My hubscore is dropping for no reason!?

1. 61

   Frederick Greenposted 10 years ago

   Hello guys!
   
   I just started HubPages less than a month ago so I'm fairly new and might not understand the way HubScore works like you do.
   
   I have published 5 hubs and I published my 5th hub yesterday. My fifth hub is called "Everything You Wanted to Know About Whole Grains", by the way. I have worked very hard on my fifth hub and I was happy that my hard work payed off because I got a HubScore of 91 which was my personal record!
   
   About an hour later, I noticed my HubScore has dropped to 89 so I edited my hub to see what was wrong. I corrected a few accidental mistakes and improved a few vocabulary. Despite my correction/improvement, my HubScore continued to drop to 86 and then 83. Right now, it's on 80 and I predict it will continue to drop.
   
   Any of you have any idea what is going on? If you don't mind, please take a look at my hub and see what might be wrong. I appreciate any answer; I really would like to know why my HubScore is dropping even though I didn't change anything.
   
   I have worked really hard on the hub so I am slightly disappointed that my HubScore is dropping even though I haven't done anything to it. Have you guys ever been in a similar situation?
   
   Thanks in advance!

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   1. 47

      pateludayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Look for more accidental mistakes. Arrange capsules logically. Add high resolution photos, describe and label photos along with reference to source. Try to give unique information and add interactive elements like video, ratings, poll and do add amazon and ebay etc.  Add text 1250 plus.
      
      Only add a new hub whence you can do justice to it.

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2. 61

   paradigmsearchposted 10 years ago

   Compare your stats to my stats and then our hubber scores. Who the <snipped> knows...?

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3. 83

   Jayne Lancerposted 10 years ago

   Some of us have recently been discussing hub score on other threads, but it seems nobody can make any sense of it.

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   1. 77

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Jayne Lancer:
      
      That is because it basically does not make any sense!
      
      The team is now saying that those scores are an indication of quality, but if that were true, lower quality posts would not make it through the QAP.
      
      It is almost as if the team, for some unknown reason, decided to really upset a lot of good writers to whom those scores do seem to have meaning.

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      1. 84

         Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         If I'm reading the right email, it doesn't say scores are an indication of quality, it says the score is based largely on the QAP assessment - which as you know, is not necessarily the same thing.
         
         As I posted on another thread, Simone detailed exactly what HubScore was composed of, and apart from the QAP assessment, none of the other criteria is related to quality at all!

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         1. 77

            TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Marissa:
            
            Here it is again:
            
            HubScore is based largely on the QAP assessment and traffic or readers to your Hub do not equate to a higher HubScore.
            
            How is assessing a hub for quality differentiated from a hub being of good quality?
            
            QAP is a test a hub is put through to determine quality, is it not?  I do not understand how one can be separate from the other.

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            1. 84

               Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Here's what the Learning Centre says HubScore is made up of:
               
               -   The quality of the Hub as measured through the Quality Assessment Process
                 -  The amount of traffic the Hub receives, including traffic from HubPages as well as other outside sources
                 - The length of the Hub
                  - The number of comments the Hub receives
               - A Hubber's overall Hubber Score
               
               If traffic has been removed from the algorithm since then, then they need to update the Learning Centre.

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               1. 77

                  TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Marisa:
                  
                  I'm not sure what they have done to the scoring system since they claim they have not done anything at all!
                  
                  However, I think I may have figured something out about the scoring system.
                  
                  The QAP is doe on a "scale" for which there is a chart in the learning center that you can find here:
                  
                  http://hubpages.com/help/hub_hop_table#informational
                  
                  Apparently what the system does is score a hub on a sliding scale that goes in tenths of points.
                  
                  So, for example, a score of 78 would actually be a 7.8 on the scale.
                  
                  Since the QAP theoretically was instituted taking one group of hubbers at a time, starting with either the oldest or newest (I'm guessing newest), it may have taken all this time for the system to catch up with and correct the numbers for hubbers in our group.
                  
                  This would explain the sudden mass changes...we do not really know how many people were affected.
                  
                  The only problem with this theory, which at the moment seems to make sense to me, is that new hubs should have been rated correctly when they were written.
                  
                  However, many of those changed, also for a lot of people.
                  
                  So, I see a flaw in my thinking except for the fact that they may have tightened up their QAP guidelines recently and instituted them all at once?
                  
                  What do you think?

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               2. 77

                  TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Marisa:
                  
                  I just figured out that the hub score does not influence traffic...which is what Matt was saying.  However, traffic does influence the hub score.

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               3. 87

                  Millionaire Tipsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Paul has admitted that there has been a roll out of a change of the scoring system.  In addition to the factors you listed, there is also apparently an Auto Rater that looks at things like spammy content, original work, media rich content, spelling and grammar errors, links to reputable sites, etc.
                  
                  Here's his message:
                  http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/123705? … ost2619880

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                  1. 84

                     Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                     The Auto Rater is, I'm pretty sure, the same rater that produces the "Stellar Hub" check boxes at the top of a Hub.

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                     1. 82

                        sallybeaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                        I should get top marks then:)  - Even my profile score has now dropped to an all time low. 
                        So, Good Morning Saturday, this is just another day at the computer.
                        I feel so demoralized by all of this.  I would not feel so bad but do you know anyone else who works for less than a dollar a day?

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      2. 83

         Jayne Lancerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Whoever adjusted the algorithm doesn't know what they're doing. (I'm still amazed that Paul Edmondson has actually said on another thread that there has been no change to hub score.)
         
         Compared to my present standard, I have what I know to be some very poor quality hubs that I published four years ago and haven't yet revised. These now have higher hub scores than many of my newer and revised hubs, which I know to be of a far superior quality by anyone's standards.
         
         As has been said before, they ought to just do away with hub score. It distracts and confuses.
         
         In my opinion, a better system would be to list hubs on the accounts page in order of traffic--hub number one is the one with the most traffic and therefore (obviously) the most successful. Or is that too simple?

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      3. 88

         Kathleen Odenthalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I completely agree. This drastic change seems uncalculated and completely uncalled for.

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4. 86

   WryLiltposted 10 years ago

   Why are you here? Personally I'm here for traffic and money.
   
   Scores have nothing to do with getting those things, so I ignore them.
   
   I'm closing in on 4 million views with less than 80 hubs, so it must be working

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   1. 84

      Solarasposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think you must be a genius.  Thank you for sharing all that you have!

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5. 84

   Marisa Wrightposted 10 years ago

   HubScore is NOT a reflection of quality.  It's a mish-mash of a whole range of measures, including the amount of traffic the Hub is getting.
   
   HubPages tweaks the method of calculation every now and then.  Judging by the number of threads about it, it looks as though they've done a major tweak which has resulted in lower scores for many people. 
   
   Try not to pay attention to HubScores, you can't draw any meaningful conclusions from them, and they have NO influence on how successful or otherwise your Hub can be.

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   1. 86

      WryLiltposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      ^ That

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Paul Edmunson claims that the team has NOT done any tweaking.
      
      Really?

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      1. 82

         sallybeaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I don't think it is your hub.  In general over the last week hub scores have plummet across the board for many,  risen for others.
         Personally I have watched mine drop nine percent in one week.  Where I always have had around twenty five hubs in the high nineties they are now mostly sitting in the eighties.
         I received my thirteenth editors choice today and blow me down, what a surprise, the hub score remains right down there in the low seventies, just as it was a week ago.   It has not moved since it was published. 
         I would continue writing and forget about ever looking at hub scores again until HubPages sorts out whatever issue they currently seem to be having with this site.

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         1. 77

            TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Sallybea:
            
            I sent an email to the team about this issue last week, and tonight I got this response:
            
            HubScore is based largely on the QAP assessment and traffic or readers to your Hub do not equate to a higher HubScore.
            
            If you would like to improve a score for a specific Hub, we suggest using this chart as a guide ad aiming for 8 or higher.
            http://hubpages.com/help/hub_hop_table#informational
            
            Thanks,
            Matt @ Team HubPages
            
            So, now I am being told that, lo and behold...overnight...the quality of my work is not nearly as acceptable as it used to be!
            
            Talk about insulting!

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            1. 82

               sallybeaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               I agree completely with WryLilt - she knows what she is talking about when it comes to Hubpages.   I am going to concentrate on traffic and hopefully money in the future.  I know the quality is there and so do HubPages staff otherwise they would not award Editors Choice Hubs.

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   3. 77

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Marisa:
      
      Read the email I posted here that specifically says that hub score IS an indication of quality!
      
      Dontcha' just love it??

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   4. 87

      paperfacetsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Traffic may bring up the Hub score, but Hubscore does not bring up traffic. That is my dismay. I have a few Hubs that are in the 90's and they still get zero traffic just like the other site I came from.
      So what is the reward?

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6. 67

   relacheposted 10 years ago

   For everyone sweating the QAP:  it's possible to hit all the benchmarks HubPages has set forth and still wind up with a weak Hub that no one wants to read or knows exists.  And the same goes for Hubs that get marked as Editor's Choice.
   
   Do what you have to do to keep your Hubs featured. But when it comes to anything else, look for your advice and metrics from OUTSIDE HubPages.

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   1. 77

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      relache:
      
      This is excellent advice.
      
      In my way of thinking, if a hub is getting views and making money, in the end, that's all that matters!

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      1. 83

         Jayne Lancerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I agree.
         
         Hub score comprises such a conglomeration of factors, it can't possibly make any sense to anyone--not even HubPages staff. So, the only question is, why does it exist? Simply because Paul Edmondson is fond of it?

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            TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Jayne:
            
            Sure looks that way, doesn't it.
            
            The only thing that makes sense to me is that the QAP process came into existence to get rid of the poorly written articles here.
            
            However, the hub scores existed before that ever happend, so I'm not sure that is a good reason.

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            1. 47

               pateludayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               You are right the degree of perfectness is relatively hypothetical, the hub score should be weighted on quality rather than traffic or other metrics. These should have relatively lower value. But the editors know best. The seo benefit should not be neglected.

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         2. 84

            Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            In my opinion, yes.  You can't fight what the boss likes!

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   2. 88

      Kathleen Odenthalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This really is good advice. Im glad I opened this thread. Thank you!

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7. 86

   Lee Teaposted 10 years ago

   Hi Frederick,
   I've noticed the same almost across the board on my nearly 50 hubs. My two 99s which have seen 100s in the past have dropped to the low 80s.  They're excellent and well- researched articles with high traffic.  I'm not sure what happened but I know it matters very little if at all, so oh well. 
   
   Hope this helps. It's not just you - keep writing!
   - Lee @ Lee's Teas

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8. 83

   Jayne Lancerposted 10 years ago

   I've experienced another drastic drop in hub scores overnight.
   
   The only sense I can make of hub score is that (for whatever reasons) a higher score is good, and a lower one is bad. That's what makes watching hubscores drop so upsetting. Last week I was very, very good, and now I'm suddenly average, or even less than average, and getting worse by the day.

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9. 89

   weezyschannelposted 10 years ago

   Me too! I was working on 98s  and now  in some of them are in the lower 70s to mid 80s. It's discouraging to me as a writer to think that I have put in all the work in the research and then all of a sudden I get drops dramatically and then my Hubber score drops because I have not logged in in two days because I was in the hospital and that is discouraging as well. I cannot be on HubPages 24 hours a day commenting and reading everyone's posts and liking and commenting and asking questions- I cannot live here to bring my hub score back up to 98. I don't think it's fair that I have to comment and interact every single day without being dropped in my Hubber score

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