Removing Amazon capsules from My Hubs

1. 71

   galleryofgraceposted 11 years ago

   I'm seriously considering removing all the Amazon capsules. It's time consuming to put them in.and in the last 2 years they have only made me less than $3. It's a total waste of time.

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   1. 83

      kathleenkatposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Would seem like a waste of time to go in and remove all of them. Perhaps just discontinue putting them in from now on. The way I see it is the chance to make money is better than no chance to make money, so a couple minutes linking to products doesn't really deter me.

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      1. 71

         galleryofgraceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks kathleenKat that does make sense. I just couldn't see it.

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   2. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You'd be just as well to leave your Amazon ads where they are, because positioned as they are (right at the end of your Hub), they're not doing any harm.   However they will never do any better than they do now - it's well known that Amazon ads tacked on to the end of Hubs don't work.
      
      The big problem with Amazon ads is that the cookie lasts only 24 hours.  So if your text hasn't motivated the reader to buy RIGHT NOW, you're not going to make any money from them.   That's why Wry says "information doesn't sell".    You can make money with Amazon ads on informational Hubs, but you need to give your reader a reason to buy that specific product.
      
      Let's take your Hub on a Polish Christmas, for instance.  Why would someone want to read that Hub?  Presumably, because they want to have a Polish Christmas theme this year.  So they could be persuaded to buy products which fit that theme. 
      
      But now, compare the items in the Amazon ads with what's in the Hub.  None of the products are even mentioned as part of a real Polish Christmas, so the reader isn't going to buy them.  However, if you could find some "hand blown glass ornaments" and "angel hair tinsel" and place ads for them next to, or under, your section on decorating the tree, you would stand a good chance of making a sale.   An ad for pink candy pigs, next to the reference to pink candy pigs, would also work.

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2. 58

   tussinposted 11 years ago

   I think your first instinct to remove them all is better than leaving them in on the off chance that someone clicks AND buys.  If they are not performing, then they are clutter.  Clutter detracts from the quality of the hub and possibly from the other ads too.  I'm no SEO guru wanker, but the external links to Amazon products might have a negative SEO impact on your pages as well.  You can start removing them little by little and see how it goes.

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   1. 73

      Kangaroo_Jaseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      No SEO guru wankers required

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3. 73

   Kangaroo_Jaseposted 11 years ago

   Rather than discontinue Amazon capsules you may think about some changes with the following suggestions.
   
   Your Hubs are rather short and contain some spelling and grammatical issues. You are using very short, punchy single line or two line sentences as paragraphs. Too short.
   
   Give your hubs more feeling, for example if you like collecting gemstones, why do you collect? Why are you passionate about this? Tell me why one gemstone is more significant than another? Do gemstones have history? If you share your passion others will be inspired by it. I will want to read your hub as I will pick up your passion (emotional interest). I need to feel or think I am getting value out of reading (and possibly forward promoting) your Hubs.
   
   Write up a lead in to your Amazon capsules (in a text box module), they feel like they are only added to the end of a hub and don't quite flow with it. On one of your hubs, you promote cookies, but the Amazon capsule has generic cookbooks, not specific cookie cookbooks.
   
   Your lead may read like the following;
   
   'Consider the benefits in using lean and light ingredients and the taste of these delicious cookie recipes. They are wholesome, fun and great to share with family and friends. I found that it is occasionally difficult to come up with new recipes on my own and I am already using those provided by family and friends. By utilizing some of the following cook books below I can expand on my recipes and enjoy even more cookies!'
   
   <insert Amazon capsule, with specific cookie recipe cookbooks>
   
   Take time to revise your hubs, don't feel like you need to do as many as you can now, otherwise you will feel overwhelmed. Take it slowly, do a couple to a few a day.
   
   Hope this helps, I see potential in your hubs and would be interested in their future development

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   1. 91

      vocalcoachposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So glad I dropped in.  I have read your comments and enjoyed them so much.  I am now following you, sent you fan mail and read a hub:)

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      1. 73

         Kangaroo_Jaseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Thankyou,
         
         I only ever make suggestions on what I believe will assist and help out folks.

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   2. 71

      galleryofgraceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      kangaroo: Out of 91 hubs you pick the one hub on food in my entire lot. If there are any spelling or grammar errors in my hubs -I'd like to see them.
      As for "potential in my hubs" if there's little potential after 3 years- there "ain't gonna be any"!
      But thanks for your insight.

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      1. 58

         tussinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Assuming you asked honestly and not sarcastically...
         
         You have a hub titled "Finding Natures Treasures" but the word "Natures" should be "Nature's" with an apostrophe to indicate the possessive.

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         1. 71

            galleryofgraceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you. I was sure I changed the title to that one a few days ago. Maybe I didn't.

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      2. 73

         Kangaroo_Jaseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         galleryofgrace,
         
         Thats OK, my intent is only to explain in a helpful manner to shed some light on the reason why you are not making any sales on your hubs (if you wish to make sales whether they are targeted or incidentally).
         
         If you are adding any type of module, whether it  be Amazon, eBay, or links to other affiliate programs, these make your hubs, sales hubs. Even if they are informational hubs as well.
         
         Your hubs do have potential, but they need changes first.
         
         If your intent is to make money with those hubs, look at how these hubs can be improved. If your intent is otherwise then leave your hubs as they are, knowing that you will not earn more than you have in the past.
         
         Here's some grammar I found interesting, from your 'Getting to Know the Red Sumac Plant.'
         
         When you hear the word “sumac” most people next think “poison”.
         Instead of 'When your hear the word sumac, most people think of 'poison'.
         
         They are seen growing anywhere there may be a wooded area or even on the side of a highway.
         Instead of "They are also located in wooded areas and even may be found growing on the side of a highway.
         
         I wish you well in your endeavors.

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   3. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Close, Jase, but no banana. You haven't given the reader any driving reason to buy any of those cookie books - they're just as likely to keep looking for free recipes instead. 
      
      What you need to do, in this example, is pick ONE cookie recipe book, tell the reader it's your favourite source of cookie recipes, and ideally mention one or two mouth-watering recipe titles to get them curious.   Alternatively, you might feature one expensive book (which you present as your absolute top recommendation), but if that's too pricey, here's a mid-priced book which is almost as good.
      
      That's the difference between selling something on an informational Hub vs selling on a Sales Hub.  When you write a Sales Hub, you attract readers who are in the mood to buy a product - so you offer them a variety of relevant products to choose from.   When you write an informational Hub, the reader doesn't want to buy, they want information - so you have to convince them that the book or DVD will give them all the answers they're looking for, better than continuing to search online.

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      1. 73

         Kangaroo_Jaseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I know Marisa, I fear I may run out of bananas one day.

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      2. 71

         galleryofgraceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Marissa: "tell the reader it's my favorite source of cookie recipes"- you mean "lie'!
         Nothing was ever gained from being dishonest.
         hope admin can take  a hint.

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         1. 87

            Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I wasn't suggesting being dishonest - perhaps you do have a book of favorite recipes and can track it down on Amazon.  If not, read the reviews of the ones which are there, pick one that is highly recommended, and write an informative comment along those lines.   If you're unable to find a book you feel able to recommend, don't use the capsule because it won't sell without your text convincing them to buy.

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         2. 77

            Uninvited Writerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Obviously you don't know anything about advertising

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         3. 76

            psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Np, she means recommend products you actually use and like.  If you don't like *any* of them, then why on earth are you trying to sell them to people?  Sincerity sells.

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      3. 70

         LetitiaFTposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         More wonderful, very concrete tips, Marisa, thanks so much for spreading your knowledge & experience.

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   4. 70

      LetitiaFTposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      This is so useful. I'll definitely put this to use during the upcoming product review contest.

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4. 88

   WryLiltposted 11 years ago

   1. Most of your hubs are informational. Informational hubs don't sell items - rarely you can find a great niche item but usually... no.
   
   2. Your sales hubs are way too short.

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   1. 71

      galleryofgraceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Wrylit: I didn't realize I had any"sales hubs".

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      1. 88

         WryLiltposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Beaded baby spoon hub review would count as one.
         
         But as I said, information doesn't sell.

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5. 89

   mistyhorizon2003posted 11 years ago

   I have been here well over 4 years now, and although I didn't make Amazon payout until last year, I have now made it twice. I didn't write sales hubs at all, only informational hubs on general topics. Remember that it isn't always the product you advertise that gets sold, it can be another product the 'buyer' finds after following your original advert link ( so long as it is purchased within an hour or so of them following your link). This is what confuses many people who can't understand how they sold say a 'laptop cooler' when they don't actually advertise them. It has happened because someone followed another ad of theirs and then went on to do other shopping on Amazon during their 'time period' and the commission still went to the original author of the hub.

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6. 83

   kathleenkatposted 11 years ago

   What is the point of posting this if you're going to shoot down every answer? People are trying to help you...whatever, I'm done with this thread. Go edit all 91 of your hubs and remove Amazon capsules. Because that wouldn't be a bigger waste of time then putting them in there to begin with.

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   1. 71

      galleryofgraceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      kathleenkat: sorry you're having a bad day. i did not shoot anybody down. The sales hub that Wrylit refers to was an exclusive- my apologies I forgot about that one.

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7. 75

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 11 years ago

   Time consuming?
   
   Surely you jest!
   
   I've moved more towards ebay on Hubpages....but I've sold twelve amazon items this month....
   
   No, I don't make much with amazon, but I make too much to spend the time to remove those capsules from my hubs.

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8. 82

   glassvisageposted 11 years ago

   I thought I had read somewhere that the capsules can bring your Hubscore down, whether it's by having too many or making the Hub too commercial... Does anyone have any insight into that? Gracias.

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   1. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Total rubbish.   If you have too many Amazon capsules compared to text, that may be a problem - but HubPages has a limit in place which takes care of that.

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   2. 73

      Kangaroo_Jaseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Quote from the Learning Center;
      
      You're All Set!
      
      Congratulations, you should be all set up now to earn from your Amazon Capsules on your Hub. A few quick notes about Amazon:
      
      *    Amazon pays when someone navigates to Amazon from your Hub and buys a product.
      *    It's always best to use products in your Hubs that pertain to your topic. If someone is curious about your topic, they are more likely to buy that product!
      *    Having too many Amazon Capsules in a Hub can look like spam.
      *    Every Hub needs at least 50 words for every Amazon product.
      *    We recommend adding only a few relevant Amazon products to each Hub if it fits.
      
      Good luck!

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   3. 82

      glassvisageposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the help both of you! Kangaroo_Jase, that's very helpful!

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9. 82

   MelissaVsWorldposted 11 years ago

   I removed the Amazon capsules from mine, as in the last year I've earned a whopping $0.07 from them, and my earnings through the Ad program actually increased doing this.  I've been messing around with the settings for the different earning programs, trying to get my earnings up so I can get my first payout prior to the first of the year, but so far I don't think I'm going to hit that mark.  I need to write more hubs, of this I am certain, but I find that the Amazon and Ebay capsules are both pretty worthless in the grand scheme of things (at least for me personally).

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   1. 70

      LetitiaFTposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting. Almost all of my hubs are purely informational and I've never sold a thing. Perhaps I'll try removing the capsules, changing myhubs tonon commercial, and see if that ups google views. Thanks for the tip.

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      1. 87

         Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Informational Hubs can make money from Adsense and the HP Ads program.  You can also earn from Amazon and eBay capsules IF (as I've explained in earlier posts), you use them sparingly, and only where you are able to highlight a specific product that will solve the reader's problem or provide them with further good information.
         
         Also (as previously explained - scroll through the thread), you need to include those capsules right next to the recommendation or mention.   Tacking Amazon or eBay capsules on the end of a Hub is a newbie mistake and never sells anything.

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         1. 89

            mistyhorizon2003posted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Interesting that you posted this comment Marisa. I actually posted a comment about an hour ago saying that doing this would result in no ads at all too, but I then went and double checked the FAQ's here and realised that was actually not true, so I deleted my comment. It would only result in 'no ads' if she also changed her ad settings to say 'none'. A hub is only considered commercial if Quote:
            
            "What does commercial mean?
            
            Commercial Hubs are required to have an ad level setting of High. A Hub is considered to be commercial if it meets any of these conditions:
            
                it is monetized through a non-HubPages affiliate mechanism
            
                it contains links to other commercial sites
            
                it promotes a for-profit business"

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            1. 87

               Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               That is fascinating, because I'm absolutely positive that wasn't always the case.  I can recall many threads where someone was reluctant to set their ads to "high", only for someone (usually Relache) to drop by and say "if you're writing to make money, it's commercial".  Interesting.

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               1. 89

                  mistyhorizon2003posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  I must admit I was pretty convinced that it would result in no ads too, but thought it worth a double check. It would seem that now you can uncheck the 'commercial' box, but still set the ads to 'low' or 'medium' if you wish to. Perhaps they changed the rules at some point.

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                  1. 87

                     IzzyMposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     LOL - they wouldn't do something as underhand as that, would they?

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                     1. 89

                        mistyhorizon2003posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        lol

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10. 59

    Southernmapartposted 11 years ago

    I've real all the replies in this thread and don't see a clear conclusion whether to add, or don't bother to add, Amazon and EBay capsules.  Is it somehow possible to get paid more through AdSense, or the HP program if you do not have Amazon and EBay capsules in the articles?

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    1. 87

       Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       If you add poorly targeted Amazon and eBay capsules, you may earn less from Adsense. That's because if a person leaves your Hub by clicking on an Amazon or eBay capsule, they haven't left by clicking on an Adsense ad - and that's a lost opportunity. 
       
       However if you add well-targeted Amazon or eBay capsules, then you may earn less from Adsense - but it doesn't matter, because your commission on the resulting Amazon or eBay sale will be worth more.  The trick is to think carefully about where you use Amazon or eBay capsules:  use them only where you can mention or recommend a specific, highly relevant product.

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    2. 73

       Kangaroo_Jaseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I can understand the confusion.
       
       If your hubs are informational based - Cooking recipes, how-to's, make a xyz item, hubs about collecting items, etc. Then using HPAds is fine as you will want to focus on traffic as HPAds are beneficial for your CPM (cost per thousand impressions - you get a percentage of ad prices based on per thousand impressions, this is in the learning center for more details).
       
       If your hubs are sales hubs, hubs about the allure of diamond rings, a review of the best lawnmower in a certain price range, a hub about why this garden shed is a good buy to solve a problem with putting garden tools away in a small yard, etc. Then having eBay and/or Amazon ads is a bonus to your hubs and makes sense to add them.

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11. 57

    Josepherposted 11 years ago

    I agree with Marisa Wright...especially considering I've made the newbie mistake she mentioned, haha.

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