Anyone likes the new spammy layout?

1. 71

   Be Like Waterposted 8 years ago

   Effort by hubpages to increase traffic, but the new design is kind of spammy. Look at the sidebar; of course the reader's going to think the related are from the same author and click on them, only to end up on someone else's article. We can't even turn it off or change it.
   The sidebar is supposed to be for other articles by the author. Since we all have separate sub-domains, and since this is not a content mill, our sub-domains are like separate blogs. We should control what is displayed on our hubs.
   We can disable ads if we want to but not the related hubs. Other hubs by the author are text links.
   Besides, I don't think it'll help with the SEO. Too many links. I liked the old layout.
   Are they still working on the social media share buttons? I don't see them.

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   1. 72

      relacheposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      You might find it useful to understand that not only does Google absolutely consider this a content mill, the site itself does not identify as a blog site.
      
      You get to control the content that you create, and nothing else here.  If you want to control your own content, AND the ads and layout and interlinking strategies, you need to move your content to your own site.

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      1. 71

         Be Like Waterposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I have my own sites, but the SEO here is better. I want to get more readers to my blogs through Hubpages.
         
         And regarding the content mill thing, we have separate domains. That helps with SEO.
         I know interlinking strategies are to improve traffic, but what we had before was better.

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   2. 93

      Maina Ndunguposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I like the idea of 3 hubs from the same author. But taking away the thumbnails and the grouping feature is not good in my opinion.

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      1. 71

         Be Like Waterposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         They took away the grouping feature? I didn't know that.

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         1. 92

            Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            There's a bug that is affecting the grouping feature. It should be fixed soon. It's not something we've removed permanently.

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            1. 71

               Be Like Waterposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               What about the social media share buttons?

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               1. 92

                  Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  I believe Marina addressed that issue in her thread about the change.

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                  1. 71

                     Be Like Waterposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Half of the people aren't going to see the share buttons.

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                     1. 92

                        Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                        The vast majority of internet users have screens that fit within the required dimensions. Only a very tiny percent of readers will not see them.

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                        1. 32

                           Writer Foxposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                           I don't think it is a tiny percentage.  Other websites can figure out how to design so that their pages display well on all screens.  HP used to know that, too.  Is it because Jay Reitz left?

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                           1. 91

                              Rochelle Frankposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                              I was not seeing them on my own screen-- the odd thing was, I could see them on most other people's hubs , using the same size window.
                              I have a 17" screen, but the window I had open was too small to see the share buttons on mine -- when I extended it I could see the buttons.

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                           2. 71

                              Be Like Waterposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                              Yeah, responsive design. Hubpages doesn't have a responsive design for tablets and smaller screens. They have a mobile template though. Even my blogs are responsive. I wrote the code myself. It's not that hard. Why doesn't HP have it?

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                        2. 71

                           Be Like Waterposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                           By the way, what's the point in having share buttons to the side? People will only share after they're done reading. I still think they should be at the end. As a reminder to share after they're done reading. You see, our brain adjusts to images we don't want to see and are distracting by blinding us to them, like ads, so the same thing will happen to the share buttons.

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                        3. 90

                           Colin Quartermainposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                           I think you might be underestimating the percentage who can't see the share buttons.
                           
                           I know the later Windows have been optimised for higher resolutions, but anyone running anything before Windows 7 is likely to be on 1024 or lower

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                           1. 92

                              Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                              Hi Colin,
                              
                              Less than 5% of all readers will be unable to see the share buttons as they are currently, and considering those resolutions are no longer sold, that number will only decrease over time.

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            2. 78

               colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Good to know the hub grouping will be back.
               Thank you, Christy.

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   3. 92

      Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Just wanted to mention that the grouping feature is fixed. Please let us know if you have any more issues with Previous/Next. Thanks!

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      1. 93

         Maina Ndunguposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         The grouping feature is back but the links are above the "Recommended Hubs" when using Opera mini on my phone.

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         1. 92

            Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, those links have been moved above Recommended Hubs intentionally as part of the redesign.

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2. 70

   JJNWposted 8 years ago

   "You might find it useful to understand that not does Google absolutely consider this a content mill, the site itself does not identify as a blog site."
   
   Relache, did you mean to have an "only" after "not" -- as in "not only does Google consider.."? or am I reading wrong?

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3. 72

   relacheposted 8 years ago

   I have an "only" after "not."

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4. 96

   littlethingposted 8 years ago

   I kind of like this new look. It seems a bit cleaner to me. Now that the grouping feature is fixed, I've got no complaints about the new look. Hopefully it'll bring in more traffic

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5. 0

   calculus-geometryposted 8 years ago

   The layout is tweaked so often I can't get too excited when they roll out a nice design, nor too disappointed when they unveil a cluttered one.   In a few months it will be redesigned yet again and the current problems will be irrelevant. 

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6. 43

   Kevar Telferposted 8 years ago

   @ be like water. I am really young to this, can you give some constructive criticism? this would help my hub. thanks

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7. 90

   Nell Roseposted 8 years ago

   I just wanted to add that everytime we get a new layout our views drop dramatically. Not sure if that's what is happening here, but it seems to be something that happens every time. I liked the old layout, just saying.

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   1. 72

      maalarueposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I think you're on to something. Our sites have become way too spammy and I believe Google does not like it at all. I have now counted 7 Ads on our pages, and there is word of HubPages partnering with new Ad Networks. How can that be good?
      
      I have had to remove almost all of my Amazon links due to all the Ads cluttering the sites now. And even worse, my Google position has dropped dramatically. Some keywords by one whole page. This has caused my traffic to drop over 50%.
      
      I enjoy working with HubPages and would hate to see them lose vision.
      
      Any thoughts?

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      1. 92

         Jayne Lancerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I have been wondering if the new ad partners might have something to do with loss of traffic.
         
         My traffic started to decrease on April 27, which was before the new layout (part II) was implemented.

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8. 88

   Victoria Lynnposted 8 years ago

   I like the new layout just fine. I like that "more articles by this author" are moved up below the profile pic. The sharing buttons are visible and move down the page with the reader, although I didn't see them at first (used to seeing them on the righthand side, I guess). We hubbers do like to complain a lot, but I guess that's what the forums are for. LOL. Maybe discuss is a better word.  My traffic is down, too, but it always goes down in the summer time. It's abysmal. Really bad. I doubt that the layout will affect traffic in a bad way for long, if at all. I don't mind the HP staff making changes and tweaks now and then, as I'm sure there's a reason for it, a method to the madness, so to speak.

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