Finally getting to a niche site, asked to make changes, help needed!

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   SakinaNasir53posted 7 years ago

   Hi everyone! ☺
   I had submitted my hub to PetHelpful.com and I got an email today saying my hub was eligible for submission.
   Here is the link to my hub:
   http://hubpages.com/animals/The-Untold- … bird-Mates
   
   Here is the email I got from the curator (short version):
   Hi SakinaNasir53,
   
   Congrats! Your awesome article, The Untold Story Of Lovebird Mates, is eligible to be moved to PetHelpful, a HubPages Network Site.
   
   We have identified a few issues that should be addressed before your article can officially be moved. We suggest that you address the issues below and then submit your article for reconsideration.
   
   The Curator who reviewed your article suggests that you address the following issues:
   
   Layout:
   Text should be broken up into multiple capsules with clear subtitles. Think about ways you can condense the information in the article so that it is more readable and scannable (especially on mobile). Bulleted lists and table capsules are both great ways to summarize information into a more digestible format.
   
   Other Issue:
   I recommend re-arranging the hub to foreground advice that would be useful to other pet owners. Likewise, the title should address what other pet owners will find in the article.. Perhaps "Lovebird Courtship and Mating: What We Learned"
   
   Thanks, and happy Hubbing to you!
   
   Please view my hub and tell me how I can make changes according to what the curator said. This is the first time I have got such an email. All help will be appreciated. Thanks!

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      DrMark1961posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Great news! All of Glenn´s recommendations are great, and I would also like to point out a hint I have heard from Marissa and Solaras in the last week: When you start your article, write the introduction paragraph in bullet form so that it gives the reader an idea of what he is going to find in your article. If someone comes to your article, sees mostly personal information about your birds, he might just bounce out before reading further down about the information on conditions to make two birds become mates.
      Anyway, good luck with this. There are not enough articles in the parrot section of Pethelpful so hopefully they will see the value of your writing and this will be included soon.

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         SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you so much DrMark for your advice and help. I would surely include this in my hub. ☺

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      SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      My hub got moved to PetHelpful.com!!!

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2. 95

   Glenn Stokposted 7 years ago

   Hi Sakina,
   
   Let me start by saying that I think you did a wonderful job with this hub. You properly included an author bio that shows the reader you have some authority on the subject, you used your own original images and made most of them full-width, you used bullets and numbered lists to help information stand out for readers who are  in a rush and like to scan.
   
   So what needs attention? Hubs for the niche sites need to apply to a higher standard. You already addressed most of them. Good for you.  However, here are a few things I can recommend in addition to the suggestions from the curator.
   
   • Title:
   
   Think in terms of what people search for. Also, make sure whatever you promise with your title is delivered in your content.  The example the curator gave you is a good one. Here's another that I can think of, "How to Care for Lovebirds: A Personal Experience"
   
   This title may cause your hub to come up better in search when someone wants to know how to handle Lovebirds. It also promises that you will be talking about what you learned yourself. People thrive on that kind of information.
   
   • First image:
   
   I would crop your fist image to be square. This is important so it displays properly as the small icon that HP makes from it for referencing your hub. It's used on your profile page and throughout the site as a small square icon.
   
   Also make that first image full-width like you did with the others. The right column is to be avoided these days since it merges, sometimes incorrectly, in a single column on mobile devices. Click the mobile preview under the preview tab in the hub tool and you'll see what your hub looks like on smartphones.
   
   • Condense with more subtitles
   
   The curator already mentioned this. You did it well in a some cases. Try to do it more. Read through your hub as if you were a visitor who came from a search and see if you can condense things further.
   
   Include more individual subtitles, to help scanning. People love to scan on the Internet, rather than read every word. Let your subtitles "pull" the reader in. Then they might find sections they want to read deeper into.
   
   • Rearrange content
   
   You might want to move some of the content around so that you have a more logical flow. Read your own hub out loud to yourself. I do that. And when I do, many times I catch myself having talked about something that isn't clear until I discuss something else that I placed near the end of my hub.
   
   So, I switch the capsules around. Maybe that's all you need to do in some cases. You'll see what I mean when you read your hub to yourself, and I know you'll make the right choice at that time to improve your hub for a better reader experience.
   
   One last thing, keep doing what you're doing. You're going to be a star. Good luck with it.

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      SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you so much Glenn for all your help, time and kind comments. I value your help a lot. Thanks for helping out. I would surely apply your advice in my hub. ☺
      Do you think I should delete the capsules about the personalities of my lovebirds?
      Also, do you think I should move the "signs of courtship" and "mating ritual" capsules in the beginning?

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         Glenn Stokposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         To answer your question, think like the reader. Imagine what the reader is really looking for and what they want to get out of it. Then you will make the right decision.

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            SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you for your advice Glenn! Hope, I make the right decision to make my hub get moved. Fingers crossed! ☺

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      DrMark1961posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Glenn, do you feel like using the callout capsules as H1 tags will make her reader experience better and improve her ratings in the SERPs?

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         SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

         DrMark, what are H1 tags?

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            Glenn Stokposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            H1 tags are page titles.  Actually Mark and I both made the same mistake above. The callout capsules are H2 tags, which are subtitles (same as using the title field in the text capsules).

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            DrMark1961posted 7 years agoin reply to this

            As I understand it, the H1 tag is the title. The H2 tages are the subtitles, and although Google may not notice the difference between a callout capsule and a title at the top of each text capsule, I think the reader does.
            If a reader is looking at your hub, and sees the capsules boldly marked out with callout capsules, I think they are more likely to read that area. So, perhaps one about "signs of courtship", another about "mating ritual".
            When I put published that hub about my parrot´s exercise routine, I put a callout capsule above each section (wing exercise, climbing, etc.) That way, if a reader just wants to read about one section, he can do so. Hopefully the reader would want to read all of them, of course, but this does not always happen.

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      2. 95

         Glenn Stokposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Yes. I like using the callout capsules myself as you can see in many of my hubs. I even add them to older hubs when I update them for mobile friendliness, etc.
         
         They won't improve ratings since Google bots see it the same as any other H1 tag. However, when used properly, they can add to the reader's experience, in my opinion.
         
         EDIT: Correction. I meant H2 tag.

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3. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 7 years ago

   I thought I'd already given this advice in a comment on that Hub, but anyhow.
   
   When you start writing, it's a common mistake to think you have to explain everything from the beginning, in order.   That is a big mistake online!   Online readers are impatient - they don't want to waste time on a long introduction, they want to get the information they came for.  You need to convince them, in the very first paragraph, that you can help them.   
   
   So, I don't think you need to delete the information about your birds, but I do think you need to move it to the END of the Hub, in a section entitled "About My Lovebirds".   Giving their details proves that you have birds that you care for, and people who own lovebirds will be interested to meet yours.
   
   That's a general rule - always jump straight into the advice right at the beginning of the Hub.  If you would like to give more background information, do it at the end.

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      SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Marisa! ☺
      Yeah I am aware that you had commented suggestions and your advice on my hub. I would surely take them into consideration. You are right. People don't have time to read details which are not in question first. I will edit my hub today and resubmit it. Hope it gets moved on.
      
      Marisa you have always been so helpful and supportive. Thank you so much! ☺
      
      I posted here just to learn my mistakes and get different ideas and opinions.
      Thank you everyone for your help and time. God bless you all!

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   DrMark1961posted 7 years ago

   Just to emphasize what Marisa is saying: I have a very successful hub on choking. The first part of the hub is how to remove an object from a choking dog´s throat. Only later in the article does it go into how to prevent a dog from choking in the first place. That makes no sense, right? If you have a choking dog, you may stop to read that information, but what you really want to know is what to do at the moment.
   On your lovebird breeding hub, anyone that finds and read will want to know definite info on how to get a pair of lovebirds to become mates. The reader may want to learn more details on your birds, or he may not. Give him that opportunity, but as others are pointing out, put it at the end of your article.

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   1. 94

      SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, DrMark you are right. I agree completely. I will make the changes right away. Hopefully, I will make my future hubs better. I still have a lot to learn. Thank you for your time and advice.☺

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         SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Um...I had a question. After editing, we have to click on Submit the Hub to a Network site right?
         Won't they say submit after 60 days?

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            Glenn Stokposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            No, not in this case. Since a curator already asked you to fix your hub and resubmit it, you will be able to click the submit tab and it will accept that hub without counting towards the 60 day limit. You will, however, have to check off all the questions again when you resubmit it.

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               SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

               Alright! Thank you Glenn for you valuable feedback. ☺

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