1 Link to a page which I own

1. 39

   OpinionatedManposted 12 years ago

   I'm new, and did not find this question elsewhere.  I put up a half-dozen hubs, all around 600 words, then, using the "links" selection, I put in a link to my own website so that readers can see what else I've written.  This link was for my home page, as opposed to a topic-specific page.  I was pushed in the corner and made to wear a paper cone on my head.  This is the only possible violation which I can determine as responsible for setting off the Hub Pages police sirens.  When I signed up for Hub Pages, it was very clear that I can link to my own website.  1 link per 600-word article hardly seems like commercialization.  I asked Hub Pages, but they didn't answer.  Before I re-"submit" my Hubs, I'd like some clarification.  I turned off the ads too, since I'm not interested in having Google AdSense and I can't make money from Hub Pages without such an account.  I added the Hub Pages thingy to my website so that my followers can find my Hub Pages.  I don't post the same articles in the different places.  Is there an acceptable way to have a link to my own homepage from Hub Pages without having ads on my pages?  If I have to have ads in order to do this, can I make money without using my AdSense account?

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   1. 59

      MelissaBarrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You can't link every single hub you write to your own web-site or really any one web-site.  It's overpromotional.
      
      Hub pages does not exist to provide people with free advertising to other sites.
      
      It's in the Terms of Service.

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   2. 59

      Dale Hydeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Link only to sites with related material. Self-promotion will only stumble you. RELATED is a must to remember in all aspects of linking including the Amazon and Ebay capsules, RSS feed and "other" posts of yours elsewhere on the web. This is for your own good.  Google digests all "related" material, and related only. If you have non-related material, Google will burp.  If related, your ranking and views go up...if Google burps, your ratings and views will go down.

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2. 39

   OpinionatedManposted 12 years ago

   Thanks to both Dale and Melissa.  I'll just stay away from posting links of any kind.  It seems that the TOS should be more explicit - especially when an enticement to join Hub Pages was being able to link to my homepage.  I will remove the link from my website to Hub Pages as well.

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   1. 59

      Dale Hydeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The enticement you mention, I do believe, is that you can link to your webpage on your profile page.

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      1. 39

         OpinionatedManposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Maybe I inferred more.  (also see WryLilt last sentence)

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3. 71

   WryLiltposted 12 years ago

   From the FAQ:
   
   My Hub was moderated for being overly promotional; what does that mean?
   Purely promotional offers and Hubs designed only to promote other sites or businesses are not allowed. In particular, the following actions are likely to get your Hubs identified as overly promotional:
   
   including more than 2 links to any one domain
   linking to the same domain in the body of the text AND in an RSS feed
   short "teasers" with links to "read more" at another site
   linking to sites/pages/Hubs that are unrelated to your Hub's topic
   including links to a page that contains largely the same content as your Hub
   Please note that promotional links are links that you have any interest in promoting (your blog, your Website, affiliate offers, etc.). Links to well-known Web resources which you don't have any personal interest in (like Wikipedia, news sites, encyclopedias, open directories, etc.) are exempt from this limitation.
   
   -------------------------
   
   I link to my own sites from a lot of hubs. However they're all directly related and the hubs are usually over 1,000 words and content rich.

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   1. 39

      OpinionatedManposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No matter how many times I read the TOS, it seems (to me) that I wasn't pushing the envelope.  For now, maybe I'll just ask people to comment on my posts and I won't use any links.  I'm really more interested in people's opinions as to my writing and as to whether the content is worthy in the first place.  Thanks for the incite on your use of links as well.

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      1. 71

         WryLiltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Have you tried placing your hubs in the Extreme Hub Makeover forum for feedback?
         
         Another issue is if your websites or websites you link to are classed as affiliate links (ones used to make commission). I know that has caused some people some issues. Examples include sites like Clickbank and Commissions Junction.

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      2. 59

         Dale Hydeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I link to some of my other hubs if they are related. The practice of linking to other hubs and articles, however, is something I am doing less of.  The problem when I link to other's material is that suddenly I will end up with a broken link that I have to deal with when their account is unpublished or they delete the hub.  A broken link is not a good thing to have when your hub is being looked at by Google. I do try to check daily for broken links, but it is not always possible.

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         1. 71

            WryLiltposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            That's why I only link to my own hubs and sites, so I keep the traffic on my own content

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      3. 59

         MelissaBarrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         From the Terms of Use
         
         http://hubpages.com/help/user_agreement
         
         4. RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS ON USE
         In Your use of the Service You must abide by the following restrictions and prohibitions on use. As a Service User or Author, You may Not:.....
         
         Engage in behavior that is overly promotional, including excessive linking to one site or domain...

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