To Publish or Not to Publish a Hub

1. 71

   Aneegmaposted 9 years ago

   So, I have finally finished my goal of writing 100 hubs but I have not published them yet as I'm practically frightened of what HP will do with them. I feel like I have been "flagged" meaning I just imagine the HP team seeing my new hub and going "oh that trouble maker again.. go on toss her aside, no traffic for her."
   
   Ever since I had the fiasco of HP ruining (oops sorry "editing") my hubs, my current published hubs have suffered a great deal. My star hub once upon a time had a 100 hub score, got an average of 5,000 views a day and it was earning me some reasonable cash. Now, it's hubscore has tanked to 65 and it barely gets any traffic. My overall hubscore used to be 95 and now it's an abysmal 84.
   
   All my current hubs now are suffering a great deal of no traffic and its been just over two months now and during those two months I haven't made payout. Last year I made payout every month and was quiet happy with HP then but now it's a different story.
   
   I know that no matter how much of a good hub I can write (and believe me I spent the last two months writing perfectly) HP will never consider me as more than just "another scribbler on our platform" especially since I voiced my objection of their so called "editing"
   
   I spent days and weeks researching where I can publish my articles that will get me high traffic and all fingers pointed to HP as the best place to do so.
   
   So now I'm stuck trying to decide if I should give HP my work? And if so, will my traffic improve? As that's what's seriously bothering me. I don't want to publish hubs and then get no traffic or just a tiny portion of it.
   
   How often should I publish these hubs? Once a day? Once a week? Once a month?
   
   Just need some advice on this.
   
   Thanks.

   replyreport
   1. 84

      Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      It's up to you to decide whether to stay here or not.  If your experience has been so spoilt by that awful HubPro episode, maybe it's best to move on - or maybe you can put it behind you with help from friends.  Only you know. 
      
      However, it may help to know that there is no conspiracy against your Hubs - it's impossible. 
      
      Firstly, the way scores are calculated has changed, and scores have dropped for most people.  Secondly, scores are a silly, meaningless number which HP should've dumped long ago, and have NO influence on whether your Hubs get traffic or not.  None, nada, zilch.  They are not a judgment on the quality of your Hubs because they're awarded by automated filters. 
      
      Finally, HubPages has NO control over whether your Hubs get traffic or not - it's just a platform.  It's Google that decides whether to send traffic or not.  The only way HubPages can influence your traffic is with the Featured/unFeatured process.  Hubs that are Featured are visible to Google, Hubs that are unFeatured are not.  Aside from that, HubPages has no way to tell Google to stay away from your Hubs! 
      
      So, HubPages is not affecting your traffic.  The whole HubPro debacle probably did.  Your scores have changed along with everyone else's, so you're not alone there.  But all that may not be relevant if you've lost your enjoyment of HP as a result of what happened, it's really down to how you feel.
      
      As for your other questions:
      
      Every time you publish a Hub, your Hubber score will go down.  That doesn't matter - ignore it.  If you can't ignore it, then you'll have to space out the publication of your Hubs to let it recover.  Otherwise, I'd be publishing a Hub a day. 
      
      Unfortunately, I don't know of any other revenue-sharing site where you can earn better than HubPages.  You could try Wizzley, Zujava or Seekyt but my articles there never get as much traffic or income as my Hubs.
      
      Your own blog would be the only alternative, but a blog will not be successful unless it is about one subject and one subject only.  So if you've got Hubs about a variety of subjects, you won't be able to move them all to one blog.  And a blog needs to be of a reasonable size to be successful, so starting multiple small blogs isn't a solution either.

      replyreport
      1. 71

         Aneegmaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Marissa, Thank you. I didn't know that either. Blimey I think I was so blinded by my anger that simple things like this past me by. Cheers for that, now I know better. Thank you.

         replyreport
         1. 84

            Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            That's what anger does, doesn't it?  Perfectly natural.  I hope understanding some of what's going on makes you feel better, Aneegma.

            replyreport
      2. 43

         bondaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Well put Marisa.  I hope more people read this.  I don't stress myself with numbers and other things i cannot control.  I try to write my best and follow the advice HP gives us about maximising the chances of being on Google.

         replyreport
      3. 85

         NateB11posted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I'd like to see this pinned to the top of the forum, it would possibly eliminate a lot of unnecessary discussion about such things as Hub Scores.

         replyreport
         1. 77

            colorfuloneposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            +1

            replyreport
   2. 87

      Jackie Lynnleyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I know just how you feel and still agree it shouldn't be fixed if it ain't broke. I wish you luck and may we both figure out what you do after you give them all they ask for and it is still not enough.

      replyreport
   3. 76

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Aneegma:  After taking a look at your hub about "Letting it Go" it appears to me that, at least for that one, you are writing a blog rather than an article.  HP is not the place for blogs, and this has been clearly stated in the TOS.  Also, one or more of your ads have absolutely nothing to do with your topic, and one of them appears to be a professionally done photo for a movie that you may not have permission to use.  All of these things are serious errors that show you really do not seem to have a handle on how you are supposed to be writing for this site.  This may have worked for you before all of the rules changed, but it obviously is not working now.  I understand that you are frustrated and that you had a hard time about the Hub Pro thing, but you have to be realistic.  I don't know anything about the quality of your hubs, but if they all are like this one, you need to step back and take a serious look at what you are producing here.  If scores and views are low overall, there are good reasons for that.  You can't blame the HP team if this is happening.  What is going on is the result of your actions, not theirs.  There is nothing personal in this.  It's simply a matter of taking the time to read some articles from people like Relache, Marisa Wright, Writer Fox and others who produce quality hubs to see what they are doing so that you can learn from them.  Good luck to you.

      replyreport
      1. 96

         LongTimeMotherposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Hi TT2. I also chose one hub to read ... the one about depression. I found it really interesting.
         
         Maybe just split some of the longer sections into paragraphs, Aneegma. And don't let what's happening here get you down!

         replyreport
         1. 71

            Aneegmaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            LTM, you're so wonderful. Thank you for the encouragement. I feel like I got a big hug so thank you!

            replyreport
      2. 71

         Aneegmaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Finally, someone that has answered my torment! Thank You TimeTraveller and I totally agree with you on the last hub I published as that was not an article and more like a blog. Some of the pictures I use I bought them on Etsy and Flicker but obviously I didn't buy the rights to it so I've just learnt something new there. Thank you for proper constructive and helpful advice. I will take that on board. Thanks

         replyreport
         1. 76

            TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Aneegma:  You clearly have the ability to write well, but what I think you are lacking is focus.  Photos and ads must clearly relate to what you are writing, and unless a site (such as Morguefile.com) does not require creditation, you always have to credit the photos you use and do so properly.  Online writing is a very specific art, and it takes time to learn it.  Since the rules constantly are changing, you must change with them if you really want to succeed.  If I were you, I would go back to my 21 published articles and take a hard look at them to see what you need to do to upgrade them.
            
            Does the title match the article?
            Is it a true article, or a personal blog?
            Have you divided it into shorter sections that rest within titled capsules that match the content?
            Do your capsule titles tell a story?
            Are your ads specifically related to your content and are they there to help the reader or because you are trying to earn from them?
            Are you using synonyms for your key words?
            Have you researched your key words to make sure they are searchable?
            Is all of your spelling and grammar correct?
            Is your content original, or is it something people can find elsewhere on the internet?
            Is your topic one that will interest or help your readers?
            
            These and other things are what make successful hubs.  It is not easy to create work that meets all of these goals, but when they do, you get traffic.
            
            So, guess you have your work cut out for you.  Hope this helps.

            replyreport
            1. 71

               Aneegmaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks, this helps me a lot. In fact I did do a review of my hubs and one of the reasons I'm not publishing them yet is I want them to be super original and perfect so I will address these questions. Thanks for reminding me to change with the times. I needed to hear that. Thank you so much. Drinks on me. What will you have?

               replyreport
               1. 76

                  TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  Aneegma:  Oh a nice Sangria would be nice lol!  By the way, you can use pix all day long for free from Morguefile and Pixaby and never have to credit them.  If you edit them with Picmonkey.com (also free) you can create made for Pinterest photos or just manipulate them to suit your needs.  More than 90% of the photos I use come from those sites.

                  replyreport
                  1. 71

                     Aneegmaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     Cool! I happen to be the queen of making the perfect sangria! So for you, I'll make ten
                     
                     Thanks I will check those sites out!

                     replyreport
                     1. 76

                        TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                        I'll be right over!!!

                        replyreport
   4. 82

      peachpurpleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I publish obe hub per month, interact most of the time to keep my hubscore from sinking further

      replyreport
2. 85

   Stacie Lposted 9 years ago

   Why not publish a few hubs a week and see what happens. If they are denied,then you know you have more editing to do. Try using some sites such  as grammarly to help with the quality....

   replyreport
3. 66

   relacheposted 9 years ago

   If you are so unhappy all you can do is imagine scenarios where the people running the site are punishing you on purpose, why do you think staying is so important?
   
   I have never heard anyone sound as angry and violated in the forums as you did after having your Hubs edited. 
   
   You have emphasized that your scores and traffic are way down....but now you want to stay and add more content?  Do you really feel things are going to be different or improve? 
   
   To me, you don't sound like you have the slightest confidence at all, and are asking everyone else to convince you to do something you don't want to actually do.

   replyreport
   1. 96

      LongTimeMotherposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      What you're hearing and what I'm hearing are obviously very different things.
      
      I'm hearing "How often should I publish these hubs? Once a day? Once a week? Once a month?"
      
      What question did you think she was asking?
      
      Your response seems strange to me. It seems perfectly reasonable that anyone who has a hub that dropped from 5,000 views a day to barely any traffic would be expressing frustration.
      
      Are you telling us that if you'd felt one of your hubs was unjustifiably edited - and suffered as a result  - you wouldn't sound angry or feel violated?

      replyreport
      1. 77

         colorfuloneposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         First it was 500 views a day, now she is saying it was 5000.
         http://hubpages.com/forum/post/2703056
         
         Robin said, "I took a deeper look at your Hubs and their traffic and it looks like your HubPages traffic dropped first in September then again in October.  We began edits on your account in January, so I doubt that the traffic drops were caused by our edits."
         http://hubpages.com/forum/post/2703209

         replyreport
         1. 85

            NateB11posted 9 years agoin reply to this

            September was when Google initiated another Panda update and a lot of people lost traffic back then.
            
            Edit: That was also the period of time when HP acquired Squidoo content; lots of debate on what caused the traffic drop, but, at any rate, September was a month when a lot of people lost traffic and there was a site-wide drop in traffic.

            replyreport
      2. 66

         relacheposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Yours response seems to not take into account the first four paragraphs of the original post. 
         
         Aneegma has made clear how much she distrusts HubPages and in fact feels intentionally persecuted by them, so I think she would do much better with her own site.  I felt that way after the HubPro disaster too.  She swore to leave when last I was following that scenario.
         
         That's why I asked her what has made her change her mind about leaving, and how come she wants to stay when she feels oppressed.  I don't think well at all of those trying to convince her to stay in a situation that she plainly finds so torturous.

         replyreport
         1. 77

            colorfuloneposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            "5000 views a day" second paragraph of OP.
            Maybe it is a typo, huh.

            replyreport
         2. 96

            LongTimeMotherposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            I viewed her early paragraphs as just being 'human'. She said she was frightened ... and explained why.
            
            I wouldn't encourage someone I don't think can write to stay. But Aneegma can write, so I believe she belongs here.

            replyreport
4. 92

   EricDockettposted 9 years ago

   What the what? Your profile says you have 21 Hubs. Are you saying you have 79 completed articles sitting around not earning any money?
   
   I feel woozy.
   
   In any event, if you are worried about your success here on HP perhaps it would be a good idea to spend some time figuring out where things may have gone wrong. It makes no sense to spend all that time writing and not put in at least equal time figuring out best practices of creating content that gets traffic and satisfies HPs requirements.
   
   BTW, just looking at the Hubs in your profile I see at least two images of trademarked characters I'm guessing you don't have the rights to use. Maybe start there.

   replyreport
5. 60

   The Examiner-1posted 9 years ago

   Eric,
   She said that she has written more Hubs to reach 100 but not published any yet.

   replyreport
   1. 92

      EricDockettposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      No, she said "I have finally finished my goal of writing 100 hubs but I have not published them yet".
      
      "Finished my goal of writing 100 hubs" makes it sound like she's now written a total of 100 Hubs.  She has 21 on her account. Unless she has another account, which is certainly possible, that means she has 79 Hubs sitting on her computer that she's afraid to publish.
      
      Am I misunderstanding?

      replyreport
      1. 60

         The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

         No. The way that I see it those 79 are the unpublished Hubs.

         replyreport
6. 96

   LongTimeMotherposted 9 years ago

   Aneegma, I think it will be interesting to see how your traffic and earnings respond to such a big input of new material in your account.
   
   My guess is your hubber score will drop as you publish new hubs (mine always does. Drops a point or two for a while.)  I suspect if you published a bunch of them at once your score might plummet ... but then perhaps it is not worth prolonging the agony.  Why try to space them apart if it just means a longer time until your stats and scores recover?
   
   If I had a stack of hubs ready to go, I'd probably publish one a day until they were all up. Then I'd wait for three months or more for them to settle in before deciding whether or not I was happy with their scores ... and another few months to see if they were earning.
   
   Presumably you've opted out of the editing option, so you shouldn't have a repeat of your earlier experience.
   
   Good luck!! 100 hubs should give you a nice result.

   replyreport
7. 87

   Jodahposted 9 years ago

   Aneegma, I have been one of the people encouraging you to stay. You are a good writer but others here have offered you good advice. I try to publish about one hub a week but I have been away so am a little behind but I did publish three hubs in one week before I left. I publish my hubs as soon as I write them, never have a bunch written and ready to go so I'm envious there. I used to find my hubber score drop a point or two for a day or so each time I published a new one before rising but haven't been experiencing that lately. I would publish at least one hub every two days and see how things eventuate.

   replyreport
   1. 71

      Aneegmaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      John, where would I be without you?! You're always a star and I gotta say I'm here mostly because of your encouragement. Thank you for the advice. It's exactly what I was looking for. Cheers! Drinks on me as usual! 

      replyreport
      1. 87

         Jodahposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Cheers Aneegma, always glad to help.

         replyreport
8. 96

   LongTimeMotherposted 9 years ago

   Good to see you are back on track, Aneegma.  Take your time with each hub, work through TT2's checklist choosing the best title, using text capsules with appropriate sub-headings etc - and don't let frustration get in your way.
   
   You can always hop on the forums for a beer with Jodah ... or cake with your other friends. lol.

   replyreport
   1. 71

      Aneegmaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      CAKE!!! don't tempt me! I'm still struggling to loose the pounds I gained from eating PeachPurple's lovely Strawberry vanilla cakes!

      replyreport
9. 61

   badiboxposted 9 years ago

   I hope That You Make good $$$  Coz I know Writing 100 Hubs Is Really that Hard work...
   good Luck

   replyreport
10. 0

    angliterarioposted 9 years ago

    I'm new to hubpages but I've been around longer when it comes to writing articles. The thing with online content now a days is that it's no longer just about good grammar and interesting topic. You also have to think about SEO when you publish your content.
    
    Google recently released an update to their search engine that wrecked havoc to many websites. If your article views dropped around that time you need to check out the new SEO guidelines for contents and make sure that your articles follow those.
    
    It could also be something about the way hubpages was doing their SEO previously that did not sit well with the Google update. I don't really know as like I said I'm new here. I was previously writing squidoos and then one day poof! My squidos are now hubs.

    replyreport