Editor's Choice hub traffic ridiculous drop

1. 88

   Cardisaposted 9 years ago

   Last week I opted back in to the EC program and woke up the next morning to see three of my hubs marked as EC with one of them being one of my better performing hubs. Despite my reservations I decided to watch and give it a chance.
   
   During the past week one EC hub dropped from 25+ views to 5 views per day and still dropping. I still decided to watch to see if my better performer would be affected negatively. I noticed it has been gradually dropping but still hoped it was normal fluctuations. This hub usually stays on top whether it's a weekend or holiday only reducing by a view views.
   
   I woke up this morning to find the views dropped from 230+ to 56. I have not seen this amount of daily views on that hub for months. As a matter of fact that hub sometimes go over 300 per day. This is not my usual weekend drop....this is ridiculous!

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   1. 87

      lobobrandonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Oh! one of my editors choice hubs receives high traffic. It did before and it still does. Not much of a change in the rankings.

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      1. 88

         Cardisaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         That's great Brandon. I can't do anything about it now anyway since it's been only a week since I opted back in. I'll just watch fro the next couple of months.

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         1. 87

            lobobrandonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Come to think about it, what Izzy mentioned is what happened to me too. So hang in there, don't worry about it as you can't do anything anyway. Focus on stuff you can work on instead. At least that's how I get my mind off such problems.

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   2. 87

      IzzyMposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I would suggest you just give it time, Cardisa.
      One of my better performing hubs on another sub was getting thousands of daily views at its peak, but this had tailed off to 250+.
      Then it became EC and the traffic fell to less than 100 for a couple of weeks before it started climbing again.
      It is now in the 300 - 400 daily range which is OK.

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      1. 88

         Cardisaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks Izzy. Do you think it's due to the URL change?

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   3. 59

      paradigmsearchposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      As long as HP picks hubs of mine that are currently getting zero or near-zero traffic, I am happy to participate in the EC experiment. However, if HP were to pick one of my money hubs, I would immediately panic and disengage from the program.

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      1. 88

         Cardisaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         That's what I thought but seeing I have to wait another 50+ days to opt out, I am pulling my hair out

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         1. 59

            paradigmsearchposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Now that is grim... Go click it anyway. A long shot, but you never know...

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   4. 94

      Susana Sposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      You really need to give it a few months minimum. Initial traffic reduction is normal when a url is changed, even when there is redirect in place.
      
      It's a bit like when you change the title - the same thing tends to happen.

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2. 84

   HollieTposted 9 years ago

   I only have one EC hub and I noticed that it lost its position in the SERPS when it became an EC (which would account for drop in views) I would imagine this might be the case with all ECs, but the traffic is slowly creeping up again. I expect it's just a matter of time before before your hub regains its position.

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3. 82

   psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

   Changing the url of a webpage will always lose traffic on the short term.  The question is what happens after it gets reindexed and whether it picks up more backlinks and traffic at this url. I suspect not, but only time will tell.

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4. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 9 years ago

   @HP Here are some EC candidates for you...
   
   My Sales Tax hub.
   My PTA hub.
   My American Societal Problems hub.
   My Banks and Credit Unions hub.
   My Bookmarks hub.
   My Flash Fiction hub.
   My Credit Score hub.
   My Car Loan hub.
   My Inspirational Poem hub.
   
   Gems, every one; guaranteed to go viral within 90 days.
   
   @Everyone. Want to pick on my hubs? Go ahead. I'd rather be embarrassed and get something fixed, than remain oblivious.

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5. 59

   paradigmsearchposted 9 years ago

   Come to think of it... Cardisa, why not also post your own EC candidate hubs?
   
   And the same for everybody else.
   
   We could keep HP busy for awhile...

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   1. 84

      HollieTposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I've nominated your credit union hub, very useful info and I hate the big banks!

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      1. 59

         paradigmsearchposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks! I was unaware we could pester HP directly about EC candidate hubs; where does one go to do that?

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         1. 84

            HollieTposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            On your feed, just below your profile on the right hand side, there's a link to nominate for EC.

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            1. 59

               paradigmsearchposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks. So as to not get categorized into the pest category ¹, I'll use it sparingly.
               
               ¹ too late

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   2. 88

      Cardisaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      You mean post hubs from my own list?
      
      1) My hub about Gang Violence. I actually thought that would have been the first hub to become EC.
      2) My Facts About Jamaica hub
      3) My Things To Do In Jamaica hub
      4) My Sugarcane Cultivation and Sugar Making hub

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6. 96

   susi10posted 9 years ago

   When I first received my first few EC hubs (on my best performing ones too), my traffic took a huge nosedive. Some hubs traffic decreased drastically, but once I opted out, traffic has climbed back up again to what it was before. I agree, with psycheskinner and Susana, that the URL change will probably decrease your search traffic for a while but then it could pick back up again. I don't know because I didn't stay with the EC program long enough to see any results.

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   1. 84

      HollieTposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The problem is, however, if you opt out of the EC program after the hub has been made an EC, you're back to square one. Whatever back links the hub gained when it was on your subdomain are lost, and whatever back links the hub gained as an EC are lost.
      
      My one EC has not been an EC long enough to see whether there may be any long term gains, but if I revert then its lost some age again. (I think) Nevertheless, for now, I wouldn't want any more EC's until I see how the one EC hub performs overtime.

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   2. 88

      Cardisaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      When I opted out of EC, I had only one hub selected. At the time the hub was gaining steady traffic then EC came and it plunged. I don't know what possessed me to give it another try and did so about a week ago now I regret it but will wait to see what happens.

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      1. 96

         susi10posted 9 years agoin reply to this

         The effects of your EC hubs' traffic are the same as mine, but at least you will be able to see what happens over the long-term. I suspect that traffic should increase for you, since you are on the hubpages main domain. Only time will tell.

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7. 94

   jansharesposted 9 years ago

   Sorry to hear, Cardisa. But glad to get an update of what can happen. It seems too unpredicatable. I have opted out twice already, currently out.

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8. 87

   IzzyMposted 9 years ago

   When the url changed from your sub to the top level domain, there are re-directs in place so your hub should not lose link juice or age. Someone clicking on your old link should still get taken to the new link. When subs were first introduced, most of us saw a rapid climb in hits, but not everyone. It all balanced out over time.   I wish Hp would choose  stellar but low trafficked hubs to experiment on. Then we would see if it worked. No traffic to lose but plenty to gain.

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   1. 94

      Susana Sposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      There is a reduction of PR (ie: link juice) due to using 301 redirects, but most of it passes through.
      
      Here's a good discussion on the topic: http://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4097565.htm
      
      @Hollie - I totally agree that it's problematic to keep changing from EC to non EC, especially so rapidly.
      
      From looking at my stats, and having read what others have reported, hubs that google likes and are doing well traffic wise will do as well or better as EC (if given enough time to regain traffic). While hubs that google has never liked will fair no better as EC.

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   2. 88

      Cardisaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That's what I was hoping when I opted back in - that HP would choose non-trafficked stellar hubs. This hub doesn't even qualify as stellar; around 750 words, no maps, polls or anything which HP recommends. I was surprised it was chosen as EC. I have plenty of other hubs with unique content that would be qualified as stellar.

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9. 94

   Carola Finchposted 9 years ago

   I have quite a few EC hubs and they are all doing well.  My views have increased, not decreased.

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10. 34

    Writer Foxposted 9 years ago

    It is odd that the staff continues the EC program when, after five months, there is no proven benefit and when it actually has harmed traffic to the Hubs chosen.

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    1. 53

       janderson99posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       There is a long history to this.
       ► When HP went to subs, after about 12 months it was noticed that hubs published prior to June 2011 (I think) remained with the HP url. Staff contacted Google and hounded them over and over, but to no avail. G said that is the way it was meant to be.
       ► Then one day it happened - ALL the older hubs went to subs, unnannouced
       ► HP traffic crashed. After a month of so it was realised that one cause of this was that HP had lost its mojo with so few articles directly linked to it.
       ► EC was born to solve this issues by picking the cream of the crop to be extracted from the Subs, to be linked back to the mother ship URL.
       ► The benefits are to HP, primarily, and the rewards to authors have been a mixed bag.
       Anyway this is my take on EC - IMO of course!!!!!

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       1. 0

          Beth37posted 9 years agoin reply to this

          how do you make arrows?

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          1. 53

             janderson99posted 9 years agoin reply to this

             hold down ALT key and while holding it down - enter '16' using the number pad with Num Lock On.  You can also copy and paste   'em.  ► Ha Ha
             http://www.alt-codes.net/

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             1. 0

                Beth37posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                Oh... I don't have the number pad... curses, I'll never make an arrow.

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                1. 53

                   janderson99posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                   Don't despair - I use Ubuntu and they don't work in that land.
                   BUT just copy and paste them from the link, or from below. Store them in a text file for later use and Hey Presto!!! Take Away!
                   ♪
                   ♫
                   ☼
                   ►
                   ◄

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                   1. 0

                      Beth37posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                      lol, Ive never needed them before... I don't think I've ever written anything that required a symbol of any kind. I just want to be *able to. I just used an asterisk... feeling pretty technologically advanced right now.

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                      1. 53

                         janderson99posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                         Come on! Strut your stuff with and ALT symbol or two!!!
                         §▼§

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                         1. 0

                            Beth37posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                            I can't... I'm part of the uneducated group... Getitrite told me so. It's ok, I've come to accept it.

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                            1. 53

                               janderson99posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                               (*_*)  cheers! ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

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       2. 34

          Writer Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          But, HP didn't pick the Hubs with the most traffic for the EC program. The staff thought that changing the Hub URLs from the subdomain would mean that Google would like the Hubs more.  That hasn't happened at all. In fact, Google often penalizes sites which make rapid, comprehensive changes strictly for SEO purposes – which is exactly what HP did. 
          
          Also, millions of links to the Topic pages were removed when most Hubs had their navigation changed so that they are no longer linked to the Topic pages.

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          1. 53

             janderson99posted 9 years agoin reply to this

             "HP didn't pick the Hubs with the most traffic for the EC program" - Yes, but HP has their own agenda re:stellar - they wanted 14,000 (good ones) or so, to save the mother ship. IMO
             PS I think the plunge happened in May 2013 or there abouts - just after G allocated older hubs to  subs.

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       3. 87

          IzzyMposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Really?
          I was here all that time and missed that bit about my hub urls staying on the top level domain. No way to check now, of course.
          My personal traffic crashed in the September, along with a fair number of hubbers, most of whom have since left HP having tried everything they could to bring traffic back up.
          I spent literally months editing and re-editing hubs and writing new hubs but no matter what I did, Google did not send me traffic.
          Finally, I gave up and started new subs.
          Some of them have done OK, and only recently Google has started sending traffic to this sub again, after over 2 years in the wilderness.
          I remember something in the forums about some hubs only showing on the top level domain in Google.
          Not mine - mine didn't show at all. Plagiarised copies of my hubs showed on page 1 instead of mine, when searching for exact titles. When I got them taken down, mine still never showed in position 1, Google choosing to display an almost exact match instead.
          
          I'm not alone in this, and I never did learn why.
          
          I wonder if I re-optimized my hubs would I see a rush of traffic? Not got time to do edits now, I'm afraid. One day, I might try it on one or two to see what happens.
          
          Meanwhile, QAP is probably the best thing HP have ever done, for all of us.

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          1. 53

             janderson99posted 9 years agoin reply to this

             see
             http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/112639

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             1. 87

                IzzyMposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                Right. About 8 months ago. Spring 2013. I thought you meant after the initial shift to subdomains which happened in 2011. That was the year I was talking about. Sorry about the confusion.

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