Help Understanding Why Hub Was Not Featured

1. 95

   beagrieposted 14 months ago

   Hi all,
   
   I've been here a year now and had 60 hubs featured in a row since I started. Just now I received notifications that the last two hubs I submitted were not being featured. The first of the hubs I was given the boilerplate that it may be because it contained spammy elements. The hub was about releasing an EP on SoundCloud and I took screenshots from going through the process, so I assume that was the spammy elements (the editor thought I was just trying to get people to my SoundCloud) so I changed out all the pictures for stock images and I'll see how it goes.
   
   But the other hub came with no information at all, simply saying,
   
   "We wanted to let you know that What is a Torque Converter has the opportunity to become Featured! Featured articles are showcased on Topic Pages and Related articles listings. They are also made available to search engines. We want your article to succeed and strongly recommend making a few improvements."
   
   But given that I wrote the hub in same style as I always write them, and it meets all the requirements for an evergreen hub, I'm not sure what they want me to do with it. If anyone could take a look over it and let me know what they think I need to do with this hub, it'd be much appreciated. You can find it here; https://hubpages.com/autos/What-is-a-Torque-Converter
   
   Thank you in advanced.

   replyreport
2. 100

   AliciaCposted 14 months ago

   Hi, beagrie. Your hub is good, but I did notice some problems. When I clicked the source link under the first photo in your hub I was taken to the website of a business instead of to the original image. This might have been seen as promotional by the person who reviewed your article, especially if they suspected that the business is where you work.
   
   There are a couple of other points that you might want to check, although I don't know whether they would prevent the hub from being featured. The text contains some minor errors that could be taken care of by proofreading. In addition, HubPages recommends that we don't use callouts for the titles of our text capsules.

   replyreport
3. 97

   theraggededgeposted 14 months ago

   'Spammy elements' always refers to links, whether it be to commercial sites or over-use of Amazon links/capsules.
   
   The first image links out to a commercial site. And it doesn't even link to the page where the image appears.
   
   You do know that you can't lift images off another site without permission? Or the photo must have a Creative Commons commercial use license, or be in the Public Domain. People have been known to get (legal) demands for payment for unlawful use.
   
   https://hubpageshelp.com/content/Learni … -image-use
   
   Also, you cannot link more than twice to the same site.
   
   It's a very good hub inasmuch I know nothing about the subject Just sort out the image problems and you'll be fine.

   replyreport
4. 95

   beagrieposted 14 months ago

   Thanks for the replies theraggededge and AliciaC. If either/both of you are right, I have bigger problems. With the exception of the minor errors you spotted, everything else is things I've done on dozens of hubs. I work at the aforementioned transmission firm, which presents me the opportunity to take pictures for my hubs. Crediting them only seemed fair as it's thanks to them I have the pictures. I only link them in the first image, the others are credited but not linked.
   
   With regards to call outs, I've used that style (it's more heading a section than a capsule but sometimes those sections are short) on pretty much all of my hubs.
   
   I was hoping it was something I missed (maybe the minor errors?) but if it's the image attributions or callouts, should I expect to see my featured hubs dropping like flies?
   
   Thanks again.

   replyreport
5. 97

   Marisa Wrightposted 14 months ago

   In my time at HubPages, they've changed the rules many times and it's just something you have to learn to live with. 
   
   I suggest you read my Hub on The Basic Rules.  It summarises all the rules as they currently stand, which is slightly different from what they used to be.
   
   As Raggededge says, "spammy elements" always means "problem links".   You can get around your problem link (the one in the photo)  by putting a credit at the end of the Hub saying something like, "All photographs were taken onsite at the premises of BA Transmissions Ltd with their permission"  (the name can be a hyperlink).  Remove all the other mentions of them from the photo source boxes. 
   
   The difference is that if you put the company's website in the photo source, HubPages expects that link to go to a page which includes that photo.  If you have a general "with permission" link, you're simply indicating your appreciation of their assistance, and it's more likely to get through.
   
   Callout capsules - I feel your frustration. For a while there, HubPages encouraged us all to use callout capsules instead of the ordinary capsule headings.  Then, they discovered that Google wasn't reading them as H2 headings, which is bad for SEO, so they now discourage their use as headings.
   
   The good news is that using callout capsules for headings isn't against the rules, so they're not preventing your Hub being Featured.  They are just encouraging us to fix them.  I'm betting that if you fix that problem link, you'll be fine.

   replyreport
6. 95

   beagrieposted 14 months ago

   Thanks Marissa,
   
   I'll give the attribution/permission link a go and see what happens. And thanks for your gun, very informative!

   replyreport
   1. 95

      beagrieposted 14 months agoin reply to this

      Sorry, "gun" should have been "hub". I'm on my phone at present and autocorrect caught me out.

      replyreport
7. 54

   docashpposted 14 months ago

   Sixty hubs in a row. Well talent and skill if displayed for too long cease to dazzle. That's the only logical explaination. Lol

   replyreport
   1. 95

      beagrieposted 14 months agoin reply to this

      Ha, if that were the case I suppose there's be worse problems to have!

      replyreport
8. 97

   Marisa Wrightposted 14 months ago

   I guessed as much!

   replyreport
9. 95

   beagrieposted 14 months ago

   Hi all,
   
   Just thought I'd give a quick update on this. The hub I didn't link (the one about SoundCloud) got featured after I removed all image attribution links. This shouldn't be a problem because the images were screenshots I took (I won't complain about not being attributed) and a SoundCloud logo (seems fairly obvious whose the image is there).
   
   The one I linked here, however...
   
   I took Marissa's advice and removed all image attribution and replaced it with an "images supplied with permission from..." footer, but still no good. As a few eyeballs have looked it over, I think it's reasonable to assume the attribution link is still the issue. Unfortunately, if I can't attribute the images, I can't use them. And I believe the hub benefits greatly from having the images.
   
   I'm fairly sure my employer won't throw a fit over one article if I remove the attribution (I quite like my 100% featured record), but it does seem to imply that I won't be able to do any more hubs on this topic... at least not ones with original pictures.
   
   I thought the update might be useful as, as I mentioned, I've been writing hubs like this for a year now, so this seems to suggest something has changed.
   
   Anyway, happy writing, folks.

   replyreport
   1. 97

      Marisa Wrightposted 14 months agoin reply to this

      The solution is to email the team @ hubpages.com and explain the situation.   The editor may be assuming you're trying to promote your employer.  If you explain it's a genuine "thank you" for allowing you to use the photos, they will probably approve it. 
      
      I've been in a similar situation where a link has been refused a couple of times, and I've written to them and been able to get the decision overturned.

      replyreport
      1. 95

         beagrieposted 14 months agoin reply to this

         Thanks Marissa, I'll give that a try first.

         replyreport