Experienced Hubbers: Is Hubpages still worth the work?

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   literatelibranposted 11 years ago

   Sounds like there are lots of changes going on, and it seems that many Hubbers are discouraged. If you were starting from scratch on the site, would you still put in the effort to build your portfolio of hubs here, or would you write primarily for other sites?

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      What you decide depends on your goals.  If you want to get rich, don't bother writing here.  If you want to become famous, forget HP.  However, if you want to write, improve your skills, get to know some brilliant people who also happen to be fantastic writers, then by all means, join us.  You will make some money here in time, but you're right.  Things have changed and the money is not what it used to be.  However, the same is pretty much true for most other sites like this.  Whatever you decide, good luck!

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         literatelibranposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, TimeTraveler2! I'm pretty established as a writer; my goals are secondary income and sense of community. Sounds as if I might only get one of those two things here. I appreciate your feedback!

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            IzzyMposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Both of your goals can be reached here.
            
            Since Google Panda hit this site in February 2011, and the subsequent split into subdomains, some hubbers have found success and some failure.
            
            You might think that is OK, good writers will always survive, but that is not always the case.
            
            Whether anyone thinks I am a good writer or not is subjective, but my main account was slapped and got very little traffic and earnings for over a year.
            
            I have several other subdomains (it is permitted to start several accounts here if you so wish), and some do well and others don't.
            
            Traffic and earnings go hand in hand, so without traffic there can be no earnings.
            
            Getting traffic is weird. Even if you know about SEO, some hubs do well and others tank, but that could be as much to do with 'slapped subdomain syndrome', which many hubbers here experience. It is Google who are doing the slapping, by the way. Bing, Yahoo et al tend to send steady traffic, but Google can send 100s if not 1000s of viewers for a few days/weeks, then send about 10.
            
            The community here is second to none. That is why most of us stay, even during the bad times.
            
            Welcome on board

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               Aroxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Community?
               
               

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                  IzzyMposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Arox, you are here 4 days, and this thread was aimed at experienced hubbers.
                  
                  If you are indeed an experienced hubber, then you are trolling just now.
                  
                  If you are  genuine new hubber, then this is not a question you can answer having neither hubs nor experience of the forums.

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                     Aroxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     What is trolling?

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                        tussinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        MARRY ME.

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                           Aroxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           You must be above 18, junior.

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                     Wesman Todd Shawposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Unsuccessful Troll....we've found one.
                     
                     
                     

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                        Jean Bakulaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        It's a nice community. Many of the hubbers you see on these forums used to write on HP, it's where they learned, and then they went on to their own blogs. But they like the people here, and come to the forums to keep in touch. You won't earn a lot, but you will find less trolls than other sites. If  you are experienced, it may not be worth it to you. I have written on other sites, but not built up the content as much as on HP, and remain unsure myself if it's worth it, or to work more on my own blog. The community is pretty open, I write metaphysical stuff, and notice that it is not as welcome on other sites as on HP. Best Wishes, whatever you decide.

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                           Denise Handlonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           Hi Jean-I for one love your work so I am grateful that you are here on HP.
                           
                           I think you've made some great points here. 

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                              Aroxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              

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                     Aroxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     You can see that people think that you replied to yourself.

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                        Denise Handlonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                          I'm wondering if YOU are talking to yourself. 

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                           Aroxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           
                           
                           http://hubpages.com/forum/post/2257513

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            Barbara Kayposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            You can still earn money here, but it is down right now. If you learn SEO techniques and write good quality you'll still earn. I've tried other sites and I can't earn anywhere else what I do here.

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      Sapperposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If your main concern is making money, the answer would be none of the above. Although it is possible to make ok money eventually on sites like this, you can make more money faster with a blog. Stay away from hosted blogging sites like blogger and wordpress.com, it doesn't cost that much to buy a domain name and hosting. When I got my first website from  GoDaddy it cost me about $15 to setup with monthly hosting, and when I bought everything for a NPO I'm starting it cost me about $150 for a year of hosting and 6 domain names.
      
      A self hosted blog gives you so much more control over everything. You have more ad options, you can make it look however you want, you can write about anything you want. It is more work, but if making money online was that easy, everyone would be doing it.

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         Greekgeekposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Actually, it really varies. I've had a couple blogs for years, but they never seem to monetize well. They get less than a dollar a month.
         
         A few random YouTube videos I posted as supplementary material for articles get more than thirty times that much, about as much as my HP articles make. So you just ever know.
         
         Seriously? If I were just starting out...I would probably not start with HP, not because earnings and traffic are down for the site -- you just never know when that will change -- but because of the noindex problems with new hubs.
         
         I think I might try posting ten articles on Zujava, Wizzley and Squidoo and then watch closely to see how they work, keeping in mind that success is usually more long-term, and that it takes some study, trial and error to figure out what works best on each site.
         
         Zujava is interesting. Started by a hubber/squidder, it's got a tiered payout system like Squidoo, but the bottom tier is "everything else," so in  theory no page should drop below the payout cutoff. However, the site is still gaining traction. It should be easy to dominate a niche and get high-ranking pages there more easily than on Squidoo. If the site does take off,you'd then be sitting pretty with a lot of high-ranked articles getting good tier payoits. On the other hand, the site may never take off, in which case earnings will remain low.

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            Sapperposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            It doesn't vary, like I said, it's just a lot more work with your own blog. With HP and other web 2.0/article submission sites, you start off with a fairly high PR, and your blog you start off with a PR0.  So it's easier to rank those sites then it will be your own.
            
            The thing most people don't realize is that with a blog, you can't just write a few posts, throw some AdSense ads on there, and make money. That hasn't worked for a long time. Every single one of my sites has AdSense, either Amazon or Ebay ads, at least one Clickbank ad, and some have GoDaddy ads, plus I've written one Ebook and I'm working on another. If you put all your eggs in one basket, especially if that basket is AdSense, you're gonna fail.
            
            Also, there are still a few people making money with it, but stay away from EMD sites. Those got hit pretty hard with all the Google updates, and with how many internet marketers there are out there, it's pretty much impossible to find a good one anymore.
            
            Although you can make decent money from places like HP, you'll never make as much as you could from blogs. GoDaddy posts their top 5 earners of the day, and more often then not the top 1 or 2 is over $2000 for the day, I've seen Amazon earnings of close to $20,000 a month, and I've seen people earning over $100k a month from Clickbank. Now, these people are running 50+ blogs, so chances are you won't see anything close to that, but at the same time you'll also never see anyone earn anything close to that from any site like HP. These sites are good for backlinks, not earning money.

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               Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               I'm sure Greekgeek wouldn't do that, anyway.  However, I think the problem is that Adsense isn't a big money earner wherever you use it.   I make money on my blogs from affiliate sales.   It took me a fair bit of work to find merchants in the dance field offering affiliate schemes. It also takes me a long time to make payout because I've had to join a heap of different affiliate networks, each offering me only one or two merchants.  However they all pay better than Adsense, Amazon or eBay!

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            Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I didn't realise that.  What's his name on HubPages?

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            Dale Hydeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I had not heard of Zujava.  Just dropped by and had a cup of coffee and a browse around.  Not huge, earnings are there from what I read from authors there.  The earnings are not astounding, but as you mentioned it is a new site, more or less.  Should the site continue to grow, the payouts should eventually build up to what one used to expect here on HP.  Not sure if I will join as I am working on my blog now, but thanks for the heads up.

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      tussinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I wouldn't bother, to be perfectly honest.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      HubPages is a great community.  I haven't written a new Hub for months, but I still can't leave the community behind!
      
      As for writing on HubPages - it has its challenges.  I still think it's a great place to learn how to write online (which is a completely different kettle of fish from writing elsewhere).  It's also a good place to write a few articles for backlinking/publicity purposes.  However, in my view it's no longer a place to write for income, for a couple of reasons.
      
      One is that HubPages has become known as an easy source of content for auto-blogging.  There are scammers out there selling auto-blogging systems which use the HubPages feed.   That means anything you post on HubPages is at a much higher risk of plagiarism than your own site or other, less popular revenue-sharing sites.   I'm fed up of chasing copies of my content all over the internet.
      
      The other is common to any revenue-sharing site:  when you write on someone else's site, you're subject to rule changes.  HubPages was hit very badly by the Panda update in 2011, and has been making strenuous efforts to recover ever since.  That has led to a bewildering sequence of rule changes.  Some Hubbers simply stopped trying to keep up with the constant revisions, deleted everything and left, because it was just too daunting to revise a large portfolio.   So if you're going to write here, I certainly wouldn't recommend building up a large quantity of articles which will be too unmanageable at the next rule change.

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         Aroxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Great community, can't leave it too!
         
         

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      sparksterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I am sick to death of the changes and now HP have suddenly decided that a successful hub I've had published here for months on end is all of a sudden against their terms. I've also had problems publishing New hubs and it now seems HP only care about how much money they can make without looking after their users. I doubt I'll be wasting my time trying to publish any more articles here.

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   literatelibranposted 11 years ago

   (As you can see, I'm new here, and haven't posted many hubs yet. I'm questioning whether I should.)

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      Aroxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      

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   donotfearposted 11 years ago

   Of course it's worth the effort, if you really enjoy writing.

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      literatelibranposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your response, donotfear!

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         Denise Handlonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I agree.  I've been here for two years and my writing has improved immensely from when I first posted.  I feel there are many advantages of writing for HP.  One is the tutorials that they offer if you haven't done much writing.

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   Wesman Todd Shawposted 11 years ago

   I think I agree with everything said above me here.....except that I hardly make anything with my blogs.

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   Thundermamaposted 11 years ago

   I have asked myself the very same question and having been on here for 8 months I can say this is not the place to make quick money. It has been fabulous community wise and has lead me to some other sites that might eventually earn some cash for me, but I think writing online is definitely about the long game. Certainly it is here. I've come to think of HP as where I write for pleasure not income. Hopefully in time that will change.

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   Bard of Elyposted 11 years ago

   This has been my favourite site for putting my writings on for a long time but it has gone downhill since the Panda problem which is not HP's fault! I admit I have done more than my fair share of moaning recently but at the end of the day I am sticking around. I never made any money here for over a year when I started but still enjoyed the site so I am in no worse position now, and in fact I do make some money monthly now even if it is not enough for a payout.  I am an optimist and hope this site can recover, and/or I learn how to become one of the money-makers!

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      Paragliderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's easy - stop writing interesting hubs and start selling Reticulated Moleskin Wipes instead. . .

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   literatelibranposted 11 years ago

   Wow! Lots of great info! Thanks everyone - and keep it coming!

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      Denise Handlonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Left you a comment above the Bard's.  Hope you see it. 

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      Barbara Kayposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      literatelibran, As long as you learn SEO  (you will need to do that for any site) you'll do fine here. You need to research what keywords to use and how to get that  information is right here on this site. Next write quality content and you can make money.
      
      It will take awhile before you see real results and I'm not sure you can earn an actual living here. It is just money to help pay the bills and put some in the bank.  I'd spread myself out between a lot of sites for your own protection if you are going to try that. I wouldn't quit my day job if you have one.
      
      Some people earn a good income here and some don't. It all depends on how hard you want to work and what you choose to write about. You also need to update your articles from time to time.
      
      Earning won't come easy. You have to stick to it and be patient at the beginning.
      
      If you plan on writing fiction or poetry, that won't earn money here. You need to write information articles and how to do it articles.

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         Kerry43posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Good morning Hubbers, I agree with much of what has already posted - I think you stated it best, Barbara. I tinker with another two sites, but this site is just so much better, plus I have full control over my work here unlike the other sites.
         
         In addition to writing, I also work another business, and I trade currency, which I have been doing for about 5 or 6 yrs now.  I agree the real trick is not to put all those eggs in one basket. Sometimes you need to walk away from writing for a break, hence another type of business is good to fill the void when a break is necessary.
         
         I will always be loyal to HP, it's the community that keeps me coming back.
         
         Have a happy day folks:)
         
         Kerry

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   Aroxposted 11 years ago

   You have 7 hubs. Let it be there. You don't want to waste your time, do you? Don't write anymore hubs until you receive a payout from HubPages.
   
   Don't get fooled. This website is a winner's game. I could go into the details, but I let you to figure it out yourself.

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   midget38posted 11 years ago

   I agree with everything here...it's a great community, but perhaps the changes are a little overwhelming and difficult to toggle. I love writing here for the wonderful friends I've made...had it not for them, I wouldn't have been able to get a push on my blogs or had the support I need. HP has taught me a lot about writing skill and angles as well!

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      Aroxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Education must be free.
      
      

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    spartucusjonesposted 11 years ago

    Hubpages can be a good way to build your online portfolio. For example I was able to sell one of my hubs to a print magazine for a $100. Also I am in the apprenticeship program where I get paid for each hub and I learnt many useful writing tips. So once you build up a bit of a portfolio you might consider applying for the apprenticeship program. It will help improve your skills and you will benefit from the interaction of your teammates in the private forum.

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    qneweraposted 8 years ago

    affer google changed search policy. hubpages traffic get down and down. can not make more money. and not high rank for you website SEO.

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    earnerposted 8 years ago

    It's worth a punt.  It's one of the best writing sites and has been around for about 10 years and has consistently paid people without shutting down without warning.  That's a good start.
    
    Yes, there's been a lot of extra work caused over the years as the writers have continually had to battle with new rules, new ways of doing things, now the new domains .... but once the work's done and the hoo-hah's been thrashed out in the forums, the money still rolls in.
    
    Unfortunately, less money, but that's more the state of the Internet and online writing, it's not the fault of Hubpages.
    
    So - for anybody wondering if it's worth making the effort to start .... what are your other options?  It can be a great way to "wind-down" by bashing out an article every 2-3 months, say... thus relieving strain from your other efforts, or just a way to share stuff you do in your lifestyle.
    
    Full-time income - you need to have real focus on a subject and be able to provide/show your own efforts and experiences in order to really gain huge market share .... and, by then, you'd probably have your own website.
    
    But, I'd vote for it, because it's reliable and sound and the management do try to do right by the writers.

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