What's Wrong Here?

1. 75

   DzyMsLizzyposted 10 years ago

   This is an older hub, published in 2010, when I was still relatively new here.
   
   http://dzymslizzy.hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Read-a-Map
   
   I've tweaked it a couple of times, recently removed the Amazon capsules, and I'm not sure why it's become un-featured for 'lack of engagement.'
   
   Is it simply the topic, and people are so dependent upon electronic gadgets that they have no interest in learning to read maps?
   
   Is it unclear?  Too wordy?  To few or too many illustrations?
   
   I'm trying to get my income to track upward from the dismal depths to which it has fallen, and I'd appreciate suggestions.  Thanks in advance.

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   1. 78

      Greekgeekposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Tiny suggestion: add a friendly and eye-catching graphic at top right to draw the visitor in. It's a dry and somewhat intimidating subject, so hang some party balloons on the mailbox to help them feel like they've arrived in the right spot.
      
      (A pirate treasure map? There's probably one on creative commons.)

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      1. 75

         DzyMsLizzyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Pirate treasure map!! What a cool idea!  Thanks! 

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   2. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Lack of engagement just means lack of traffic.  Have you tried Googling "how to read a map" to see what your competition is like?  Is your article better or worse than your competition?

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      1. 75

         DzyMsLizzyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Marisa, so many, many thanks for all your effort and suggestions on those hubs.  I truly appreciate the time you put in to help me with those points.  Per your request, I deleted those comments  (have to begin that process with a denial, I discovered    )
         
         Next question--some are EC or HOTD--and I was under the impression that we were "not supposed to have amazon capsules" in those.. ???
         
         I changed everything, anyway, per your suggestions.. we'll see what happens.
         
         Now comes the other tweaks to the articles themselves...

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         1. 87

            Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            EC Hubs can definitely contain Amazon and eBay capsules.  The rules for EC Hubs say, "Only include relevant and useful Amazon and eBay products"
            
            I can't find anything that says what the criteria for HOTD are - other than being a good Hub!  - so I don't know.

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2. 65

   lobobrandonposted 10 years ago

   If you want to increase your income forget about the hubs that aren't performing. It's a waste of time. If it's not getting traffic now, it's unlikely that it would even if it is featured again and you keep editing it everyday.

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3. 73

   Marie Flintposted 10 years ago

   DzyMsLzzy, I'd change the title to something like, "What to Do When Your GPS Fails" and tweak the hub for that slant.
   
   Also, there's a very interesting man I saw on Face Book. I forget the term--an orientier, geo-orientier, or something. Essentially, he had skills in mapping terrain. He turned his skills to making large, very intricate, geometric designs in the snow during his spare time. Including a bit about that would certainly help build an interest in mapping skills (being able to read a map is one of the skills) among your readers.
   
   Good luck in getting the traffic you deserve!

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   1. 75

      DzyMsLizzyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, Marie!
        I think the term you are searching for is "orienteering."  That involves intricate use of a compass, and skill known as triangulation.  I touch on that in my hub on how to use and read a compass.    We learned the very basics of this when my kids were in Girl Scouts, and I taught it to the troop.
      
      However, the advanced level involves more math than I am comfortable with--adjusting for declination (the difference between true north and magnetic north), and the amount to add or subtract depends upon where you are in the world.  It's quite complicated and confusing (for me, anyway).
      
      But, back to the hub in question...that's a good idea you presented; I think I will do that title tweak, and also look for better images, as Greekgeek suggested.
      
      Thanks much.  (As for "dropping it" and not worrying about older hubs--I don't agree--I've had a few older hubs pick up after some tweaks, and that is certainly less time-consuming than researching and writing new articles.  As sole caretaker for my disabled husband, extra time is a scarce commodity these days.   )

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      1. 77

         Valerie P Davisposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         That GPS idea is good--you could also use the same information in articles on treasure hunt games or clue games, maybe simplified for younger folks.

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4. 77

   word55posted 10 years ago

   Make changes to the content, add or take out something. Add something more to the idea or take away something that isn't necessary. Do it one at a time and submit for featuring after every change until it is featured. Don't give up.

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