I'd like feedback on my article: Five Minutes (Historic) Guide to Toulouse,...

1. 39

   Carla Jungposted 6 years ago

   Hi Hubbers,
   
   I'd like some help with passing the Quality Assessment Process. Will you please give feedback on my article? What can I do to improve? Thanks!
   Here is my article: Five Minutes (Historic) Guide to Toulouse, France (must be signed in to view)

   replyreport
   1. 83

      theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Hi there,
      
      It's a nice article. However, two things... you need to cite your photos. It's great if you took them, but if not, you should cite the source and the licence. If they are not Creative Commons or Public Domain, you can't use them.
      
      Secondly, will I get more info from your article or from Wikipedia? Because that's the kind of site your page will be competing with.
      
      Try to add a personal touch. At the moment it's a little dull. It needs some sparkle to keep the reader on the page.
      
      Good luck.

      replyreport
   2. 39

      Carla Jungposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks. I will keep in mind the...sparkle. All the pics are taken by myself. As for wikipedia, of course you can find out more out of it, but not in one narrative, you will have to browse tens of articles to find out this kind of info. And also other sources not only wikipedia. Thank you anyway.

      replyreport
      1. 83

         theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         I understand but it's all here, and more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Toulouse
         
         That's your competition. If someone is working on a project and looking for the information they'll go there.
         
         So, you have to make yours different. You can't make it more comprehensive, but you have to target a certain kind of reader. Otherwise your page won't even come close to the first page of search engine results.
         
         You have a great insight to the place, you are right there. So use that intimate knowledge to your advantage. Dr Mark's suggestion was really good. Incorporate a little walk (or walks) around the city. Describe the smells and the sounds. Bring it alive.
         
         The pictures are great. Make sure to note, perhaps under the first one, that all photos are your own.

         replyreport
         1. 39

            Carla Jungposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you for your input. I totally understand what you are saying and I will try to add this "alive" feeling. This being said my article is not intended to compete with Wikipedia on Toulouse's history. I did not intended it to be a source of info for somebody working on a history project. Far from it. (I read the wiki article you have pointed towards and found out that is quite different than mine, outlines different facts... etc). My article is intended for somebody interested in history in general that wants to visit Toulouse as a tourist. But I agree with you that it probably lacks the pep!

            replyreport
            1. 83

               theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Yes, but you have to understand that anyone searching for the information will go to Wikipedia. It doesn't matter what you 'intend'. That is your current competition. To by-pass that, you'll need a different title and different keywords, both of which are horrendously difficult when dealing with a 'fixed' topic like history and places.
               
               That's why it is important to choose your topics well. For example, if I were doing a piece on my own locality, I'd somehow tie it in with my niche, which is witchcraft. So I might write something like 'The Witches of Wales'.   Perhaps you have an interest in cooking or shopping. How might you tie them into Toulouse and its history? It's about looking for the edge. The deep niche.

               replyreport
               1. 39

                  Carla Jungposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  Thank you. I agree with you. I will probably leave this article for the time being before I come up with other more niche ideas for hubpages purpose. I feel that this being a fixed topic, as you say, is difficult for me to fine tune to make it more special. (Any other ideas are much appreciated).

                  replyreport
                  1. 39

                     Carla Jungposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     Hi,
                     Can you please have a look again and let me know what you think? I made some changes but I have this feeling that it's still a no go...

                     replyreport
2. 99

   DrMark1961posted 6 years ago

   The title should be "A Five Minute Historic Guide to Toulouse". Not minutes, and the word historic does not need to be in paretheses.
   Your page views will only happen if someone is interested enough in your title to click and read your article. The title needs to be spiced up. How about "a fun five minute walking tour of historic Toulouse"? Or whatever. Just make it more interesting to read.
   As theraggededge points out, the article is good but kind of dry. You can add things like "I find that the canal is a great place to have lunch. The Toulouse café will make up a box lunch and there is a nice spot down by the basilica and you can take the path leading from there." (I am just making that up.  I have not been to Toulouse in over 20 years and do not remember how to get around.)
   Nice article. It still needs a little work but should be approved without too many changes.

   replyreport
   1. 39

      Carla Jungposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you.

      replyreport
   2. 39

      Carla Jungposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Hi, Can you please have a second look and let me know what you think?

      replyreport