How Can HubPages Help You Improve your traffic?

1. 89

   Suzanne Dayposted 10 years ago

   freepik.com
   shutterstock (go for smallest)

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2. 80

   Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years ago

   I noticed this thread was originally started 8 months ago, so I'm not sure if this suggestion was mentioned, but here goes:
   
   Please, please, initiate a site-wide effort to submit copyright infringement complaints. 
   
   One of the main reasons our worki is copied is because we are ON this site; it's a sitting duck for scrapers and thieves.  As the publishing site, you have the right to file these complaints. This is even more true in the case of EC hubs, because they're listed under the umbrella of the site.
   
   It makes far more sense for this issue to be handled centrally (and it dramatically affects site revenue) than for it to be scattered and done by individual writers.
   
   All of us who have had content stolen have lost considerable revenue, and considerable traffic. If you want to improve traffic, one universally helpful way would be to get involved in tracking and reporting copied content.

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   1. 89

      Suzanne Dayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      +1

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      1. 80

         dwelburnposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I'm all in favor of Marcy's suggestion. Sound like it would be very valuable.

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3. 67

   Zainab Tarawaliposted 10 years ago

   Hello,
   As a newcomer I'm trying to understand the terminology and requirements for webpages. For example, I'm not sure if my webpage is still in "beta" mode or not, or what it means to monetize YouTube videos. The information I've read so far on setting up webpages has been great, but I think having pages specifically for formatting and citations should be added. Thanks.

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4. 83

   SANJAY LAKHANPALposted 10 years ago

   I would like the restoration of Hub topic suggestions, coming before selecting the title. I have forgotten the exact name.

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5. 80

   dwelburnposted 10 years ago

   From your list : images would be a tremendous help. I spend so many hours looking for free to use photos, but rarely find anything decent. Suggested edits could also be useful.

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6. 66

   Coolpapaposted 10 years ago

   There are several spell checkers (including context sensitive) available along with grammar checkers and plagiarism checkers. For images you find on the net, most folks will give you permission if you ask and tell them they will get attribution.

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7. 48

   pateludayposted 9 years ago

   Ads above the fold are not liked by Google.

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8. 70

   MsBizProposted 9 years ago

   This is going to to be controversial, I know, but I think they should more carefully screen some of the opinion-based pieces, as well as screen the fiction and poetry more carefully. While I do use first-person in some of my pieces, I've seen some articles on here that seem to be getting a lot of attention that are either horribly written (as in, would barely pass muster in a high school creative writing class) or pass off incorrect and/or dangerous information "protected" under the shield of the essay format. This is particularly the case with some of the mental health articles I've read. As a licensed clinician, the bad medical information bothers me the most. While it may be difficult and  limit the amount of new content on the site, I wouldn't be opposed to screening new writers for different topics and sections, based on expertise. Of course, people can lie on a resume, but there are some topics some individuals have no business writing about for public consumption. For example, I shouldn't tell you how to fix your car or wire a new electrical outlet because I'm not trained in those areas. This is why I stick to why I can write about credibly mental health, law (because I went to law school), and HR (because I'm a business owner). Just because something interests you doesn't mean you should write about it. I think HubPages has a responsibility to ensure that the information on the site is at least somewhat credible, especially in matters that can affect someone's health, finances, and legal rights.

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   1. 0

      calculus-geometryposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      +1

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   2. 60

      Mark Ewbieposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      What's your take on humor, satire, FUN.  Is there a place for that in a world of Wiki lite content?

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      1. 70

         MsBizProposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Well, I think Hub Pages needs to make a branding decision. I'm not sure that one site can facilitate both well. Fun and satire is good stuff, but I'm not sure it should be mixed in with serious information. At the very least, they need to be on distinct and separate sections of the site.

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         1. 0

            calculus-geometryposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            I think it can thrive with all kinds of content, and that's what the subdomains are for and why people have several accounts for the different kinds of hubs they write.
            
            But what the site doesn't need for sure is all the dubious health hubs, like rubbing habanero oil on your nether regions to cure cancer of the nether regions, written in broken or badly translated English no less. Unless that is supposed to be humor

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            1. 70

               MsBizProposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               I'm just going off my experience as a web user, not a writer. I've had Hubs pop up in my Google searches a good many times. Sometimes, they offer comprehensive, useful information and give me exactly what I needed. Other times, I'll come across a rambling personal essay that tells me nothing. The latter detracts from the former. I judge the credibility of a website by the whole of my experience, not just a single page. Likewise, if I see a comedic article on a site and then, say, a medical article, the comedy will call me to draw into question whether the site as a whole is a credible source for medical information. The exception to this would be something like a major news outlet which can get away juxtaposing "hard information"/news with satire because its reputation has been long established and because readers know they're getting information that's been through an editorial and fact-checking process. Not the case here...

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               1. 71

                  brakel2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  On the medical sites, the last info I heard was that Google or HubPages wanted a statement as to authority to write a hub like a medical one - about your background, title, and anything else that can help. A disclaimer stating that readers need to contact their doctors about any questions makes the article more authentic.

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9. 75

   Barbara Kayposted 9 years ago

   I've been here over 4 years and I've seen this happen to my account 3 times. Give it time and they always roll out a new Panda and your account comes out of it. Do any suggested updates in the meantime.

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10. 95

    Kierstin Gunsbergposted 9 years ago

    Old thread, but I really feel like we would all benefit from, as MsBizPro suggeted, a more defined brand. HubPages is a bit of a free-for-all and while I appreciate the freedom here, I think that it hurts a lot of the writers in the long run by watering down the content and reputation of HP.

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    1. 70

       MsBizProposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       In a magical world where I was in charge of HP, I would create two sites: "HubPagesPro: Your Source for Comprehensive, Accurate Information on Everything" (Not a great title, but you get the idea) and try to make it that. I'd also have a second site, indexed separately in Google, like ImagineHubs: Your Source of High-Quality Short-Form Fiction and Intelligent Satire. I think a separate fiction/creative site would be awesome because (to my knowledge), there's not a wiki-esque version of it available. Plus, based solely on the results of the flash fiction study from UPenn, I see that there are *a lot* of talented fiction writers here, ones I would take the time to seek out and read if I could find them easily in one place. In short, I think distinct sites would boost the readers and the credibility for both of camps of writers, but HP would need to have stronger gatekeepers to keep the content quality high. Of course, that would cost money in the short-term, but I think it could have some great long-term gains because almost any case study on online writing will tell you that quality pays over quantity--and Google knows that, as we're all seeing with the traffic drops.

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    2. 86

       Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       HubPages does not, and has never had, a reputation with the public as an overall site.  Very few readers come to visit HubPages just because it's HubPages - they find individual Hubs through search.   HubPages has never, ever been branded as a Wikipedia alternative, or as the equivalent of  eHow or About.com  - it has always been a writing platform full of articles of all kinds.
       
       Considering Wikipedia's domination, I'd say it would be a bad idea for HubPages to try rebranding itself as a Wikipedia alternative - they'd lose!  And looking at how ALL the "howto" sites have collapsed suggests that's not a good idea, either.  So I don't see what benefit we'd get from limiting the site to factual information only.

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       1. 66

          Coolpapaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Limiting Hubs to factual information only would dilute the unique flavor of the site. This is not a fact checking site in my opinin, rather a place to exchange viewpoints and facts with an interesting and personal approach. Not to mention the ability to have an interchange of opinions with the writers.

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