Please Help! I don't know why my article is not featured.

1. 88

   Valerie Bloomposted 5 years ago

   I've just written an article about camping that is informative and comprehensive. I have not found any other articles on this topic with this level of scope and breadth.
   
   But it is not being featured!
   
   https://hubpages.com/sports/Reducing-Wa … ping-Trips
   
   My initial draft was flagged (while still unpublished) as having too may Amazon links. When I removed one of the links, the warning in draft mode went away. When I published the article and saw it was not being featured, I thought maybe it was a link issue and removed another link. But that didn't change the status.
   
   I've added the link back in with the hopes that I can get some feedback on the article as originally published.
   
   There is only one Amazon capsule; the rest of the Amazon links are embedded in text. They illustrate the various points made in the article about reducing waste and being environmentally friendly when camping.
   
   Please let me know if you have any thoughts about why this article is not being featured and what I might do about it.
   
   Many thanks!
   Valerie

   replyreport
   1. 91

      Jean Bakulaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Hello Valerie,
      I used to camp often and like your article. I think it has way too many Amazon links. Pick one or two which you think are most necessary. There are also many outbound links, and we are limited to two. Otherwise I think you are good. It's those issues holding you back from being Featured. Happy Camping!

      replyreport
   2. 85

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I see lots of problems here that can easily be remedied.  You have far too many product links.  They make your article look spammy and would make readers feel as though you are trying to sell rather than inform.
      
      Also, much of what you write can be found many places on the web...your ideas need to be original, not just repeats.
      
      Finally, the article is so long that most people would stop reading before finishing.
      
      There are several capsules you could remove that you could make into individual hubs that would be more helpful, easier to read, etc.
      
      Also, your references to "doing the same things at home" are out of place.  You are talking about camping, not home living.  Thus, the article needs more focus.  I'd also lose the "callouts".  They're not necessary.
      
      In short, you need to focus, streamline and dump the excess ad links...then you'll have something that can move up to the niche sites.

      replyreport
2. 94

   melbelposted 5 years ago

   Personally, I would make it so there is only one Amazon link instead of three.

   replyreport
3. 96

   theraggededgeposted 5 years ago

   Nine Amazon links are way too many. One is sufficient because all you need to do is get the reader to click through - then whatever they buy doesn't matter. The trick is to write about the item in an engaging manner so the reader feels they need to check it out. That they couldn't possibly go camping without this thing.
   
   Then mention the other items; even make a convenient list of them and your reader will use it like a shopping list.
   
   HubPages views too many Amazon links as spammy. Also they are discouraging the use of capsules in favor on inline links.
   
   Also check the quality of the other sites you are linking out to. Refer to them by all means, but don't go sending readers off the page. It's a better idea to cite authoritative sites at the bottom of the article. If they are commercial or not very useful, don't use them at all.
   
   Hope that helps.
   
   @Jean It's two outbound links to any single domain, not two links in total

   replyreport
   1. 91

      Jean Bakulaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Bev!
      
      Valerie,
      Sorry for the misinformation. I don't use links much because it takes the reader off our articles, and I tend to write long ones. I need them to stay. Keep at it, it's a good piece.

      replyreport
4. 88

   Valerie Bloomposted 5 years ago

   Thank you so very much for your feedback!
   
   I thought the Amazon links were okay once the warnings on my draft were resolved, so your observations are especially helpful.
   
   I especially appreciate some of the ideas that were offered, such as creating a "shopping list" toward the end, with just one, more prominent link toward the beginning.
   
   I'll give some thought as to how to re-write some sections to remove links while maintaining flow and providing solid information. I really like the outbound links, but I do take your point that I shouldn't send readers away from my page.
   
   You've given me a lot to think about, and I truly appreciate the time you've taken to help me!

   replyreport
   1. 49

      erorantesposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Good morning miss Valerie bloom. I love your article. I like it. It is excellent information. All you write is good. I see a big problem for your article. You repeat the word trash many times. You can use words like litter, waste, garbage and debris. Also, I see so many symbols like the brackets. You can edit and cleaned it. My suggestion to pass your article ; you need to use periods and commas. Not to many commas are allow too.  You need to read the hub pages learning center. Good luck with your article. I am looking forward reading your hub.

      replyreport
      1. 88

         Valerie Bloomposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you! I will definitely incorporate more synonyms for "trash" and "waste". I appreciate your feedback.

         replyreport