Promotional capsule overload? Really?

1. 92

   TeriSilverposted 8 years ago

   I have had a hub on this site for several years that only contained TWO eBay capsules.  Today, they were "snipped."  What is the point of partnering with eBay if HP is going to interfere with that?  Now, I understand that too many "spammy elements" as they call it, can detract from a piece.  But that should result, if a HP Snipper thinks it's necessary, in the site notifying the author -- not taking matters into its own hands.  So how many is too many?  I do have an Amazon capsule too, but if I were to snip anything, it would be that.  PLEASE HubPages, ask the author.  And, again --- How many is "too many?"  That would be helpful from the start as hubs are being published --- not several years after the fact.  Yup, I'm upset about this.  If you don't want eBay capsules on the HubPages site, then please rethink the payment structure for authors.

   replyreport
   1. 76

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      It's possible your hub is being prepared to be moved to one of the new niche sites.

      replyreport
2. 86

   Marisa Wrightposted 8 years ago

   I know how you feel - these days it seems as though HubPages has a vendetta against eBay and (especially) Amazon capsules, even though they make money from them.
   
   The "snipping" tool is a new feature, there was a blog post and a forum announcement about it.  That's why it has never happened to your Hubs before - it didn't exist before.
   
   http://blog.hubpages.com/2015/12/14/new … ty-alerts/
   
   If you read the post, you'll see that it's likely your ebay capsule was snipped because the product wasn't closely related enough to the topic.   eBay and Amazon products must be directly relevant to the topic of your Hub nowadays, or they're not allowed.
   
   What was the Hub about and what were the eBay products?

   replyreport
3. 92

   TeriSilverposted 8 years ago

   I did just now read the other forum announcement.  My hub is about caring for older cats.  One eBay capsule featured special food for senior cats.  The other featured feline vitamins.  Absolutely related to the hub content.  There was no reason (that I can understand, at this moment) for this snippage, and I've replied back to HP with questions that I don't expect to receive specific answers to.  It's a bad idea; why can't the just notify the author of they think something is amiss?  Or set it that no more than two product capsules can be used.  If HP doesn't want these product capsules, then eliminate the connection.  Yes, this one has me pretty annoyed.

   replyreport
4. 90

   Kylyssaposted 8 years ago

   If they valued hubber contributions at all, they'd publish accurate guidelines.

   replyreport
   1. 82

      sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I only place one e-Bay add on a hub which is always related to the content. I have 8 sales this month so I can't see why on earth they would want to limit the ads if they are earning from them.  It would be nice to know what the ruling is.

      replyreport
      1. 76

         TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I think they now require you to have 300 words in a given capsule before you can place an ad for it.

         replyreport
   2. 0

      candyhippieposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Could it be the case, though, that strictly accurate guidlines would cause many hubbers to follow them to the letter, creating a lot of hubs with the exact same structure, making the site look spammy?

      replyreport
5. 84

   Solarasposted 8 years ago

   Given how abysmal CPM rates are at the moment, it's ridiculous to get rid of sales capsules that are actually converting to sales.  2 small sales are worth more monetarily than 1000 views.

   replyreport
   1. 82

      sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I agree, CPM is half of what it was and we are having to work twice as hard to make the same revenue.  Sometimes the sales make up the difference. so if Amazon is no longer popular perhaps we should drop them and go back to using e-Bay ads instead.  The problem is people have been losing their personal Amazon accounts because they have not been making sufficient sales to maintain them.  What we need a little cash incentive to keep on writing here.

      replyreport
      1. 86

         Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I think most people are using the HubPages Amazon program here though.

         replyreport
         1. 82

            sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            I think that HubPages were too slow to respond earlier on when it really was difficult to earn from e-Bay ads and writers here dumped e-Bay because one regularly found that there was nothing on the page where an Auction item should have been.  When they brought in Buy it Now Items it made all the difference.  Their stats are also far superior to the non-existent stats from Amazon.  They actually tell you which hub earned the income.

            replyreport
            1. 76

               TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Yes, but Amazon pays 8.5% and it covers all items, not just certain ones as with Ebay, and it also pays off for other products people buy who enter through your ad portal.

               replyreport
6. 92

   TeriSilverposted 8 years ago

   I've removed any Amazon product link that doesn't really provide a good photo to emphasize the hub topic.  I think I may have made a nickel from Amazon in all the time I've been here --- not worth it.

   replyreport
   1. 82

      sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I am amazed, I regularly sell products from Amazon, I think both Amazon and e-Bay both work if done correctly.

      replyreport
      1. 76

         TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I agree.  I only use Amazon, but I do get sales regularly, some of which are pretty good.

         replyreport
   2. 84

      Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Amazon increases my earnings by 70%.  If CPM stays this low that is likely to flip flop, making Amazon the main earner on HP, and it certainly is the better earner on my blog over Adsense.

      replyreport
   3. 90

      Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      If you are not making any money from Amazon it is best to get rid of the ads. They do not help readers, they bring duplicate content onto a page and they are intrinsically spammy on any page that readers are looking at for info, rather than looking to buy a product.
      
      Using them for the photos is a little odd, lol.

      replyreport
7. 92

   TeriSilverposted 8 years ago

   Make no mistake, I am pleased that HP now puts quality controls into place.  When I first start writing here more than 5 years ago (or later), my complaint was that there so many poorly-written pieces which reflected on the good ones.  HP has stepped up efforts to quell that problem and I appreciate it.  However, this new arbitrary snipper thing, just like the edit-bots, ... not the way to go.  Involve authors in the process and I think HP will find the quality they want AND happy writers.  In any case, be more specific on guidelines.  Again, they cut two eBay capsules -- (the ONLY two on the page) that had products that were absolutely related to the article content.  What am I missing here?

   replyreport
   1. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Like I said, the snipping is done by a real live moderator and they do it because they felt the products were not sufficiently related.  I suggest an email to team @ hubpages if you want to argue the point.

      replyreport
      1. 92

         TeriSilverposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I have emailed them, I don't know whether they'll respond or not.  Thanks,  t

         replyreport
8. 69

   makingamarkposted 8 years ago

   Teri - the people that HubPages employ (or their mechanical quality snippers - whatever) are shooting them in the foot.
   
   For every hubber they annoy with arbitrary snipping for no good reason that is communicated to the hubber, they create an individual who is less likely to keep good content on HubPages and/or write more content.
   
   While all the time diminishing their income base.
   
   It all seems pretty pointless to me.

   replyreport
9. 92

   TeriSilverposted 8 years ago

   Well, they have moved this particular article to the Pet niche site, so that is a plus.

   replyreport
   1. 92

      Titiaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Is it? They moved one of mine too after editing and now it's getting half the visitors it got before on a daily base, so I'm still not convinced that it's a plus.

      replyreport
      1. 76

         TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         You have to give it some time.  Results are not going to come overnight when you change sites, which is exactly what you're doing when a hub is moved to the niche sites.

         replyreport
10. 92

    TeriSilverposted 8 years ago

    You may be right about the page view issue.  I meant it's a plus in that their reasoning was to "fix" it so that it could be included in what this new "elite" section  is. so they told me (but not in those words).  I don't get very much traffic on anything, anyway.  (January and so far in February, it's about half of what it was before each month).  Only time will tell.

    replyreport
    1. 86

       Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       That explains it then.  They did the same thing to another Hubber - again, the ads were totally relevant - and they were also making good sales, so it makes absolutely no sense IMO.
       
       One can only assume that they simply don't want Amazon or eBay ads on the new sites.  Sounds crazy if you ask me!

       replyreport
       1. 90

          Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          TERISILVER WROTE:
          I've removed any Amazon product link that doesn't really provide a good photo to emphasize the hub topic.  I think I may have made a nickel from Amazon in all the time I've been here --- not worth it.

          replyreport
          1. 86

             Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             Will, I was referring to ANOTHER Hubber who had capsules removed which WERE making sales.

             replyreport
       2. 84

          Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          They have not touched the Amazon capsules on three of my hubs moved to Pethelpful that make sales.  So it's not that all capsules are being removed. I can't comment on what others consider good sales.

          replyreport
          1. 90

             Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             Do you think those 3 hubs are likely to attract visitors who are looking to buy products?

             replyreport
             1. 84

                Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                Yes, they offer solutions to health issues.  Last month one sold 17 products and another sold 10 products.  I am glad they were moved without any snipping.  Most of my hubs, are not conducive to sales, so those others have no sales capsules in them.
                
                I did turn off HP ads on the sales hubs before the move, and they were not reactivated after the move. I don't know if that helped keep the capsules in place or not.  They don't get many pageviews, but have a relatively high sales conversion rate.

                replyreport
                1. 90

                   Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                   I keep pointing out that most sites only use affiliate ads on pages within special sections of the site like 'store' or 'products'. That kind of clear labelling is unlikely to happen here because the hubs that work with Amazon are so diverse.
                   
                   So I reckon the page title is especially important. Readers have no reason to think a page is spammy if the title clearly signals it is going to recommend particular products whether they be medications, books or whatever.
                   
                   Anyway, you obviously understand the kinds of page that get Amazon sales. Unfortunately, not many people do.

                   replyreport
                   1. 59

                      Rodeonposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                      Is there any entry in the FAQ page regarding this?

                      replyreport
                   2. 82

                      sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                      I find that using the keyword search for products works well for me as the products related to my hubs are all used in a tutorials but they don't have to be a specific brand to make a project in a tutorial.  It is not always about the brand but whether the product works for the application.

                      replyreport
          2. 76

             TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

             Thanks for clarifying that.  I didn't think they would be snipping all ads!

             replyreport
11. 92

    TeriSilverposted 8 years ago

    Well, Team HP and I disagree as to what is "relevant."  The article is about caring for a senior-aged cat.  The two eBay products showing were "senior" food and some type of feline vitamin.  HP said the products were not referring  "exactly'  to what was in the content.  My opinion is that it shouldn't have to be completely and concretely "exact" because showing products geared for older cat health (in this case) is merely another avenue to enhance the topic.  eBay capsules are a problem, anyway, because if the item showing (when you add it there) is no longer available, something else crops up in its place.  That doesn't happen with Amazon (which sells many of the same thing).  I think we'll see a lot more product snipping so it leads me to wonder what the point of having eBay capsules is, if we can't make money from them. But worse -- unless you put a very specific product in (that you (yourself) sell, or know that specific product will always show up in the ad, you cannot control what products show up, and they're always changing.

    replyreport
    1. 76

       TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

       You can disagree all you like, but this is their site, and when you signed up to write here, you agreed to allow them to edit your work.  So like it or not, that's the deal.

       replyreport
12. 90

    Millionaire Tipsposted 8 years ago

    Are you saying there is no notice given when a sales capsule or product is removed?  How did you know the snipping took place?

    replyreport
13. 92

    TeriSilverposted 8 years ago

    You should receive an email from the brass at HP.

    replyreport
14. 0

    rcmandevilleposted 8 years ago

    I just had my amazon capsules snipped. ALL three books I advertised were DIRECTLY related to the my featured hub article. I am very confused about this. I sent an email to the teamhub people, waiting to hear back. Did anyone hear ever get more information on this? Thanks, Rebecca

    replyreport
15. 69

    makingamarkposted 8 years ago

    Oddly enough Google has had no problem with relevant Amazon products being listed on website pages for the content I've exported from HubPages.  My new website currently has had a steady upward trajectory for traffic (and sales) ever since I started moving content.
    
    I do wonder if some of the people doing the snipping of Amazon products have ever been acquainted with the business model for income streams which underpins HubPages survival.

    replyreport
    1. 0

       rcmandevilleposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       I have to wonder the same thing. Being new here, I have been really enjoying the community vibe thus far, but when I put so much time into doing an article, and also shared my tax info' (which I was hesitant to do) so as to advertise some wonderful books, to have it all snipped out for no reason that makes sense causes me to question if I will remain here. In the meantime, since I have not heard back from the 'team' at hp, I just put the snipped book products back into my article. I want to know what the actual guidelines are. I do agree that at this point there really needs to be something in writing from hp.

       replyreport
       1. 76

          TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Putting the snipped ads back will only unfeature your article again.  Snipping and unfeaturing are not random, whether writers think so or not.  I cited the 300 words per capsule per ad rule earlier, and this has been clearly stated.

          replyreport
          1. 0

             rcmandevilleposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             My article is over 1600 words. That allows for five ads total. I only inserted three. Are you saying that whatever capsule the ad is closest to and/or associated with must have more than 300 words? The latest HP mod edits now have at least allowed for one of the books to remain. Do you have ideas as to why the other two completely relevant books were not allowed? 1600 words divided by 300 words means I should be able to have five relevant ads, so my placing three seemed most reasonable to me.

             replyreport
             1. 84

                Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                Three ads seems reasonable to me too. Was the one that was allowed to stay the best seller?

                replyreport
                1. 0

                   rcmandevilleposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                   Oh, whew, glad someone can see my point. The one that remained was actually mentioned by name in the text capsule. So I am wondering if that is what I need to do each time; however, as I mentioned earlier, all the books did contain appropriate references to my hub article in their titles. Did HupPages ever put a former policy together on this? I have seen others write about their frustration in regard to the ad snipping, so I know I am not the only who who is confused / annoyed.

                   replyreport
             2. 76

                TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

                That is not how it works.  As I said, I believe that you must have 300 words within the capsule that directly relates to the product you are advertising.  You cannot average it out or go on the total number of words.  At least that is my understanding.

                replyreport
                1. 0

                   rcmandevilleposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                   Thank you, I think I get it now, I do so appreciate you all getting back to me on this. I shall be careful in future to follow the proper protocols.

                   replyreport