Are HP Ads as good for your wallet as Amazon?

1. 77

   Don Bobbittposted 7 years ago

   
   I have been using HP for over 7 years now, and I do make a few bucks from my writings. I can say that you will never get rich or even make a living off of HP, but you can make enough to, as I tell friends, "go out to dinner a couple of times a month".
   But my point here is that as I watch HP and their attempts to keep themselves in business (and of course, compensate me), I definitely see better returns from my Amazon ads than from the ones HP (in conjunction with Google) put on my articles.
   Now, if you add their constant attempts to eliminate Amazon ads, I wonder at just what kind of deal HP has worked out with Google?
   I would love to have more specifics, if any of you can share the "REAL" money sharing between not just us writers, but between HP and Google?
   DON

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      Will Apseposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Do you have any evidence that HP is defrauding us?

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         tritrainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         You can look at the link data and tell where it's pointing, your Amazon or Adsense links respectively.  I can't say about the HP Ad thing, since it goes out of sight.  You could count how often your links come up.  They are supposed to come up, what half the time?
         
         The codes are set up in your Amazon Associates and Adsense accounts externally, as you may realize.
         
         Edit:
         People have actually had these same complaints for as long as I've been here.  There are threads and hubs going back years saying much the same things.

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      Sherry Hewinsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Even though the vast majority of my earnings comes from the HP Ad Program, I do make money every month from Amazon. I use Amazon products very sparingly, but it is worth the effort to put them in when appropriate.
      
      Lately I am seeing quite a few sales that are unrelated to any of the products I have placed. This becomes more common around the holidays when people are shopping more.

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2. 66

   simplehappylifeposted 7 years ago

   Hey Don  
   
   I haven't been on here long, but I hear what you're saying.  They've cut adds out of some of my hubs, even though they were ads that were directly related.  I'm seeing some revenue from hp, a tiny bit from adsense, and zero from amazon.  My articles are receiving a respectable amount of traffic.  I don't know, guess I may have to wait it out and see how it does as I write more articles (I have 20 running right now).

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   Marisa Wrightposted 7 years ago

   An awful lot depends on what subjects you write about.   
   
   The big difference between HP Ads and Amazon ads is that you don't make ANY money from Amazon ads unless someone buys something.  With HP Ads, you're making money with every view, even though it's only cents. 
   
   So, if you write about subjects that lend themselves to selling stuff, you'll do well with Amazon. If not, then HP Ads.

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      Ken Burgessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I was curious about this, I even wrote a couple hubs on topics of interest to me, just to try out the Amazon ad feature.  After they went through the publish process and became featured, I noted the ads no longer showed up.
      
      Is this determined by those who review the Hub for publication?  Is this a criteria based decision?  Did the content of the articles not meet a criteria or standard?
      
      As this is new for me, I am not overly concerned as I figure like anything else in life, I will learn as I go, and today's mistake leads to tomorrow's wisdom.

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   TessSchlesingerposted 6 years ago

   My interpretation of what is going on is that Google simply doesn't want to support affiliate marketers, and that HP, in order to retain rank on the SERPS is doing its best to comply with Google. It doesn't really have any choice. If Google is eliminating content writing sites because it sees them as a platfrom for affiliate marketing, I understand why they are basically preventing us from using Amazon (Unless one has personally bought and used the product which them moves the action from being an affilate marketer to being a reviewer).
   
   What I can't figure out is that there are masses of people who are still earning a living from affiliate marketing (especially in the better blogs), and Google is still putting them high on the SERPS.

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      Ken Burgessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, that insight makes sense.  I don't think what was meant by 'use and review' of a product or item sunk in with me until you worded it that way and put into context to what Google was looking for. 
      
      I believe I understand why those ads were pulled now, while relating to the topics of discussion, I wasn't giving a specific review of that exact item, and therefore they were discontinued.
      
      Thank you for taking the time to clarify it for me.

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         wildernessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         I have used the "use and review" method several times with some success.  But even better for me has been "how to" articles, about using a particular product.  How to do a particular auto repair, with a link to a hard-to-find part being replaced, maybe.  Or how to use an unusual tool, with a link to buy that tool.

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            Ken Burgessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks, I understand the expectations for its use far better now.  It is not a problem, I tried it specifically to learn and see how it worked, in that it was a success, and I will use it in the future only when it specifically relates to the exact item I am writing about.

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            tritrainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Wilderness, I bet if you could do that with Youtube you'd make a killing.  In fact you could add one of you videos to a hub, go on to explain things in writing further.
            
            I've heard from experts that each (real) follower in social media is worth about a dollar.  People, such as the Kardashians, are rich because of that.
            
            I don't know if you heard of aVe or Wranglerstar, but you should check out their channels.  I know for a fact that Wranglerstar makes a ton of money from Youtube.  Then they both include Amazon links to the products they review.  It's full time income for them, and Wranglerstar has a sizeable ranch in Oregon.  If I had that skill set that's what I'd do.  I highly recommend expanding into Youtube, even if you never show your face, like aVe doesn't.

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5. 82

   FatFreddysCatposted 6 years ago

   I never had much luck with Amazon, even before HP started cutting out Amazon capsules left and right, so I hardly even bother using them anymore.
   
   HP Ad Program is where it's at for me.

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6. 77

   lobobrandonposted 6 years ago

   That's a big accusation.  HP still allows amazon ads. Maybe learn to include them better? There's no reason for them to be removed if you put the right ads in the right way.

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      TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Not true. The few ads that I have placed have been removed, not because they were inappropirate ads (wrong product for the hub), but because I hadn't personally used the product and was not permitted to sell something that I couldn't review from a personal perspective. I actually posted the exact words of the email to me on one of my posts a few days ago.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      +1   I can remember a time when people wrote articles that were almost all add and very little content.  Oh, they made a ton of dough doing it for awhile, but they also almost ruined this site.  I'm happy to just place one or two ads on random hubs where it makes sense to do so, and apparently the team likes the way I do it because those ads never get pulled, even when on the niche sites.

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         lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         True, none of mine have been pulled either. Not that I have many hubs, but I got quite a high number of amazon products on the few hubs I have.

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            tritrainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            I think if you re-publish them that could make them re-evaluate, manually.  Right now there's no automation that's penalizing anyone for it.  Which is good, I think.

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               Ken Burgessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               I think this may be accurate, makes sense, they have enough work with new Hubs to review.

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               lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               They are updated often and I asked that they be moved to niche sites so they were checked, yes.

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   tritrainposted 6 years ago

   It's a tight rope working with Google, and staying in their good graces, and earning with Amazon.  Google doesn't really like to compete for ad space with Amazon.
   
   Try to have Amazon ads that make sense for the article.  Put additional info in the Description, if using a visual ad.  Otherwise, use a product link in the text for Amazon.

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      TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I did put a text link in and I was told to remove it because it was spammy. Then I was told that I had to have personal experience and write something totally unique that wasn't in the reviews on Amazon. And that it had to be a capsule.  I'd be happy to give you the exact words which I posted on my previous post about Amazon.

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         Ken Burgessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Yes they do, they send an email explaining the reason for the 'snip', I have a designated email for HubPages that I don't check daily, once I read your post (above) Tess, I went to check, and the answer was there all along.

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   wildernessposted 6 years ago

   Like you, Don, the majority of my Amazon links have disappeared.  And the result has been that (outside the Christmas season) my Amazon sales have increased in both numbers and income.  It will be interesting to see what the season does this year.
   
   As far as the "REAL" income that HP is taking, here is a link from Paul years ago that explains the split:
   https://hubpages.com/community/forum/88 … post94489.  The link was about Adsense impressions, but the current HP Ad program, as well as the Amazon splits, are the same.  Unless you have some reason to think that HP is receiving more than that (beyond your desire to earn more) then it is beneath you to imply that there is some nefarious plan to defraud the hubbers.

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   psycheskinnerposted 6 years ago

   There has been a change in Amazon rules that I think is an over-correction.  I make about equal amounts from HP and Amazon.

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10. 77

    Don Bobbittposted 6 years ago

    I started this thread nine months ago and as of now, I am seeing some undeniable changes within HP. They use very nice words about what they're doing, but looking back, it is quite obvious HP wants to limit (if not eventually eliminate) Amazon ads.
    On my (over 200) Hubs they have consistently removed Amazon ads mostly on my new releases and any Hubs that I go back and update; which I try to do often.
    I only put one or two Amazon ads in any Hub, And, yes, they are all specifically and carefully selected to be related to the Hub content.
    So, I accept the fact that my monetary options are evolving, and hopefully, there will be something good come from this new "tightening" of HP's requirements that doesn't penalize us dramatically.
    DON

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       lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       Are you just saying the product will help or are you saying how it would help by describing the product in detail, in more ways than already on the website (in case it is a review)?

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       Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       Don, you may be missing the other, and absolutely crucial, part of the new Amazon rules.
       
       It is that you must say WHY you're recommending that particular product, and you MUST use words like "I", "my" or "mine" in that recommendation. 
       
       Also, it's no longer acceptable to offer a choice of two or three different products, unless each one is suited for a different purpose.   If you've got two or three products that are all similar, you're expected to pick the best one and recommend that to your readers.

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          Don Bobbittposted 6 years agoin reply to this

          Marisa, Of course. And I do personalize my LINK recommendations, but that has never been shown to be required when you use an Amazon Ad capsule. That's besides the point that it looks a little gauche to put a title on a capsule like; "I really love this hammer, and use it everywhere" ??????
          DON

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             psycheskinnerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

             Whether or not there is a point per se, amazon recommendations are now meant to be explicitly based on personal experience.

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