Earnings Down, Down, Down...

1. 86

   DzyMsLizzyposted 5 years ago

   I'm extremely under-impressed since the **Maven** takeover.  Yes, I regard it as a hostile takeover, and not a friendly merger!
   
   My earnings and traffic are WAY, WAY DOWN compared to last year at this same time, when they were way, way UP!!
   While I am still making payout each month, I am seeing a rather consistent drop of about $20. over the course of the last few months.
   
   They have been dropping steadily ever since that so-called "merger"  was finalized. This, despite my articles remaining with high scores, and many being moved to the various niche sites without my submitting them.  This would seem to indicate I am producing high-quality articles.
   
   I fail to see how HP and it's contributing authors--your very bread and butter--can be benefitting from this.  There are three simple words that should have been uttered the first time you were approached by **Maven**:  "Not. For. Sale."

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   1. 88

      NateB11posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      My earnings have been down too, even compared to last year. But I think it has more to do with that error that they fixed. Had to do with Google still seeing trash pages on the HP sites. They fixed it and said it'd take a couple months for recovery, so I'm waiting it out.
      
      Edit: As you can see it's only been a little over a month since they fixed it. https://hubpages.com/community/forum/34 … hnical-seo
      
      Edit#2: Actually, I take that back; on another account that tends to performs better, I'm making about the same as I did last year. But that account used to be booming.

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   2. 79

      Uzochukwu Mikeposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I thought am the only one experiencing this. Both earning and traffic are dropping.

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   3. 95

      chef-de-jourposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Writing online is a bit of a roller coaster, the Maven takeover notwithstanding, so we have to accept there'll be dips and rises in earnings and views. I've put in some hard work over the past two years to build up lots of solid articles and this last year I've had record high earnings and CPM figures for a time over double their previous best. No complaints at all - ready to write more and looking forward to the rewards.

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   4. 84

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I've had the best year ever,  Although views appear to be down right now, if I compare November's numbers from last year to this year, they're up over 13,000 page views for 2018. Still they have dropped significantly from where they were at the height of my season.    August was my biggest month with 174,879 but last month my total views were only 76,444.  They'll be even less for December.  I started the year making 3 figures, but as soon as Maven took over, that jumped to 4 figures and has remained as such to date.
      However, January will see a drop back to 3 figures.  I was making Adsense payout every month until April, then it dropped to paying out once every other month.  Right now I'll be lucky to reach payout once every 5 months because Adsense is down to almost nothing.  Amazon has dropped way back also but is holding its own.  Until the glitch things seemed to be doing OK, but since then, it's been a struggle.  What has saved me financially is that my CPMs have doubled, but I doubt that will continue and can't figure out why it even has happened.  In summary, I don't think Maven has been the problem, at least for me.  i think the glitch has really hurt me BUT I will add here that my big writing season begins in March and ends usually in October...so views and money would normally be less at those times.  It will be interesting to see what happens when Google finally straightens our mess out.  That will tell the tale.  We should know by the end of January or sooner methinks.

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2. 93

   hclpdposted 5 years ago

   I have noticed the steep decline in my earnings as well. I'm 50% down compared to last year. Disheartening, to say the least.

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3. 81

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 5 years ago

   I'm making a lot more than ever before, but it's because I've been working harder at Hubpages than ever before. It's a great time to contribute new stuff.

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4. 92

   poppyrposted 5 years ago

   Mine are about the same as last year but I've written A LOT more articles, so it would probably be down too if I hadn't contributed anything new. All we can do is keep updating articles, writing new ones, try to get them all onto the niche sites, and try to get more Amazon sales. Nothing much else we can do.

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5. 96

   theraggededgeposted 5 years ago

   Mine are way up, and last month I reached my target of four figures. My traffic is slightly down but earnings remain high. Hoping to scrape $1k this month, but will be happy if it's a shade under. Three times what I was earning last year.
   
   I've written a lot of hubs this past year and will continue to do so, even it means I am just treading water traffic-wise. I am constantly amazed with this site and 'work' which keeps me earning even if I take a month off.

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   1. 92

      poppyrposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      “Hoping to scrape $1k this month, but will be happy if it's a shade under.” I’ll pray for you, Bev! Lol
      
      In all seriousness, I love this site too. I’ve made more this year from HP than I earned working a part time job while I was at university, so no complaints really.

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   2. 81

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      A few years ago I got off the internet, and stayed off for nearly two years. It seemed to me like using the internet was making me a bit insane. Anyway, Hubpages paid me every single month the entire time. We're not talking a whole lot, but I'd largely given up on this whole deal.
      
      Eventually I thought, "jeeze, these people keep sending me money. What if I started writing again, and tried to be serious about it?'
      
      LOL.

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6. 95

   PaulGoodman67posted 5 years ago

   My earnings rose dramatically post-Mavern. But they've been declining the past couple of months. I hope it's fixed soon.

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7. 94

   jansharesposted 5 years ago

   I've done much better since the Maven merger, earnings and traffic. There have been ups and downs but overall, much better.

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   1. 87

      bravewarriorposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Same here. I haven't posted anything new since February 2018 and that was the first new post since December 2016. I only get a payout every other month, but it's been consistent and higher each time. I'm earning on articles that were posted years ago. I'm more than okay with that!

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8. 94

   Susana Sposted 5 years ago

   I've seen the same pattern as Paul. An initial rise and then a decline. My CPM right now is averaging the same as last years.
   
   On my website I use an ad provider called Mediavine and the RPM (what HP calls CPM) is double that of here. I really wish HP could replicate the same kind of returns. Fingers crossed they manage it in 2019.

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9. 96

   CYong74posted 5 years ago

   I had a great year here too. A couple of long-forms I wrote this year were well-received. CPM is also way, way higher than before.

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10. 96

    eugbugposted 5 years ago

    Daily earnings are about the same as this time last year and views about 10% higher. However views for December are 30% of what they were in September and still dropping.

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11. 91

    Kenna McHughposted 5 years ago

    I am sorry to hear your earnings are down.  I am writing and adding new articles and it shows in my earnings, which are up. It seems I am still learning and developing my articles while increasing my views. It feels endless. HP is the best compared to any other site that is similar.

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    1. 86

       DzyMsLizzyposted 5 years agoin reply to this

       I am still writing, and adding new articles as well, Kenna;  some of them have zoomed over to niche sites almost instantly.  So I am very perplexed.
       
       (BTW--I agree this site is better than others I've tried, but compared to where I was earlier in the year, and before the "merger" was final--I'm not doing as well.)

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12. 91

    Kenna McHughposted 5 years ago

    It sounds like you are doing the right actions.

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13. 91

    Sharyn's Slantposted 5 years ago

    My earnings are down about 50% from this time last year.  For me, I believe it has more to do with lower Amazon earnings.  When the moderators make changes to my hubs and move them to the niche sites, they've been removing the Amazon ads. 

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    1. 86

       DzyMsLizzyposted 5 years agoin reply to this

       For me, Amazon isn't much of a factor.  I make a few odd cents here and there from them; less than a dollar every few months! 
       99% of my earnings are from the HP and AdSense ad programs.
       I don't place Amazon capsules, or even in-text links much; and even less than I used to.  With HP seeming to curtail that program so severely, I wonder if it's even worthwhile!

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       1. 91

          Sharyn's Slantposted 5 years agoin reply to this

          This is just an example but I used to have some Amazon capsules on this hub.  Of course I would considering the subject.  But I did not go over the limit.  Yet now that they have moved it to Holidappy, there are no Amazon ads.  I made money on those last year. https://holidappy.com/gift-ideas/ELDERL … th-Seniors

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          1. 86

             DzyMsLizzyposted 5 years agoin reply to this

             It makes you wonder why they bother to keep the Amazon affiliate program going, since they seem to discourage its use at every turn!

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          2. 96

             theraggededgeposted 5 years agoin reply to this

             Have you tried using text links instead of capsules? They seem to be more acceptable.

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             1. 86

                DzyMsLizzyposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                I switched over to text links instead, when HP began its assault on Amazon capsules.  I've had a few of them "snipped" as well...why bother with them at all, anymore?
                Further, IMO, it is far more distracting to the reader to have a giant orange "a" pop up right in the middle of a sentence, than to have the item in a separate capsule!  I hate the look of the text links!

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                1. 94

                   Solarasposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                   Dr. Mark said his sales went way up with text links. They must be avoiding the ad blocking software.  Does anyone have a pointer or tips on how to put in text ads?  I will give them a try.

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                   1. 84

                      TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

                      It's quite easy, actually.  Name the product you want to advertise, click on the little link icon at the top of your hub tool, click on Amazon and when you see the ad listed for your product, simply click on it.  If it isn't there, highlight the product, look it up on Amazon, highlight the details in the top research box, copy them and paste into the box that opens when you click on the link icon and then click save.

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                      1. 86

                         DzyMsLizzyposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                         And be sure, when putting in the URL for the product, you also click the box below that says "affiliate" link for a no-follow from Google; that way, you don't get penalized for too many commercial links.

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                      2. 94

                         Solarasposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                         Thanks TT2!! I want to try it, but I am afraid if I tinker with the existing Amazon capsules, some editor will decide to remove everything.

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                         1. 84

                            TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

                            If you do it correctly, they won't.  I use in text links often and have had no problems, even when I replaced Amazon capsules with them.  Just make sure that the product is relevant, that you let people know you use it and why.

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          3. 94

             Solarasposted 5 years agoin reply to this

             Email Robin and ask her to review it; she has overridden editors for me in the past.  Sales made means it was not irrelevant to the article.

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14. 96

    wildernessposted 5 years ago

    My CPM's are falling some from the stratospheric level they were at, and traffic is also falling the last day or two.  A good thing, IMO, as people hopefully have better things to do right now than research how to solve problems.

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15. 96

    theraggededgeposted 5 years ago

    Make sure the item you are referring to is relevant and that you have introduced it in as natural way as possible. For instance, quote from a book, then mention the author and title of the book. Highlight the title, as TT2 has described above.

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16. 90

    Natalie Frankposted 5 years ago

    I never realized that about clicking the affiliate link box.  Thanks for the info.

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    1. 87

       Jan Saintsposted 5 years agoin reply to this

       You actually don't have to click the box. The system detects affiliate links and automatically ticks the box.

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       1. 96

          theraggededgeposted 5 years agoin reply to this

          That's right, you only have to tick the box if the link you are adding is a 'private' affiliate link. They are usually snipped these days, as anything like that is considered overly promotional.

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       2. 84

          TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

          Glad you stated this.  I thought what Dizzy wrote was incorrect but wasn't sure.

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17. 90

    Natalie Frankposted 5 years ago

    Okay, thanks!

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18. 86

    DzyMsLizzyposted 5 years ago

    I've not seen it auto-checked; I always check the box, just in case.

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19. 92

    poppyrposted 5 years ago

    I recently got an article moved to a niche site with 3 Amazon links. Some people have mentioned this before, but your links won't get snipped if:
    1. You've used the product. You have to actually talk about your experience using it and why it's better than others.
    2. It's not a product you're trying to sell. For example, a "top 10 perfumes for 2019" with an Amazon link at number 1 is fine, but "Get this must-try perfume for 2019!" writing all about how wonderful the fragrance is and then adding a link might not be allowed.
    3. It's relevant to the article. If you're writing about "10 great recipes you can make in a slow cooker" and then you link to a slow cooker you personally own and love, that's OK. I've seen people write about things to do in Toronto and then randomly adding Amazon links to rope and boots because they mentioned hiking.

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20. 91

    Kenna McHughposted 5 years ago

    Links are okay if you have used the product and write how relevant it is for the subject matter.

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21. 86

    Robinposted 5 years ago

    We are thinking about reader intent when we leave or snip products.  Did the reader come to the page with the intent of purchasing something?  If so, then a product is warranted.  If not, then it’s probably not useful (and google may penalize you for adding one).  I suggest that everyone Googles their main query and studies the results.  What is Google showing?  Do they have shopping results, videos, photos, maps, etc.  Google is really good at understanding reader intent, so we can use those clues to create articles that will satisfy readers.  In HubPro Premium, we do extensive research to try to add content to satisfy readers and this is one of our processes. 
    
    I’ve posted this before, but I’ll post again here:
    
    We allow products in articles and in most cases will not snip them if:
    
    1.  You have personally used the product and give a genuine, first person review of the product. (This is really important for products on Network Sites!)
    2.  They are 100% relevant to the content.
    3.  A reader would be happy to see the link and not be confused or feel like they are being sold something for the benefit of the writer.
    4.  The topic is commercial, e.g., if you googled the keyword of your topic, you will likely see shopping results.
    
    Helpful Tips:
    
    - Use in-text links that are less distracting to the reader.
    - Consider the topic of the article.  Search engines may expect to see products on commercial topic.  In most cases, an article on poetry shouldn't have a product.  You can check this by Googling your main keyword and seeing if products are shown.
    - Think about reader trust.  Ask yourself if you would be adding the product if you had no financial gain from it.  What is your intention?  If it's to help the reader, then include it.  If it's for your benefit, consider removing it.
    - Only include products that are specific and the reader might have a difficult time finding, e.g., if you're writing a recipe article and linking to flour on Amazon, this will always get snipped. 
    - Take a look at your sales for that particular product.  If you have had no sales (this includes gateway sales of other products from this page) then remove the product.  It's not in your best interest to keep the product. 
    
    We understand that our policy on products is strict, but our intention is to ensure that all articles and all Network Sites are protected.  We were told specifically that Amazon products were a problem.

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22. 91

    Kenna McHughposted 5 years ago

    Robin, This is worthwhile and helpful, thank you. I am curious, though, if in-text links are less distracting, why not just eliminate the capsule link. So, there are no confusions for new or uneducated writers.

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23. 90

    Nell Roseposted 5 years ago

    I have never earned that much on here. After writing over 300 articles it seems that it will stay that way. I can never understand how some people who only write around a 100 can earn so much. But thats obviously where I am going wrong. ah well never mind.

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    1. 84

       TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

       I have always said that it is not the amount of articles one writes but a combination of the topic and the quality of the writing.  There have been people here with relatively few articles that have done very well because people are looking for the information they provide.  Also, I have noticed that the more in depth an article is, the better the chance that people will find and read it.  When I started writing here, I came from Yahoo where all we had to do was write 400 words.  Once here, I went to 700.  Then I pumped it up to 1000. Now I sometimes write articles that are 2000 words or more, but always more than 1000.  Sometimes I feel like this site is sucking every single piece of info I could possibly provide about a topic out of me, but those are the articles that seem to do best. It's a tremendous amount of work, but I'm betting that if you go into some of your hubs and add relevant info, you'd start earning more.

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24. 91

    Kenna McHughposted 5 years ago

    Neil, I understand and feel your frustration. The best advice I can offer is to get your articles moved over to a niche site, respectively. Spend time rewriting and fine-tuning your articles. Whenever I do that, my views go up.

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