Is HubPages really on the way down and out?

1. 79

   aravindb1982posted 10 years ago

   Hi,
   
   I may be hyper-ventilating (and I will be glad if that is the case) but the numbers for HubPages are really bad in terms of traffic in the last few months. Currently it is an all time low of just 8.5 million views a day. Just about a month back it was 10 million views a day. The site rank has also fallen from about 454 to 526! Hubbers base is also an all-time low at 1,14,300. (Over 1000 lost in just 2 days). Is there any way to know whether this is the night before dawn or spiral into a dark tunnel?
   
   The ad revenues are also going down. Am not that concenred about revenues for that is not the primary reason am here. But if the site is itself going down, I would b worried because quite a few hubs of mine have matured over the last 2 years and are doing well on Yahoo, Bing and Google results.
   
   Would it be a good idea to consider shifting? Thoughts please...

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   1. 62

      paradigmsearchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      To where? As far as I can tell, HP is the best content site of the lot.
      
      Do, however, implement any other ideas you may have in parallel.

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      1. 68

         Anamika Sposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Rightly said paradigmsearch!  I have written on many revenue sharing sites, and I find HP (even now) the best site in terms of revenue and traffic. I don't recommend shifting content from HP to any other site.  You may start writing on other sites but I would encourage you to write niche based fresh and related content so that you can link to your hubs for backlinks.

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      2. 41

         AndrewHil93posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         It is happening still...

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   2. 60

      The Examiner-1posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      No aravindb1982, perhaps they should simply switch from Google to another browser. I keep hearing how Google is having problems these days.
      My Hubber score is going up and down and up like a yo-yo, my income keeps increasing, my traffic is doing better.

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      1. 93

         Suzanne Dayposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I agree. It's the traffic/money to look at, nothing else.
         
         HP is still the best content mill to write for as they always pay and pay when they say they will.

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2. 88

   Marisa Wrightposted 10 years ago

   If you've got Hubs that are doing well, there's no point in shifting them, because they would have to start all over again in terms of traffic.  Don't shift - diversify instead.
   
   The number of Hubbers has always been artificially inflated  - those numbers inlcude the thousands of people who joined HP, wrote one or two Hubs and never came back.  They also include thousands of spammers with truly awful Hubs.  HubPages is in the process of clearing out the poor quality so I'd expect some accounts to disappear.
   
   HubPages' major collapse happened a long time ago, after the first Panda update in 2011.  The site has  been struggling to recover ever since, but frankly it still seems to be doing better than most other revenue-sharing sites.
   
   Backl in 2011, Google declared war on 'content farms' - and Google has made it clear it includes all revenue-sharing sites in that definition, including the good quality ones like HubPages.  So I think the glory days of all the revenue-sharing site are gone.  It's no longer possible to build a passive income stream because Google is constantly making changes, meaning you must be constantly changing and updating your articles.  And if you want to make thousands a month by writing on sites like these, you need to write hundreds of articles and spend a lot of time promoting - your hourly rate will be pitiful.

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   1. 79

      aravindb1982posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Marisa. It felt nice reading your reply. As I said, my worries are not about the revenues, they are about the site as a whole.
      
      When you say diversify, you mean start writing content in other places? I actually write for a dedicated following of about 5000-8000 people across the globe (via social networking). I get a regular 1500-2000 views a day. It is just about 4-5 months ago that I began to get a decent organic search traffic. So, I was happy. And now, reading so many doomsday prophets on the internet and a few here in HubPages as well, I got worried.
      
      If I start writing elsewhere also, I would have to notify these followers to follow 2 or more sites right?

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3. 73

   Barbara Kayposted 10 years ago

   I just want to backup what everyone else has said. Hubpages is still the best place to write. I've tried 2 others in the past, and Hubpages still gives me the best traffic.

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4. 83

   ologsinquitoposted 10 years ago

   It's always a good idea to diversify, but none of the other sites have the same traffic as Hub Pages, which seems to be on the way back up.

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5. 64

   wabondposted 10 years ago

   I wouldn't give up on hubpages yet.  Google is pissing off a lot of people, not only hubpagers.  In Britain Google is being attacked for avoiding taxation.  Google is abusing its power and has lost track of the fact it depends on the goodwill of internet uses, for its survival.  If Google loses it dominance of the Internet, then it won't be in a position to hit hubpages and similar sites, so badly.

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   1. 82

      David 470posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree. Google has angered me in the past because I worked so hard on learning about how to get traffic and get better rankings. I used to do well on here, but nothing ever ranks for me anymore. My account may have been penalized like I have heard other hubbers mention...
      
      I really want to make it as a writer mainly because I am an introvert and have anxiety disorder with stomach issues. But there are not many places that are good to write.

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   2. 79

      aravindb1982posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      @Wabond - That is a valid point but is HubPages losing traffic only because of Google? How do you explain the exodus to writers on a daily basis? And the latest is Simone Smith quitting HubPages. Somehow I fear that day when HubPages pulls down shutters and I will be left with the huge task of having to shift large number of articles elsewhere...

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         TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Simone left HP a long time ago, so how does her leaving factor into this conversation?
         
         Also, you need to read Marisa Wright's post, because it gives a good explanation of what is happening.
         
         I think HP is not what it used to be, but I also think the team is doing what it can to hold things together here.  It is not helping them that they are having technical issues and angering many writers.   They really need to fix this problem and start responding specifically to issues that concern people here.  If they don't, people will continue to leave.

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            SmartAndFunposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            FYI, you are responding to a 2-year-old post.

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   3. 72

      suraj punjabiposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Yea but if Google goes down, wouldn't that mean doomsday for people who rely on adsense for their income?

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6. 59

   Ben Freedomposted 10 years ago

   It sure seems like Google has the power to cut off the flow a site like this one if they even sniff a little competition. They want all media including blogging to be on a google product. Seems like they are trying to own the entire wide world innernets and have the power to do it. Also seems like it will take some anti trust legislation to curb their power but good luck getting anything like that passed in the current greed is good and too big to fail business culture in our country.

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7. 81

   psycheskinnerposted 10 years ago

   There has been yet another plunge.  I, personally, will not be writing more hubs until/unless the traffic and CPM get a bit better than they are right now.

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8. 60

   Recipes We Loveposted 10 years ago

   I write for another website publication and have been with them for almost 4 years.  Page views, etc. have gone downhill a lot the last few months.  Though they have made various decisions that have angered some writers, so they left or write less.  The pay is per page views, the pay has dropped quite a bit the past year or two, but the past few months is at an all time low.
   
   So it isn't just HP.

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   1. 79

      aravindb1982posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hmmmm... That is a valuable input... Thank you....

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9. 82

   Dale Hydeposted 10 years ago

   I simply write less and less.  Here on HP I simply don't publish anymore.  I update a few hubs that need to be updated and look for broken links on what I have published here, but that is it.
   
   Until things return to a more normal situation, I will continue to just plod along here, watching what is already in motion.

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10. 73

    Barbara Kayposted 10 years ago

    The searches I did today had the big boys all at the top. By that I mean About.com, big corporations etc. It gets depressing.

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    1. 79

       aravindb1982posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Actually if everyone is going down, it is a good sign in the sense that there is going to be 'break of dawn' after 'dark'. It made me feel a bit safe compared to only HubPages going down...

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11. 88

    lobobrandonposted 10 years ago

    From what I've seen HP is the best by FAR! My traffic on all the other places together and multiplied by a few times may equate to what I receive here.

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    1. 79

       aravindb1982posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       That is lovely and reassuring to hear!
       
       Thank you

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12. 60

    AmbitiousMarketerposted 10 years ago

    WHAT!! 8.5 million views is bad? let me know when they are going down as I'd like to take it over and just load the site with ads.

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    1. 79

       aravindb1982posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       It is very obvious that you are very new to the site!
       
       HubPages, when I joined 2 years ago, had many more views.
       
       Anyway, none of the regular writers will be excited with your ambitious plans of 'loading' ads on the site.

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13. 96

    theraggededgeposted 10 years ago

    The latest Google panda/penguin update took place on the 22nd, two days ago and, once again, my traffic has plummeted to an all-time low.

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       healthmomposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Well, I feel like I've just boarded a ship to find out it's sinking!  At least I don't depend on my new online ventures to survive, it's more of outlet that I was hoping would provide me with a little jingle in the pocket. So much for the spending cash...
       
       I'm finding that the world online is a true 'wild west'- a frontier in a world with fewer and fewer in the literal sense...full of bank robbers, men in fancy coats selling potions to cure all and people desperately willing to turn a literary trick for a penny.  It also is filled with kind, caring people such as yourselves, willing to give a good word of encouragement and a cool drink along a dusty trail. 
       
       But I do enjoy writing and I love the welcoming community here!  I will just have to depend on mechanical turk to make my millions instead!  hehehee

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14. 91

    LongTimeMotherposted 10 years ago

    The best way for HP to gain strength would be for everyone to keep writing brilliant hubs. Can't think of a more constructive response. My stats have dropped to an all time low, but I'll keep writing and see what happens. It's a bit like life really ... a bit of a roller coaster ride.

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    1. 79

       aravindb1982posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       That is exactly what I have been doing for the past few months and reading your comment makes me feel more encouraged to continue my efforts.

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15. 64

    wabondposted 10 years ago

    I think the terms writing brilliant or quality hubs is a bit too vague to mean anything.  I should imagine what Google wants is only hubs that promote a product made by a company that that is paying a lot of money for Google advertising.

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       wabond:  I'm sure Google does want hubs that promote products via Google, etc...but the opportunity still exists for people who write what people want to read and write it well to do well here.

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16. 75

    brakel2posted 10 years ago

    My traffic is down 2/3. This may be due to holiday weekend. However, this happened over the past few weeks. My income this month may be lowest in a long time. I will not give up, however.

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    1. 88

       TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I know things seem bad right now, but everybody should bear in mind that HP is in a state of flux, as are many other sites.  I strongly believe that if we all make an effort to improve our hubs, delete the bad ones and continue to write better ones, in time things will change for the better.  Call me an optimist, but I have faith in HP and feel we will weather the storm.

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          Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          I agree with you - each time there's a traffic slump due to Google, writers who believe in and produce good quality content will ultimately win out.  HubPages has done some amazing things to clear out bad content, and they've implemented many new programs and elements to encourage good writing.
          
          The Internet (and it's current pattern of content and usage) didn't get in this state overnight.  We can't expect it to change overnight, either.  Ultimately, we are all on the side of good, clean, honest content.  I have to believe we are in good hands here.

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             lobobrandonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

             Well said. I doubt there's a lot more that HP can do other than screening all the existing content.

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17. 82

    Availiasvisionposted 10 years ago

    I'm not yet an expert on Google's process of ranking sites and creating Panda updates, but I am really excited that HubPages has put some more safeguards in place to insure the quality of the Hubs being written. 
    
    The new picture and word count prompter has been an excellent addition to this network.  It really has inspired me to upload more pictures and create a suitable length to my Hubs.
    
    I really like the new Featured Hub policy, where a quality Hub is showcased within HubPages and more likely to rank well on searches.  Until a writer publishes 5 Featured Hubs, the ones that don't make it remain unpublished.  This stops newcomers from passing off a paragraph long blog style article as a hub. 
    
    These changes may discourage spammers and writers of marginal quality, which will in the short term lower the number of registered Hubbers, but in the long term help hold up the reputation of our community.  I don't see HubPages failing, I see them adapting.  Good things come to those who write! Just keep being patient.

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18. 87

    Will Apseposted 10 years ago

    
    
    http://lifeischeap.no/wp-content/upload … /grief.gif

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    1. 79

       aravindb1982posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Hahahahahaha... This is an awesome way to reply...

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19. 75

    dontaytteposted 10 years ago

    Hubpages is what you make of it. I started about a year ago and could not get traffic so I took some time away and learned the basic of getting traffic. If you understand the basics you will be able to get traffic on any site. Blog, social media, back links. Follow those three and you can not go wrong.

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20. 96

    Dolores Monetposted 10 years ago

    I agree with Marcy and Avail, you gotta be patient. If you think you are coming to a place like this and write a couple of hubs then make a ton of money, you are being unrealistic.
    
    You know how I can tell there has been an update and HP was negatively affected ? I am searching for something on Google and find a load of rubbish - the second article with info that I know is incorrect, the third written in something just short of gibberish. Sometimes they shake it all up and let the garbage rise to the top.
    
    I've been here for 4 years. I've written for other sites that I hated, but did it anyway and didn't make a cent. I've written for sites that no longer exist. I've had weeks where I was getting 4, 000 views a day on less than 200 hubs. I've had weeks where I was getting 1200 views a day. That's the way it is, the ups and downs of writing online.

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21. 38

    ChristinSposted 8 years ago

    Seriously, there isn't enough complaining in current threads? Let's dig up some two year old ones.  I really wish we had a way to archive certain old threads and make them readable but where you can't post to them.  Nothing more irritating than reading through posts and then seeing oh wait - that was years ago!

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       colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       And, that is just what happened to me. It is irritating.

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       AndrewHil93posted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Oops, I'm guilty of doing this a few times now. I don't read when it was posted.
       
       I expect related forum posts to still be relevant...

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       fpherj48posted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you Christin.....Seriously.  I hate it when I feel like I just entered the twilight zone......and it's not my fault!   If I want to lose my mind, I prefer no help from anyone else!......What a mess this is.....2 years ago.....minutes ago!
       I need a nap!

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22. 93

    Suzanne Dayposted 8 years ago

    To be honest, I'm seeing the same complaints every year, for the last 4 years. There's down months. There's Google. Seriously, it will get better or it won't. All competitors are dying and you never know, HP may be the one ship to stick it out. Or not. I don't know.
    
    All I know is that at the moment the cyclical US summer months are a downturn in earnings. In Sept, it usually picks up again and by Dec we've forgotten about these months.
    
    HP's stats techno troubles seem to be from a technology and investment perspective. Since we are now down on hubbers in general, this fits with the bill and is fair enough. I still like HP's ideals enough to be here, participating (if only marginally).
    
    I assume that HP is less that what it was, less that what it could be, but is sailing nonetheless, when other ships have gone down. Hence I will not go until HP folds (and that may be 50 years hence, who knows?)
    
    So all this complaining makes people feel like not bothering. You want us to bother? Stop complaining and get on with the writing! After all, it's this common thing that has brought us here together isn't it?
    
    For all those who don't know what they're doing and are newbies - write 100 hubs, in good English and original text and you'll get a passive income stream (it varies).
    
    Love all the writers!

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       ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       So much this! I can't give enough +1's for that Everything you said - completely on the money.

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23. 93

    Suzanne Dayposted 8 years ago

    Thanks Christin. I used to take great interest in posts about how HP was going.....until I realised it was cyclical combined with Google. I wrote a lot of hubs, saw 20/80 rule at work and now am happy with what I get out of it (with no major viral hubs, I might add). The trick is quantity + quality = small passive income. If I wrote 25 more hubs, I'd see a bit more income I'm sure.....

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24. 89

    Chriswillman90posted 8 years ago

    I also want to write a bunch of quality hubs if I ever need additional material for my own sites or blogs. I hope we'd be able to take content from here and transfer it over to our own sites if HP ever goes down.

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       ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       As long as you back up your work, it won't be a problem.  You own your writing here and can take it and do with it as you please .

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          Suzanne Dayposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Too true. I write mine in Word, save it. Keep that. Then also save as pdf for the webpage/finished hub and save that. Add it to google alerts before publication to get notified when copied. All my files are date stamped, which means that copycats cannot fight it. Actually I noticed that copying is cyclical too and I get 5 one month and nothing the next. Pretty easy with Google Alerts.

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             colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             Good tip on the Google Alerts. I hadn't thought of using it for that.
             Thank you, Susanne.

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                Suzanne Dayposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                Check out my hub on "How To Deal With Stolen Hubs" for the full story...

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                   colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                   I will do that.

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             Chriswillman90posted 8 years agoin reply to this

             That's what I should have done; type everything in Word and save it along with the pdf for the hub. I've read information on Google Alerts, but I haven't really used it yet.

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