, it has been overwhelming because I am not technologically advanced. I know some things about the Internet, but there are so many things I did not know when I started. Things that would have made my experience much easier.
The great thing about the Hub Community is there are people, video tutorials, the question and answers section, and the HubPages Learning Center to use.
The knowledge you gain is well worth the time invested in researching your questions through these means.
Hubbers are Helpful
JS Matthews was the first person to greet me. He has been most helpful in answering my questions, and he has written helpful hubs for new hubbers. You will find that most hubbers are willing to help. All you need to do is ask. Don't be shy - you are in a very supportive writing community.
Another way hubbers can be helpful is to simply study the people who have been on HubPages for a while. See how they format their hubs by using capsules, picture, maps, polls, videos, links, etc. Read about their experiences because they have a lot to offer, which, if you take their advice, your stats and traffic will rise.
I have placed a list of hubs that have helped me at the bottom of this hub.
Writing Hubs
When writing a hub, be sure you choose categories that match what you are writing. For instance, this hub is under the main category of “HubPages Tutorials and Community” then the subcategory of “Help for New Hubbers” then another more specific category of “Advice and Tips for New Hubbers.” The more specific you can get to your topic’s overall category, the easier it will be found by hubbers and search engines.
Next, you want to choose a title that is search engine friendly. You can go to Google Adwords to find out how popular the searches are for words in your title. Google Adwords will be discussed later in this hub.
Be sure you use at least 5 text capsules. You want your hub to be split up into paragraphs and sections. It makes it easier for readers and it keeps their attention. Also, hubs that are between 500 – 1500 words seem to receive more views than those that have over 1500 words. This is not always the case, especially if you are writing about a topic that is of high quality and interest.
To get ideas for hubs, look at what is trending most on Google, MSN, YAHOO, and AOL. You will also get great ideas from going to the Question/Answer section on HubPages. Find a question you can answer, click “Answer this Question” then click “Make a Hub,” and start writing a hub. The forums also provide sources to write about. Remember, unless otherwise stated, do not post your hubs in the forums because you will be banned for self-promotion.
Using Pictures and Videos
You must use pictures in your hubs. It is best to use your own, but Google Images and Flickr are great online sites to use. Be sure you give credit by posting the URL address where it says "source." You do not want to be accused of stealing someone's picture.
For videos, your own are best, but YouTube is next to best. Again, remember to cite the URL source of videos that are not yours.
Pictures and videos make your hubs more appealing and fun to read. They also break your hub up into easy-to-read sections.
Using Polls, Quizzes, and Maps
These capsules create and form interaction between your hub and your reader. They are fun and interesting to create, and they keep your reader engaged. It gives you an idea of what your readers are thinking and how your hub has affected them.
Google Adwords Keyword Tool
Google Adwords Keyword Tool is great to get your hubs noticed in the Google search engine. It cost nothing to join Google Adwords. When you get an idea for a hub, go to Adwords and type in your title and/or main ideas. On the left hand side, you will see choices for “Broad” and “Exact.” Click “Exact.” A list for your exact words will come up and tell you whether they have high, medium, or low competition. You want to stay in the medium and low range of competition. Since HubPage Earnings is pay-per-view, you will notice the words have a monetary value. Hopefully, you will choose keywords that have high monetary value, which in turn may help you receive more views. Sprinkle these keywords throughout your hub. I like to write my hub then go through the suggested list in Google Adwords. Don't overdo it. Make sure your writing is natural and not keyword heavy.
Sharing Others' Hubs with Referral Trackers
First, if you share "Hub Love" and pay it forward, you will be noticed in the community and the same will be done for you. Next to the hub you are reading, you will see tabs for Twitter, Facebook, Google, Pinterest, and HubPages. You definitely want to click these tabs each time you read and comment on a hub. Other hubbers who follow you will notice your shares in their newsfeeds and will share your content, too.
HubPages has already provide a referral tracker for you. If you click on LINK TO THIS PAGE at the very bottom of each page, a box will pop up with your link and referral tracker and you can copy and paste the link into Facebook, Google +, Twitter, Pinterest, e-mail, and a variety of other social networks. Each time you share someone’s hub with your referral tracker, you get 10% percent earnings of the page views added to your hub earnings.
Another great way to share is to link other hubs related to your hub using the link capsule. When creating or editing your hub, you can click on the link capsule and add the link of a related hub with your referral tracker in it. Linking hubs is a great way to contribute to the hub community. You can link your own and others with related topics.
Revise Your Hub Before Publishing
After you have written your hub, do not publish it right away. Click on "done editing," and walk away from it for a day or two. Come back to it, read it with fresh eyes, and fix any problems. Also, don't forget to look over your summary, which is on the the right side of your page. Be sure you revise it, too. Grammar, spelling, and correct punctuation and usage are of utmost importance if you want a quality hub. Also, if you let your hub set unpublished for a day, or even several days, your hub score will go up as it sits.
Going back to revise your hub will help you become a better writer and will enhance your hub so it is a better read for your followers. Happy Hubbing! You are going to love the HubPage community.
My last piece of advice is to write, write, write. The more quality hubs you publish, the more traffic you will receive. Plus, the more you write, the more you learn, and you will become a better author.
Welcome to HubPages! Enjoy the ride.
Note: Veteran HubPage and Online Writers
Some days I still feel like a newbie, so please add additional information and links in your comments that helped you when you started your online writing careers.
Great Advice From Hubbers
- Learning Center Contents
- How Do I Get Noticed On HubPages? A Guide To Getting Started Writing Hubs
A How-To Guide to understanding HubPages and getting started with publishing online and getting traffic to your Hubs. If you want to be noticed on HubPages and get readers to comment on your work, then this is the best place to start! This article in - Create HubPages Referral Trackers for Links and Blogs
Generating Traffic This hub will highlight three specific steps I have taken to generate traffic. I am really pumped and glad to share my tips with the rest of the HubPages community. These tips are nothing new, but I thought I should bring them toge - My Content was Stolen: How to File a DMCA Complaint
- Unusual Ways to Get Free Traffic
If you'd like to get more traffic to your web pages, here are some ideas that you may not have thought about. - How to Be a Success At HubPages in 100 Hubs or Less
Being a joiner has its rewards! Almost two years ago I stumbled across HubPages quite by accident. It wasn't long before I was writing my own articles. Here are the secrets to my HubPages success, with some key links to get any new writer here on HP - Hub Pages: Beware of Those Who Will Try to Sabotage Your Hub
Sometimes you write a hub that is controversial, and others cannot agree to disagree. Beware of allowing rants in your comments. A few people will gather others to visit your page using their referral tracker, so their followers will vote you down an
© 2012 Susan Holland
Comments
AUTHORJanisa, I apologize. I need to update the article. I don't think the referral trackers are in use any longer.
Don't quite get how the referral tracker works
- AUTHOR
I am glad it was helpful, Jeff. Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I know you will enjoy the Hub Page community, so WELCOME!! :-)
Thanks so much for your article. I am new to Hub Pages and I am still learning the ropes. I have only written 4 articles but all were published but your article has really opened my eyes. Thanks again.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Jo Jim! I hope they are helpful. So much to learn! :-)
Thanks for sharing this informative article. Will make good of your tips.
- AUTHOR
Welcome to HP, Jasmen!! I hope you enjoy your time here. Thanks for dropping by!! :-)
Thank you very much for all this advice, Sholland. As a newcomer, I am sure your words of wisdom will be helpful as well as save me time. I look forward to reading more of your writing.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Glenn! I updated. I added a new quiz capsule and deleted the old one, so hopefully that takes care of the mobile issues. I guess I have been busted for not updating my hubs. HA!! Seriously, thanks so much for pointing these things out. The information might be important to a new hubber, and I don't want it to be outdated.
Thanks so much for dropping by! I appreciate your help!! :-)
I was curious to see what you said about our first year's experience. This was well written and can be useful for newbies. However, I see that it's an old hub you wrote a long time ago.
Simone no longer works at HubPages and her Weekly Topic Inspiration has been discontinued. The quiz capsule is no longer supported and does not work on mobile devices that don't have Flash. Matthew recommends removing them if you see a major portion of your traffic is from mobile.
Just wanted to let you know so you can update this hub, because it is still very useful, as I said.
Grate post. Many many thanks to you for your useful advice.
- AUTHOR
Thanks! :-)
Very helpful sholland, I really need to learn more in this awesome community.
- AUTHOR
You are welcome. :-)
This was very helpful. Thank you for sharing.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, ALL! I hope you have great success on HubPages and am glad you can see that my journey was not easy but worth it. Learn from veteran hubbers (links listed above plus more are written daily), and use the Learning Center.
I humbly appreciate all your comments! :-)
Thanks for the grate tips. I well be sure to keep them in mind.
very well said. Thanks for this information.
These are the kinds of tips a newbie needs. Thanks!
Great Hub Sholland ! And very helpful.. since I joined two years back but haven't been much on hub pages until recently and was looking to write more often.. Seems I can use some of your tips :) Thanks !
I really enjoyed reading this article and appreciate the advice. I will definitely use your tips going forward. Thank you very much!
I learned a lot from reading this hub, thanks so much for sharing it with the rest of us! I'm very new to this site and I'm still stumbling along the way and figuring out tips and tricks. This hub helped me learn a few more things the easy way.
Awesome Hub. Diamonds of info. Didn't realize adwords could be helpful in this domain. Thanks for your time!
- AUTHOR
I am glad you found it helpful! Welcome to HubPages and Happy Hubbing! :-)
Great information for this newbie and others. I'm voting up and sharing! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
- AUTHOR
Thanks Pooja and HD! I am glad you found the hub useful. :-)
Thanks for all the tips! Great stuff.
nice information for new hubbers...thnxs
- AUTHOR
Thank you, nArchuketa! Good luck! :-)
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
Thank you so much for your Hub. I learned a lot, and I can't wait to take some time and try the techniques you suggested.
- AUTHOR
Hi JMillis and Ruth! I am glad you found the hub helpful. It takes time, but you are in a wonderful community of writers willing to help. :-)
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
Thank you for sharing your experience with those of us who desperately need it.
This was very imformative, I still do not understand all of the extra stuff for hubs but I am working on it. Great hub.
- AUTHOR
Hi Gerard! Welcome to HubPages! It is really great once you are able to maneuver the ropes. LOL
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
Great advice for a newbie like me. Thanks!
- AUTHOR
Cbar, Peggy, Shouther, thanks so much for dropping by. Welcome to HubPages! You are going to love the community. I am glad you found my hub helpful. Other hubbers and the Learning Center are your best resources.
Again, WELCOME! :-)
Really interesting reading and as a new guy to the hubs (4 and counting) there was some really useful points and links I hadn't considered. Will be trying some of these suggestions out in my next hub and see what happens! Thanks for being so helpful!
I'm a brand new Hubber and still learning my way around. All of this info is helpful, and will take a while to digest. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Thanks for writing this hub! I'm new to Hub Pages and your advice helps to understand the world of hub writing, and essentially, online writing. I will reference what you said and make some changes.
- AUTHOR
Hi Sirius! I am so glad you felt I was speaking to you as a new hubber. I like making it personal in order to help others. Be sure to check out some of those links I posted below the hub. There are some great hubbers with great advice. Get as much under your belt as possible. Hubbing is so much easier and productive when you do.
So glad you joined HubPages! Happy Hubbing!
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
The greatest thing about this hub is that it reads as though you're speaking directly to me. I haven't even been here longer than a day and reading through the FAQs helped but this hub provides great advise in brief. Very engaging. Thank you
- AUTHOR
Thank you, Starstream! I know many hubbers along the way have been so kind and helpful with advice for me. I just wanted to share what I have learned along the way. :-)
Thank for dropping by! :-)
We all need some help when we start writing hubs here. You have offered some great advice which should improve our success. I am saying thanks for many good hints.
- AUTHOR
Hi Everyone, I am glad you have found this hub helpful. It truly is nice to find pieces of information that help us along the way. There are so many hubbers out there willing to help, too. If I helped anyone with my experience, I feel very honored. It is only because HP's has given me such a great support system, though.
Thanks for all your comments, voting, and sharing. So glad you dropped by! :-)
Thank-you for sharing all this useful information-I too just celebrated 1 year with the hub community and several of the items you addressed I was still unaware of or haven't used -also like the link to the amazon book which may also some in handy.
As someone who is new to Hubpages myself, I've gone in and tried to mine for information from people who know. I've read several hubs and had several more questions come up in my mind just from reading answers! Thank you so much for being informative on this. I'm an aspiring writer and I really am giving this my best shot. I just want to be fully armed and armed properly before I jump head first into the deep end of things. I appreciate your article and I'm voting it up. Thank you so much for a highly detailed read.
I have been ignorant. Great tips to follow. Thank you for this wonderful hub.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Michael! I am still learning and will continue to learn. It can be overwhelming, but it is worth it. The Google monster does rear its ugly head sometimes with no rhyme or reason. LOL
Thanks for dropping by, voting, and sharing! :-)
Very useful hub for vets and newbies alike.
If only we knew then what we know now.
We would still have to deal with the Google monster lol.
Great hub Susan all the votes and sharing.
- AUTHOR
Hey Coffee, I hope you get a better start than I did.
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
Very good, useful hub. Lots of interesting points. Thank you.
- AUTHOR
Hi Lori! I hope you find it helpful and that you make an impact quicker than I did. If I had only known... LOL
Thanks for dropping by and for voting! :-)
Thank you - I need to start doing a lot of these suggestions ! I will vote up for sure - thank you.
- AUTHOR
Hi Nykki! I am glad you found it helpful. If only I had known then what I know now. LOL Plus, I am still learning. I encourage you to read the links I included from other great hubbers.
I think you are going to love HP's. It is a fantastic community! :-)
Thanks for dropping by!
This has been a great look into what I all need to do now that I have started on hubpages. Thank you for the great hub and all the tips!
- AUTHOR
Mary, I hope you find the information useful. As far as being part of the HP's community, just jump right in. You can go to the forums, make comments on others' hubs, and link related hubs back to yours. :-) It just takes time, but you couldn't be in a better writing community (in my opinion).
Best Wishes, and thanks for dropping by! :-)
Thanks for the tips. My biggest set back on Hubpages is figuring out how to intermingle with the community. This provided some helpful tips with that. Thanks.
- AUTHOR
Pommefritte, I hope it is beneficial. The Google Adwords is SO important. It is the one technological way to get the crawlers to go to your hubs in order to bring in views.
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
Thanks very much. This is very helpful for someone just getting started - especially the tips on Google Adwords.
- AUTHOR
Hey M-and-A! So glad you learned something new. The links I provided are what other hubbers have shared! Great information that helped me.
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
I learned how to share hubs reading this article, I'm kind of surprised I had figured that out before. Anyway stopping by to say I learned something by reading this, so thank you.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Audra! I appreciate your kind comment!
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
- AUTHOR
Tommen, I agree - finding the right keywords makes the biggest difference. That was one of those things I learned later that I wish I had known and understood earlier.
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
- AUTHOR
Hi HoneyBB, you might try going to the questions/answers section to find ideas. Also, you can go to through the HP topic page to find something that might interest you. :-) Good luck and Enjoy!
Thanks for dropping by and the votes. :-)
- AUTHOR
Hi Gail! He is under the "Pin It" Share option next "HubPages Followers." Yes, there is a lot to learn. Take it a step at a time and do what you can do in the beginning. Look at the other links I included at the bottom of the hub. Lots of great hubber advice.
Thanks for dropping by!! :-)
A very good sourse of valuable info from a pro like you! Well done!
Excellent information! The most important thing is to do proper keyword research and choose keywords that you can actually rank for in the search engines.No point in choosing a niche where the competition is too high.Then write a hub with at least 1,000 words, add a video to it and other things.Google (and other search engines too) want high quality content.Link building is not so important anymore.
Thanks for all the tips and tricks. I really need to get on the ball. I've been having a problem coming up with a topic but I am going to try out some of your suggestions. Voted ++
There is a lot to learn about writing on hubpages. Interesting hub. I didn't see the little man icon, but I'll have to look for him.
- AUTHOR
Hi Leslie! Sorry about your search for the black SHARE button. HP's has changed to the new formatting since I wrote this hub. Now, to share with other hubbers, we have to click on the little "man" icon next to "HubPages Followers" ; it is with the Facebook, Twitter, and Pin sharing options. I revised the hub. I am so glad you mentioned it. :-)
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
- AUTHOR
I know, Kelly! I am excited! :-) JS is awesome and has awesome tips. I think HP's is a great community, and so many are here to help. I feel very fortunate! :-)
- AUTHOR
Almost there, Bill! :-) Me, your mentor? I think it's the other way around. You are welcome, but I need to thank you in return for all the same things. You are awesome! :-)
Congrats on 1 year at the Hub! read and re-read this and still can't find the black SHARE button..sigh..technically horrid, me! lol..
i use the 'hubpages followers' button...is that what you mean? no referral tracker pops up for me..
Creeping closer to 100,000? WOW you go girl!
Yeah I love JS too - he's got lots of awesome tips of the trade!
100,000 views....way to go, Susan! You have been one of my mentors since I started. Thank you for all you have done for me, and thank you for being such a great representative of HubPages!
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Lexi! I sure wish I understood all those things when I started. It would have made things so much easier. Be sure you check the links I inserted. They are written by great hubbers you will want to follow. :-)
Best Wishes and HAPPY HUBBING!
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
Bookmarked this! (Because I'm currently at work. Haha.) Thank you, Susan. This definitely is a huge help for newbies like me.
- AUTHOR
Hi JD! Welcome to HubPages! You are going to love the community. :-)
I hope this hub provides you with useful information, and be sure to click on the links of the other hubbers because they share so much valuable information.
Thanks for dropping by!! :-) Revisit anytime! If you have questions, I will try to help you or point you in the right direction. :-)
Very useful information for a newbie. Will be revisiting for sure till the information gels. Thanks
- AUTHOR
Hi Sinea! Thanks for re-reading the hub. I am going to check out your link! :-)
- AUTHOR
Kelley, thanks for revisiting and sharing it. :-)
You are very welcome for the votes! :)
Heading straight over to read. Cheers all.
I love this hub. Have re-read it several times and always learn something new. Thanks for the invite to share a link. When I discovered how to get links within my hubs to automatically open in a new window--therefore helping the reader to enjoy the links but NOT lose your page--I was thrilled. I wrote about how to do it in Readers--How to Keep Them: http://sinea-pies.hubpages.com/hubs29/hub/Readers
I've read this great hub before but just had a few friends here ask for a hub about Google's keyword tool. I'm sharing this now with those hubbers and many more! Kelley
- AUTHOR
Cfjots, I am honored that you would keep this hub. :-) I hope you find all of it and the links by great hubbers helpful!
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
- AUTHOR
Dwchira, you are so welcome. I hope it and the links are useful to you. I love how easy it is to share other hubbers' hubs. I did not catch onto that right away, and I wish I had!
Thanks for dropping by! :-)
- AUTHOR
Hey Josh! I WISH HOTD!! LOL I am glad you found some things that were helpful. It is amazing how much people help each other on HP's. You need only to ask.
Thanks for dropping by, the votes, and the sharing!! I appreciate it! :-)
- AUTHOR
You are welcome, Ignugent! I hope it was helpful. Thanks for dropping by! :-)
- AUTHOR
Hey Tammy! Thank you for dropping by and for sharing. I really appreciate it! :-)
Thank you for all your advice. I am still learning the ropes and you gave plenty of informative information. I am going to keep this article for future reference.
Thanks sholland10 for these tips especially about sharing other hubbers hubs. Am just starting and i will really benefit from these tips. Thanks for sharing.
sholland, This is an awesome hub for newbies like me, it is like an island of information, thank you so much! The pictures, layout, information, everything was fantastic, no wonder there are so many comments! Can we reverse time an honor you with a HOTD on this one! haha lol Awesome job sholland! Voted up , useful, awesome, and sharing immediately!
Wow such a wonderful hub. It is almost like a love letter with full of love and dedication. I wish I found Hub pages ealier too but as they say better late than never. Thanks sholland10.
You make some great points and I wish I knew many of these things before I started. This is a great hub and it should help many newbies. Sharing!
- AUTHOR
I am glad you found it, Susan! Thanks for your kind words. I really appreciate you and all the help you have offered me along the way! :-)
I do hope the hub is helpful. :-)
Thanks for dropping by, voting, and sharing! :-)
- AUTHOR
Bill, I did the same thing, but then I saw people like JS who had great advice and was always so helpful.
I am so glad you and I have met on HP's. We have had so much fun, and I have learned much from reading your hubs about life! :-)
Thanks for dropping by!
- AUTHOR
TToombso, you are so kind. I know you have been here for a while, so I am sure I could learn a lot from you.
Thanks for dropping by, the votes, and the sharing! :-)
This is a great hub for newbies and hubbers that have been here awhile.Sorry that I missed it when you first published it. Great Job!
Votes and sharing.
Sheez, I didn't think I'd ever get to the bottom of the comments. I remember when I first started out I was totally clueless...of course, I never bothered to read the instructions or go to the Learning Center. LOL I just relied on great Hubbers like you to help me....and you did.
Thank you Susan!
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