May 2015 - The Google Update That Didn't Happen by Paul Edmondson

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  1. paradigm search profile image55
    paradigm searchposted 8 years ago

    It's a must-read. http://pauledmondson.hubpages.com/hub/M … gle-Update . And then next we got the upcoming summer traffic trend to deal with.

    1. Barbara Kay profile image74
      Barbara Kayposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      It gets to be enough for us to not like Google. They don't play fair.

      1. paradigm search profile image55
        paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

        Yeah, the owners of HubPages try to follow the American Dream and own their own business and be their own bosses. Instead they end up being employees of Google, as are we.

        1. bgamall profile image68
          bgamallposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          I have made this argument a lot over the years. Business Insider, Reuters, CNBC, CNN, Fox and all the other New World Order websites can swap content, complete content at that, and foam out propaganda, American propaganda and terrible articles. And Google does nothing to them. Google doesn't touch them. Google is part of the New World Order. It would not be allowed to operate if the globalists didn't let it. It does what it is told. It does not want to care about other websites, the little people.

          1. bgamall profile image68
            bgamallposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            So, if you think America is free you are sadly mistaken. It is run by oligarchs and the assassination of JFK by LBJ assured the oligarchs, the globalists, would be in control from that day forward.

    2. janshares profile image93
      jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      SMH

    3. SpaceShanty profile image93
      SpaceShantyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I am getting 90% of my traffic from social media now. 

      Organic search traffic is best but as we have all experienced it can disappear overnight.

      I think it was crazyhorsesghost (a Hubber with over 10M views) who said he uses various other methods to get traffic and from the number of views I guess he is right.  Never rely on one source and never put all your eggs in one basket.

      1. Maina Ndungu profile image91
        Maina Ndunguposted 8 years agoin reply to this

        SpaceShanty that's amazing. I wish you could write a hub on how you go about getting much traffic from social media. Not all of us know the methods that work.

        1. SpaceShanty profile image93
          SpaceShantyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          In get a lot of love from Pinterest and so should you!  Your clothing/fashion Hubs are ideal for Pinterest!

          I don't wanna turn this into a Pinterest tutorial but......

          Spend an hour a day on Pinterest liking stuff in your 'niche', ie women's fashion, comment on related pins, pin related pins, follow followers of related boards.  Don't go mad and follow hundreds of people a day, just a little everyday.  Once you build up a few hundred followers pin an image from one of your Hubs at peak times 6pm -8pm USA time, again don't go mad and pin EVERY image because that looks spammy, one or two a week maybe.

          Group boards are good too, make a fashion board, invite people, they will do the work building it up to thousands of followers, boot all the spammers and then post a FEW pics from your Hubs!  Good luck!

        2. WryLilt profile image87
          WryLiltposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Or put MFP images on your hubs and make your visitors do all the work for you.

          1. SpaceShanty profile image93
            SpaceShantyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            I like to get the ball rolling a bit!

    4. Suzanne Day profile image93
      Suzanne Dayposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting link, especially the comments at the bottom where there's a consensus that useless garbage should be eliminated from the internet.......

      Poor Paul, it's been a mountain of work for him. Let's hope he can find his way! I suspect good content will be OK on HP for years to come and poor content will drag the site down. I believe I've been saying this since I started here wink

  2. ChristinS profile image39
    ChristinSposted 8 years ago

    I haven't liked Google in a very long time.  I get tired of trying to appease them constantly both here and on my own blogs and websites.  So much so, that aside from making my content mobile friendly I've pretty much given up on it.  Now, I focus on social media more.  I don't like that much either, but it feels more in my control.

  3. FatFreddysCat profile image91
    FatFreddysCatposted 8 years ago

    Why do you hate us, Google? WHY??? (shakes fist)

    1. Writer Fox profile image31
      Writer Foxposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I think Google's recent dissatisfaction came when you changed your avatar photo. 

      http://usercontent1.hubimg.com/12403300.jpg

      1. FatFreddysCat profile image91
        FatFreddysCatposted 8 years agoin reply to this

        It had been four years. It was time to reveal the Man Behind the Cat!!

  4. susi10 profile image97
    susi10posted 8 years ago

    We are OWNED by Google.

    If you Hub or blog or use technology in any way, you're a puppet for Google.

    hmm

    1. colorfulone profile image78
      colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Puppets?  Slaves, maybe.  wink

  5. fpherj48 profile image60
    fpherj48posted 8 years ago

    Google owns the Universe.  They are God.  They have their Commandments.  They smile at those who faithfully adore them and follow their laws to the fullest extent.  They scoff at those who believe they can possibly thrive without them. They know that their children will wither away, suffer and die without them.  They will go straight to hell for breaking any rule and BURN in Hell's fire for all Eternity.
    On Judgement Day when they sever our connection to them, the world as we know it will end.
    To punish our arrogance they threaten, torment and starve us. They do NOT LOVE us. 
    All love and worship and adoration must go to Google only, AT ALL TIMES.
    All requests, pleas and/or appeals from users:  D_E_N_I_E_D.
    ATTN: Insubordinate slaves........SILENCE!
    Repent now. Turn from your evil ways, shun those who would tempt you.  Accept your fate completely, casting aside all freedoms, rights and privileges......or suffer and DIE

    This is the infallible word of Google.  The Be-all, End-all and unconquerable Sacred Text.

    1. colorfulone profile image78
      colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Hail king google?
      Kneel not before that throne.
      The breadcrumbs mean zip.

      haiku ~ by me

    2. bgamall profile image68
      bgamallposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Actually, the globalist oligarchs own the universe. Google does what it is told. I won't say it is micromanaged, but it can ignore crappy articles, content swaps, and propaganda from Rothschilds' Reuters and the folks they swap with, like CNBC, CNN, Business Insider, etc.

      1. bgamall profile image68
        bgamallposted 8 years agoin reply to this

        So, Reuters owns the media if you want to be precise.

  6. janderson99 profile image54
    janderson99posted 8 years ago

    Clearly a drop in Quota
    Causes?
    => A reaction to the traffic explosion due to the viral hub taking off over several days. The expectation is that traffic will slowly recover to the old quota
    => A reaction to the manual penalties associated with the rich snippets http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/130428  This may take more time to work through

    Here's hoping traffic recovers and surges upward.

  7. paradigm search profile image55
    paradigm searchposted 8 years ago

    Jeez, our US rank on Quantcast has gone from 65 to 84 since this all started.

    1. susi10 profile image97
      susi10posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Wow.

  8. janderson99 profile image54
    janderson99posted 8 years ago

    Update on HP Quota Share
    => There has been a steady Quota for 2015
    => There was a Quota drop in Late 2014
    => It is likely that traffic will return to the 2015 quota after the adjustment triggered by the viral traffic spikes.

    Strong evidence of a Quota - and You can't get over that!
    http://www.wotisnew.com/update.jpg

    1. paradigm search profile image55
      paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Sometimes I've honestly wondered if one or more of the HubPages' owners unknowingly has an enemy from college days or wherever who is now working for Google.

      1. janderson99 profile image54
        janderson99posted 8 years agoin reply to this

        Its unrelated, but I remember a long time ago when Pinterest dropped suddenly and HP staff dropped in for a chat. The reaction: "We don't accept blow-ins".
        HP is a small tiddler in a huge sea of fish and fishers.

        http://www.wotisnew.com/Tidd.jpg

        1. paradigm search profile image55
          paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Yep, and I should probably clarify. I'm not accusing Google of anything. What I'm saying is that the wrong employee in precisely the wrong place could do damage without Google even knowing.

        2. paradigm search profile image55
          paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          I remember that incident well, and speaking of Pinterest..., http://www.businessinsider.com/pinteres … iew-2015-5

          1. janderson99 profile image54
            janderson99posted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Can you pin an image from the HP mobile page? If not why not? If so WOW and congrats. The ads on PI will destroy it - Nice is their motto now, but makin' money ain't nice. Image Lookin' Good. Pinterest ready for ads - their new mantra.

    2. janderson99 profile image54
      janderson99posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Manual actions and thin content. Probable cause of HP plunge.
      see https://www.seroundtable.com/google-man … 20279.html

      1. paradigm search profile image55
        paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

        That link is worth a whole, new thread. Though the way the forums have been so deserted today, might not be worth the trouble. Needless to say, your link caused me to run to WMT to see if my website had been sanctioned for all its links to HP. All was well; heart attack averted. lol

  9. Writer Fox profile image31
    Writer Foxposted 8 years ago

    Mozcast shows turbulence in the Google algorithm yesterday:
    http://mozcast.com/

    1. paradigm search profile image55
      paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Oh wonderful, here we go again. lol

  10. makingamark profile image69
    makingamarkposted 8 years ago

    All I know is that after transferring ex-Squidoo content from HubPages to my own niche focused chunky content websites that my traffic has substantially increased. Not only that - my sites are also showing an upward trajectory on traffic stats over the same period as is queried in the blog post.

    It seems to me that what has happened is just more of the same of the type of thing Google has dished out before.  Plus the new mobile algorithm re ranking sites kicked in over the same period

    Google has been making the point for a long time that it doesn't like very large article farms with thin content.

    Google has been saying for a long time that it does not like lots of adverts or things unrelated to the topic content above the fold and/or interfering with the content which relates to any search query i.e. their whole aim is to improve the experience of the person using their search database by serving up relevant content which does not irritate or annoy.

    I have to say I hate the HubPages adverts on the mobile version of my sites. They mess up the flow of content and appear huge and clunky compared to what I get from eg the newspaper apps - who really know how to do advertising!  I wouldn't mind betting that the mobile algorithm update and HubPages approach to advertising on the mobile version is a big part of the answer around traffic. I certainly can't see any analysis of traffic between desktop and mobile in the data crunching in the blog post.

    The other thing I notice - if you look at Global Traffic on the 6 month view on Quantcast https://www.quantcast.com/hubpages.com?country=GLOBAL is that HubPages had a huge peak in views around about 8th April

    To me it looked totally extraordinary - and very like the peak that happened before Squidoo's terminal fall from grace.

    Compare 2nd April: mobile web 585,660 and online unique 413,171
    to 8th April (6 days later): mobile web 1,157,492 (ie 97% increase) and online unique 538,541 (30% increase)

    We saw the same thing happen at Squidoo. A huge peak followed by a huge slap.

    My recommendation would be to unpick the mobile statistics for the last two months - before and after new mobile algorithm and see if the huge peak can be related to any changes made within the site at the beginning of April.  I certainly can't see this peak on any of the other sites mentioned in the blog post.

    Bottom line - I don't suppose that Google has finished with trying to get big sites to reform where it sees clear examples of "offending" against its standards.

    1. Susana S profile image90
      Susana Sposted 8 years agoin reply to this
      1. makingamark profile image69
        makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

        but does Google know that?

        Like I said the profile is exactly the same as the one that happened just before the Squidoo slap.

        Plus all the comments about mobile views and advertising still apply.

        1. jodijoyous profile image61
          jodijoyousposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          The drop also coincides with a recent round of Google slaps for thin content.
          https://www.seroundtable.com/google-man … 20279.html
          If that was it, it should show in HP's Webmaster Tools.

  11. Writer Fox profile image31
    Writer Foxposted 8 years ago

    It's beginning to look like under one million unique visitors a day is the new normal for HP:
    https://www.quantcast.com/hubpages.com?country=GLOBAL

    1. janderson99 profile image54
      janderson99posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Quota drop penalty for manual actions re: rich snippet abuse. + others ? Perchance IMO

      1. colorfulone profile image78
        colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

        Some Hubbers were using them wrong and did get manual slaps. The Rich Snippets were disabled by HubPages. Maybe they are back on? 
        http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/130428

  12. SimeyC profile image88
    SimeyCposted 8 years ago

    Interesting article entitled 'Google's 'phantom' algorithm update hits websites' - specifically mentions Paul and Hubpages.....

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/102669423

    1. ChristinS profile image39
      ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Wow, that was a real eye opener.  Now, I'm afraid for the future of HP sad.  Everyone should read this.

    2. paradigm search profile image55
      paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      CNBC. Well the cat's out of the bag now, I am glad of the publicity. Enough is enough.

    3. paradigm search profile image55
      paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      https://i.imgflip.com/lgf7o.jpg

    4. colorfulone profile image78
      colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for posting the link to the article, @SimeyC.

      1. Writer Fox profile image31
        Writer Foxposted 8 years agoin reply to this

        +1

      2. paradigm search profile image55
        paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

        Yep, he gets the post-of-the-day award for that one.

    5. NateB11 profile image88
      NateB11posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Great article, thanks Simon.

    6. janshares profile image93
      jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks so much, Simey. That really wraps it all up. Good to see you.

    7. Barbara Kay profile image74
      Barbara Kayposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Some of the things that page that SimeyC mentions bothers me. First of all, isn't Google violating copyright laws when they copy things from other sites? The second thing that bothered me is it makes me wonder about our futures here. Thanks for sharing the article.

      1. TIMETRAVELER2 profile image85
        TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

        I have said again and again that the only way for HP to survive is to eliminate the low quality, spammy hubs.  They are doing this, but their work force is spread so thin that progress is far too slow.  If I owned HP, I would immediately put every staff member to work eliminating the articles that are ruining things for everybody here.  If you read that article closely, you will see that this is exactly what the problem was for the phantom algorithm.  It ignored the good and punished everybody for the bad.

  13. janderson99 profile image54
    janderson99posted 8 years ago

    Reported that Gary Illyes (Google Trends Analyst) spoke at SMX Sydney about changes to Google's Core Algo  see: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4744522.htm

    Large shifts in the rankings last week, we have some changes in the Core Algo, things that are secret and we do not communicate.

  14. Barbara Kay profile image74
    Barbara Kayposted 8 years ago

    In the words of Winston Churchill at the beginning of World War II, "Never give up, never, never, never, never." That was his entire speech.

    1. bgamall profile image68
      bgamallposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Valuewalk.com, because it is a New World Order website, syndicates duplicate content all over the place. Here are syndicate partners: Bloomberg, Royce, Zacks, Franklin Templeton, UPI, Newsweek, pro Publica, Mauldin and many more, plus it syndicates the content of others. These are the chosen websites by the globalists. These websites can break all the rules, that Hubpages and others must conform to, because they jealously guard their content, and control the message. Much of the message is propaganda, and it is evil.

      Google is a party to all that preference and therefore Google is evil. But it is not the main player. Bloomberg and Reuters are the main players, being owned by major globalists.

  15. PaulGoodman67 profile image94
    PaulGoodman67posted 8 years ago

    It's ridiculous, Google can just come along and take 20% of traffic off the site overnight, no matter how good or bad the individual writers are, and there's little that can be done. 

    Site ranking is down to 92 on Quantcast now.  It's been lower than that before, but still not good.

    HP have put in so much work to weed out spam and thin content, but they have limited resources and it's difficult to know exactly what Google wants from them!

    I thought we'd seen the last of the traffic volatility, things have been relatively calm in recent times, but apparently not.

    1. paradigm search profile image55
      paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, my account is a mirror of HubPages activity. Looking at my monthly Google Analytics chart, the before-and-after jumps out clear as day as to what was done to us. I'll still exceed monthly payout, but the party days are gone.

  16. Mark Ewbie profile image81
    Mark Ewbieposted 8 years ago

    It may be less about Google targeting HubPages than the rest of the web moving on.

    All media is involved in a struggle to get views and make the game pay.  Lot of competition for those visitors.

    1. paradigm search profile image55
      paradigm searchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      .
      I'm busily putting this on all my hubs.
      .
      http://usercontent1.hubimg.com/12257148_f520.jpg
      .
      .
      .
      .
      .
      Not really.

      1. janderson99 profile image54
        janderson99posted 8 years agoin reply to this

        Massive update underway for me:
        => adding social media links
        => more amazon
        => revising text and layout so reads better on mobiles
        => more callouts
        will see if this makes a difference?

 
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