Have a Not Featured – Quality hub and not sure why . . .

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  1. Gemini Fox profile image85
    Gemini Foxposted 9 years ago

    Had never done a “sales” hub before so decided to try. Have tweaked and tweaked this hub but it still keeps on being not featured due to quality. Getting a little T’d . . .

    http://geminifox.hubpages.com/hub/Green … t-Friendly

    - Have every single one of the “goal” (attributes) boxes ticked off . . .

    - I like using graphic dividers and have a “Style Tip” warning about this but it is my understanding that ignoring Style Tip warnings will not prevent a hub from being featured . . .

    - Have 2247 words – which means, if I’m understanding it correctly, that I could have a possible 42 (2247/50) amazon capsules in the hub. . . only have 32 . . . this max is calculated by the TOTAL word count, right? Having a feeling the whole issue is with this but not sure how . . .

    - Have a couple of places where amazon capsules have been grouped in a pair but have seen many hubs that do this (sometimes 3-5 amazon capsules) so can’t see where this would be a problem . . . have no “Style Tip” warning about this any longer (did when I first started the hub) . . .

    Sooooo . . . anyone have an idea? Thanks so much in advance!

    Also, is there any reason you can’t have a picture of an Amazon product that you’re not selling specifically but to show alternatives to the one you are selling (ie. showing different colors of the same glass ball Christmas ornament, different sock lengths)?

    1. Matthew Meyer profile image72
      Matthew Meyerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I would strongly suggest reducing the product capsules to a few that are directly related to the topic.

      32 is way too many for one Hub.
      Having that many products in a Hub make it appear very spammy.
      http://hubpages.com/faq/#Spammy-Elements

      1. easylearningweb profile image84
        easylearningwebposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        I agree with Matthew. 32 ebay sales capsules may be the reason it's not featured. In past, I know they limited us to one amazon capsule and since then I don't add hardly any. I would try to add more unique content to the hub about the items, more images without the ebay capsules, and see if that improves the score. I have some older hubs that aren't featured and they don't have too many sales capsules. I think they look at how unique your hub is, how many pictures the hub has, how interesting/popular the hub is and of course the traffic and activity.

        Hope that helps,

        Regards.

    2. profile image0
      calculus-geometryposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      There have been many in your same situation and I totally get the frustration. All I can tell you is that having at least 50 words per Amazon capsule only means you won't get an auto-generated warning or have your hub unpublished by bot.  It never was a guarantee that the hub would be featured. You can always email HP for help if you're still getting stuck after several attempts to get the hub featured. team@hubpages.com

      1. Gemini Fox profile image85
        Gemini Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        Thank you both for responding!

        It just doesn't make sense to me that HP states that you must have 50 words per Amazon capsule and I put in 12(!) less capsules than the max allowed and I still can't get it published (sorry, "featured")! It's a long hub - and I thought that was good! How is anyone supposed to figure out how they're not getting a hub featured if they're following the guidelines and it's still not working?!

        What makes it even more frustrating is that there is another hubber who wrote a sales hub (nice looking hub) that includes 29 capsules (+ additional links), updated the hub on 12/04/14 and appears not to have been slapped for this!

        Anyway, was already thinking that if this is the problem than I can break the hub up into a separate hub for each of the sections . . .

        Any thoughts on my question about the Amazon photos? Feel like doing this could actually be a real selling point as it shows people options if they don't like the product in the Amazon capsule you're showing.

        1. galleryofgrace profile image70
          galleryofgraceposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          "Selling Point?' HP does not want hubs that look like free sales adverts.

    3. peachpurple profile image82
      peachpurpleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      yeah too many capsules, the most are 2 amazon and two ebays

    4. Millionaire Tips profile image93
      Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      yes, this is fine. Just don't overdo it.



      HubPages used to allow several products in one capsule.  The rule has changed to one product per capsule, but not everyone has edited their hubs yet.  You can put different capsules next to each other if you want, but usually, that's not necessary.  I would recommend limiting the number of capsules, not only because of the rules, but also because fewer products will result in more sales.  I read a lot of psychology studies, and they have shown that people get confused with too many choices and tend to not buy anything when they have too many choices.  You can say, this item is also available in blue and green in the text for those who would prefer a different color.  They can go to Amazon directly to see all the different products. They need you to tell them which one is the best one and why.



      I don't know what the rule is in terms of the exact product. I know you have to be selling the product to use the photo, but I don't know how strict the rule is.  I would recommend not showing the different colors or lengths though, for the reason mentioned above.

    5. Les Trois Chenes profile image79
      Les Trois Chenesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Unfortunately I couldn't see your hub (unpublished?), but I've been having the same problems.

      This ex-squidoo hub now has only a couple of sale capsules with also act as illustrations, lots of my own pictures, my own experients .....  I even ran it through a key work density checker (I took out some of the egg words, hence the stars) Perhaps too many egg-boiling hubs?

      Not sure if you can see this hub but if so have a look at How to soft-boil an egg (under the name of Blouw) - please tell me what is wrong!

      1. Gemini Fox profile image85
        Gemini Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        Yes, I unpublished the hub - decided to split it up into several different hubs.

        I did look at your hub about egg-boiling - you're saying it is also not featured due to quality? Word count to number of links/Amazon capsules perhaps? * in your subtitles maybe? Afraid I'm not the right person to ask about this!  sad  It is frustrating sometimes not to understand why this happens!

        Perhaps start a new post asking that question?

  2. Gemini Fox profile image85
    Gemini Foxposted 9 years ago

    Thanks everyone for responding!

    galleryofgrace: I think that there are very tacky sales hubs and then there are much more attractive ones – depends on the writer and their understanding of graphic layouts. I worked hard to make sure my hub did not look like a “free sales adverts” and don’t think it does – although it’s obviously about selling products.

    Problem is that many of the older hubbers who have been here for awhile (which I see you have been so not sure how you feel about this) say that the only hubs that really make money are the ones actually for and selling a product, NOT informational hubs.  So if HP IS suggesting hubbers cut down to only one or two of these capsules per hub (even though they themselves aren’t and their help section says otherwise) those of us who would like to make some money are in trouble.

    Also, I agree, HP doesn’t want hubs that “look like free sales adverts” - yet I have to put up with the tacky banners and trashy adds littering the sides of my hub - some of them a complete contradiction to what the hub is about . . . somewhat amusing.
    -----------------------------------------------
    easylearningweb + peachpurple:  this is where the confusion sets in.  On the forums everyone is talking about cutting down on the number of Amazon/Ebay capsules. However, in HP’s instructions, it’s a different story. And, no, it’s not true that you can use only 1-2 Amazon/Ebay capsules – Paul Edmondson, himself, has 10 Amazon capsules in his hub ‘Highest-voted Gift Ideas for Eight-Year-Old Girls (2014)’!
    -----------------------------------------------
    Millionaire Tips: thank you – you’ve probably given the best reason for not giving too many options – people get confused and don’t’ buy anything. With my background in interior design I should have probably already known that . . .
    -----------------------------------------------
    Here’s a forum that I think talks about the problem I’m really trying to address:
    http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/126321

    OK . . . back to the drawing board . . .

    1. Millionaire Tips profile image93
      Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I have been around for a while and regularly read the forums.  I have not heard this and can tell you it is absolutely not true.  It depends on the hub.  It is nice to have supplemental income from Amazon, and some people have made more from the sales than the article, but it depends on what you write.



      There is definitely not a 1-2 sales capsule limit. I also have hubs that have up to 10 items.
      I agree that the 50 word per Amazon capsule rule is misleading.  We have asked it to be made higher, but I am sure it would cause an uproar if it was raised, and people are already having trouble meeting the guidelines.  I think 10 items in a hub is a reasonable maximum.  Any more than that is pushing it.  We do have to apply common sense to the rules and make our hubs the best they can be, instead of trying to squeak by the minimum requirements. That way, if the rules do change, we are still in the clear.

    2. Susana S profile image91
      Susana Sposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Mostly it is product reviews or product comparisons that make money with sales capsules. However, info hubs can sell *if* your hub is about a problem that can be solved with a product. Titles like How Can I get Rid of Black Mould? Or How to Ease Backache in Pregnancy, are likely to do well with a few sales capsules.

      The problem is that many people write their hub and then put on some sales capsules with a kind of "fingers crossed someone might buy something" approach. That doesn't tend to work and is the crux of the problem with Google.

      Fortunately there's a really easy way to find out if your informational hub is a seller - see if it's sold any of the items promoted in the last month/last 200 views.

      If it has, great. Keep the products on the hub. If not, then it's time to ditch the products. Very simple.

  3. Gemini Fox profile image85
    Gemini Foxposted 9 years ago

    Ok, not to get too hung up on this but . . .

    So HP's requirements are confusing and contradictory . . . but I'm still not understanding something. 

    If HP does not want us to use too many Amazon/Ebay capsules because the Google god thinks this is "spammy" than why is it that if I google "eco gifts" the first website to show up on the first page (after the paid ads) is a website called Uncommon Goods chock-full of things for sale . . . ?

    Because the website has been around for awhile?

    Because the website was set up to be a sales site? And that's somehow different programming-wise than simply adding an Amazon capsule to a hub?

    1. Millionaire Tips profile image93
      Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      It's not just Google that thinks that too many ads are spammy.  People - our readers - also find them spammy.  It is true that sometimes Google's filters don't catch something, and they have to  keep tweaking the algorithm to find the quality articles, but that again doesn't mean we should aim for what we can get away with.  We should try to make our articles the best that they can be.

    2. EricDockett profile image97
      EricDockettposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That's a different kind of site, and search engines hold them to a different standard. On their site you are buying stuff from them. We are affiliate marketers. We send people elsewhere, like Amazon and eBay.

      So, the question you must ponder is: "Why should someone come to my Hub instead of going straight to Amazon or eBay?"

      If all we are doing is showing them a couple of dozen products there may be no good answer to that question. Search engines don't like that, and you can't blame them. In that case we are providing no value to the reader, just positioning ourselves to make a profit should they stumble their way to Amazon through our page.

      On the other hand, we can help people make a decision by comparing products we shopped for ourselves. Or we can share personal experiences with a product we have knowledge of, or we can draw on our expertise in a subject to compare products so people get a better idea of what might be best for them. In those cases we are helping people (hopefully).

      It is my experience that those kinds of "sales pages" can do very well. A lot of people who buy from you may have already been to Amazon, or a site like the one you mentioned, and left confused.  Instead of confusing them further by showing them 30 products, help them decide between 3-5 really awesome ones.

      1. Gemini Fox profile image85
        Gemini Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        Thank you for your reply, Eric!  Makes sense.

      2. Susana S profile image91
        Susana Sposted 9 years agoin reply to this

        Beautifully explained!

  4. makingamark profile image69
    makingamarkposted 9 years ago

    Another explanation is that HubPages definition of "a spammy hub" is actually not the same as that defined by Google in their algorithm.  It's an interpretation.

    Which accounts for why people can remove their content, place it on another independent site/URL and it should do very well in terms of generating both traffic and income.

    The simple fact is people do like curated sites which help them make sense of the uncurated lists of products on places like Amazon.  The key is whether the site is authoritative in its recommendations in terms of both author expertise and the content.

    Which means another option open to you is to move the content to a blog or website - and see how it does there

    1. Gemini Fox profile image85
      Gemini Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Really understand this after doing this "sales" hub! Never used Amazon much before but in finding products for the hub it became very apparent that Amazon is not organized very well! You can find products that don't come up in your search but are there if you look at products by company name! I was actually shocked because I never realized this about Amazon!

      HP was my first venture into being active on the internet.  Have started learning Wordpress and was pleasantly surprised that I understood it much better than I thought I would - thanks to HP! So, yes, will be attempting a website in the near future.

  5. RodEccles profile image71
    RodEcclesposted 9 years ago

    There could be a number of reasons for this.  HP just may be mad at you for some reason.  I have noticed that often my hubs get marked for "needs improvement" when they were previously featured hubs and got and get a good number of views.  Even a couple of hubs where I did not put a single link or ad, I got a notice saying I had too many Amazon ads.  Im noticing a disturbing trend.

    1. Gemini Fox profile image85
      Gemini Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Can understand your suspicions! Especially when HP doesn't even have to give an explanation as to why it's happening and as far as you can tell you're following their written requirements in the Help section - which differ from what is said in the forums!

 
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