Update to the HubPages Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

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Robinposted 4 years ago
Hello, everyone!

As many of you know, HubPages is now a part of Maven. Maven is a unified, shared publishing platform for three types of media publishers: individual experts (like our Hubbers), small publishers with community backing, and flagship brands (like TheStreet, History.com, and Sports Illustrated). Maven provides a sustainable business through managed monetization, traffic distribution, technology, and other services. Being part of the much broader Maven ecosystem of websites allows us to potentially get your great content in front of even more readers.

As part of its leadership in helping experts to publish their content online, Maven is deeply committed to the exact type of author programs that HubPages has been building for over a decade. In fact, Maven is investing even further in the HubPages platform and approach—more than HubPages could have done standalone. In addition, Maven’s breadth of publishers elevates our visibility and scale with advertisers, including more access to premium brands.

The net point of all this, and how it applies to you, is to emphasize that our goal is to increase readership, help elevate your earnings potential, and keep you happy publishing with us!

To consolidate across the company, on January 29, 2020, we are moving to a unified set of Maven terms and privacy rules, which you can view here, here, and here.

In anticipation of comments and questions, here's a summary with some key topics.

Why Are We Updating Now to a New Terms Of Use & Privacy Policy
HubPages is officially part of the broader Maven Coalition, and it is important that the entire company and all of its users are under one umbrella.

What Are The Primary Changes That May Impact My Account(s)
As of January 29, 2020, we are implementing two updates to the HubPages Earnings Program:

1. Authors will no longer need to sign up for Google AdSense in order to participate in the HubPages Earnings Program. This means that new authors will have the potential to start earning right away! This has been a barrier for authors in the past, and we are happy to provide an easier path toward earning.

2. Support for "bring-your-own" Google AdSense and "bring-your-own" Amazon Associates will be discontinued on January 29, 2020.

IMPORTANT:

If you currently have a bring-your-own Google AdSense and/or bring-your-own Amazon Associates, and you would like to continue earning from your articles after January 29, 2020, you will need to do the following three things:

Before January 29, 2020:

1. Ensure you have an active PayPal account connected to your HubPages Account.
2. Enable or sign up for the HubPages Earnings Program.
3. Turn on the programs you wish to implement.

That’s it! No other work to your account or articles needs to be done.

If you do not have a “bring your own account” and are already earning on the HubPages Earnings Program, you do not need to do anything.

To ensure you’re signed up, please go into My Account and check that your status is ACTIVE for both the Ad Program and the Amazon Program.

Why are these programs changing now?
We need to get all authors across Maven on a consolidated and simplified set of ad-partner programs and systems. It is more than likely that our unified central accounts (at our scale) will yield at a higher rate than your standalone accounts.

What About My Earnings
While every situation and time period is unique and search traffic can fluctuate, we do not anticipate that HubPages authors will experience any major changes to earnings as a result of this update. In fact, when comparing to similar months from previous years, we suspect that your earnings will have a greater likelihood of increasing.

Do I still retain control over my content
Yes. As has been the case since the inception of HubPages, you are the owner of your content. We are grateful you choose HubPages to publish your expert work, but you always have the right to remove your article(s) from the platform.

What Is Not Going To Change
Things overall will remain very familiar and similar to you. Publishing will be as easy as ever. Our team will continue to update and improve the services that keep you writing on our platform.

Lastly, please feel free to ask questions, and we will do our best to give you answers in a timely manner. While we cannot promise that we'll be able to answer every specific question, we want to assure all of you that we're operating with your best interests at heart. It is our business to keep you happy publishing with us, and we're here to help!
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  TIMETRAVELER2posted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks for the info. It only makes sense that the two companies would converge on certain items. Hopefully doing this will bring the improvements you seek.
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  hmkrishnaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I'm from India. I am feeling very happy to see a positive move from the HubPages/ Maven towards monetization of our writings. Since August 2019, I have been writing and am anxious to receive increased earnings from your esteemed organization. Thank you.
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  Thelma Albertsposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thank you very much for the information. This is a great news that many writers who have difficulty in getting an Adsense account will be able to earn now. Kudos to HubPages and Maven staffs.
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  paradigmsearchposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Unhooking from AdSense really is a big deal from what one can deduce from such an action. Apparently, Google has assured Maven/HP that Google feels it is no longer necessary for Google to overseer Maven/HP's quality control procedures. This is just my most benign speculation; future traffic will tell us if it is the correct speculation.
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  Coffeequeeenposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  This is good news and thankyou for the explanation. It makes more sense to me now. I love Hubpages and writing on here, and have met some lovely people through joining Hubpages.
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  TIMETRAVELER2posted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I've been checking my Adsense account and all of the numbers are zero except for about $18 that apparently is the total of my recent earnings. Will that amount ever increase or do I lose it? I don't get how "nothing has changed" if I'm suddenly earning nothing from this account, even though it is the one that is part of the HP program.
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  wildernessposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  As I understand it, the only way to get that $18 is to cancel the account. If that is done, anything over $10 will be paid within 90 days.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I have 95 bucks floating around on Adsense as well, TT.
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  NateB11posted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hey, I only just now learned about all this. Is it too late for me to activate my Amazon account on Hubpage? It's active on this HP account but not on two other ones I have.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  It's definitely not too late. Please make sure that all of your accounts are activated so that you continue to earn from your articles.
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  NateB11posted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Great, thanks, Robin!
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Of course! Authors can update this at any time. We will be sending out another email to authors that haven't signed up for the Earnings Program yet. We want to make sure that everyone is earning from their articles!
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  NateB11posted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Do we have to have an Amazon Associates account to earn with Amazon on HP? I ask because I got a warning from Amazon Associates about them possibly closing my account, they wanted info on how I refer Amazon links and I let them know I only put ads on HP. I'm thinking I got the warning because I'm late on the uptake changing my settings here on HP, not sure.
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  John Doveposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks, Robin--
  Sorry I missed this when it first came out. Thanks to Hubpages editors for the reminder email. I did sign up for Hubpages ad program and amazon do not see Google AdSense on my Earning setting but did see that my Google Analytics is active. Is that correct?
  Best, John
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hi John. I’m glad you got the email. I took a look and you’re all set up correctly! Thanks!
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  John Doveposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Many thanks! I look forward to the new changes. John
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  Anita Haschposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hi,
  May I use my Amazon associates account number on Hubpages for my blogs as well?
  Or do I have to apply to Amazon for another Associates account.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Unfortunately, you can't use the HubPages Amazon account on your blog, but you can sign up for an Associates account on your own.
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  lovebuglenaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Does this mean we will no longer earn anything on our adsense account from hubpages and its network sites we are on?
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theraggededgeposted 4 years ago
Interesting... and great news for the people who have trouble getting an Adsense account.

Thanks Robin.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks, Bev! I agree, it was a big barrier to entry for writers. I'm so glad we were able to make that change. Have a great day!
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Beth Eaglescliffeposted 4 years ago
This all sounds very good. I was doubtful at first when Maven arrived, but no longer. My earnings have risen and now I'm a very happy camper.

Thanks Robin and all HP-Maven staff.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Awesome. We are all very excited about the possibilities and very grateful for the continued support of our writers! You all are the best!
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Don Bobbittposted 4 years ago
I have been quite pleased with Mavens purchase of HP. The whole evolution process has made me open my eyes and redirect myself towards being a business rather than a sporadic writer on a subject.
I may not be getting rich overnight, but I am now working on being more profitable by using my knowledge of the world of RVs and travel and turning out valuable articles for my fellow RV owners.
Keep it up Maven! I'm now having a Ball writing and making a buck or two every month!
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Your RV articles are some of the best online! You have nailed what we wanted HP to be: experts and enthusiasts sharing their knowledge with the world. It is why Paul and Paul started HP. Thanks for your continued support, Don!
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EricDockettposted 4 years ago
I am happy to hear this, I think. Worrying about losing all of my HP progress due to a problem with Adsense has been looming in my mind for years. It is good to know that we can continue even without Adsense. I like this a lot.

On the other hand, I do earn something from Adsense the way things currently are, and it is a little unclear what is meant by "Bring your own adsense" because right now there are two ways to earn through Adsense.

1. By using the HP earnings program you earn mostly through the HP Program but still earn a little though Adsense. (This is what most of us do)

2. You can completely switch over and earn only from Adsense.

So, which way will continue to exist with the new system?

Also, if we do turn off Adsense completely, what happens to the ad units that we used to earn from through Adsense? Do we still earn from them through the HP program (hopefully)?

In other words, I hope this new system doesn't mean the $$ I used to earn through Adsense now goes somewhere else. ???
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  As always, thanks for your thoughtful questions, Eric.
  
  The #2 option you reference is what is being discontinued. So all placements and earnings will route through the HubPages Earnings Program systems as of January 29th.
  
  All earnings attributable to your articles will be appropriately tracked in the system. As for the ad units that displayed Adsense, if you are signed up for the HubPages Earnings Program, you will continue to earn from those placements via the system (whether from Google or one of those many other earning sources we have available in the system).
  
  Hope that helps. Let me know if you have more questions!
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Cheryl E Prestonposted 4 years ago
Great news. I was not making money with Adsense anyway.
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  TheShadowSpecterposted 3 years agoin reply to this
  What it is, Cheryl, is that Google is having a lot of problems because of the insensitive way that they have handled customer complaints about mishaps with Google Adsense and other services and products of theirs. It is good that Maven is helping HubPages to take a step away from this debacle with Google that so many people like ourselves have needlessly experienced. Talented writers here on HubPages simply don't need this headache from Google anymore, so it's good that Maven is doing something about it.
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firstcookbookladyposted 4 years ago
Thank you for everything!
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Larry Slawsonposted 4 years ago
Sounds exciting! I think the ability to earn money right away (without AdSense) is great for the newbies on here. Never seemed to make anything with Google anyways, so this is a welcome change
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Glenn Stokposted 4 years ago
This is great news! Simplification is always a good thing. I’m sure it simplifies the coding too, which might reduce load time on browsers.

As I understand it, with the HubPages Earnings Program, one Ad unit was always with our “bring your own AdSense” and all the other ad units were with HubPages’ AdSense (as well as the other ad agencies I remember being discussed at the Maven conference in 2018).

So now all Ad units will be coded with one single account—that of HubPages itself, since we don’t need our “bring your own” any longer. Did I understand that correctly Robin?
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hi Glenn! Yes, you are absolutely correct. Thanks for clarifying for everyone.
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Butterfly67posted 4 years ago
Thanks yes this definitely seems good for those who do not have adsense. So I have a couple of questions.

1. Is it possible to switch off adsense completely? I ask this because of problems authorising adsense through niche sites which means that I don't actually earn anything with adsense but do have a blank space where an adsense ad should appear - so if I turn it off hopefully I will get another HP ad there?

2. I'm confused about Amazon - do we need to switch over to the HP Amazon program (I currently have another account that uses my own Amazon account for various reasons).

3. I saw in the new terms of service that Maven are entitled to copy and use any of our content anywhere else they like without paying us - is this something new or did I misread it?

Thanks
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Robinposted 4 years ago
Thanks for the questions! I will do my best to answer each one:

On January 29, 2020, “bring your own” AdSense will no longer be an option for authors, so if you sign up for the HubPages Earnings Program, those “blank spaces” will be filled with HubPages Earnings Program ads.

Yes, unfortunately, we aren’t supporting “bring your own” Amazon any longer as of January 29th. We understand that some authors also have Amazon on other sites, but it is something we had to do. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Great question. There were similar questions raised by the community in October, and the same answers apply now. Since HubPages was acquired by Maven, we now have the ability to potentially get your content even broader traffic, while still tracking and crediting it into your earnings. There is essentially no difference for you other than hopefully we can make you more money because being a part of the Maven ecosystem of sites allows us to get more eyeballs in front of your content. You still retain all the same ownership rights and control on your content, and we will continue to have your best interest at heart in regard to this ownership.
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  Butterfly67posted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks for the answers Robin, I will sort out the other Amazon account!
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Whatsittoyouposted 4 years ago
If I currently have a "bring your own" Amazon and I make Hubpages Amazon active, does that deactivate my Amazon immediately or on January 29th? How does the Hubpages Amazon work? You get 50% I get 50% on each sale, or something else? Sorry, I go back to Squidoo days and I don't know how the HP Amazon program works.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  We are glad you are part of our community and thanks for the questions! If you activate the HubPages Amazon account, it will become active immediately. If you’d like, you can wait until January 29th to activate; we won’t be making any changes until then. Af far as how Amazon works in the HubPages Earnings Program, we have a great FAQ entry that explains it all. Let us know if you have more questions, or if we can help you with anything else!
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FatFreddysCatposted 4 years ago
Forgive me if I sound dense... but does this mean that as of the end of the month, my personal Google AdSense account which is currently attached here will no longer accrue earnings? Henceforth everything will go into my HP Ads Program account?

....cuz if that's the case, then thank Gawd, goodbye, and good ridn'z!

Ad Sense has always been the pits for me. It took me for-damn-EVER to finally get a payout from them at their glacial pace. H.P. ads are where it's at for me!
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  lobobrandonposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Haha. I hope you're not just a dollar off Adsense payout
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  FatFreddysCatposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  As I'm so fond of saying, I stopped checking my my AdSense totals years ago since glaciers moved quicker than they did.
  It took me almost eight years (!) on HubPages to make my first payout from them, so I sincerely doubt I'm anywhere near the threshold for a second.
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  lobobrandonposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Haha.
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  TheShadowSpecterposted 3 years agoin reply to this
  A lot of Hubbers seem to have bad experiences with Google Adsense. I'm one of them.
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  sallybeaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I am about a dollar from an Adsense payment, will I lose it?
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  eugbugposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  You could switch to Adsense-only for a couple of days Sally. Wouldn't that take you over the threshold?
  
  (I'm in the same boat, but €15 from payout).
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  sallybeaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I have never done that, not sure how I would even do that or even if I would help. Usually it is something like a one or a few pence a day. Are you saying I would lose it after two years of waiting!
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Bad idea, Sally!I made over $70 in the first ten days of January on Adsense. Since then I've barely made a dollar a day and sometimes less.
  
  I'll lose around $90 if I don't make the $100 payout. I've never seen it this low since I've been here.
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  paradigmsearchposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  $70 in the first 10 days and then a sudden drop like that? Yep, something is definitely wrong.
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  sallybeaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I might give it a try, do a bit of tweeting and posting some of my hubs and see if I can gain some traction. Seems I am between a rock and a hard place because I either don't make the Adsense or I don't make payment this month on HubPages if I do switch.
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  sallybeaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Might be worth a shot, how do I do it please?
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  wildernessposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  On the stats page, click "earnings" and then "configure" for the ad program. I just switched back to the HP program - I was about $50 short on Adsense and a few days brought it to $100 so I'll make payout from both. It cost me a few dollars to do so, but saved 50 from Adsense (I don't want to cancel my Adsense even though I'm not using it anywhere else at this time).
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  sallybeaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks Wilderness, on that basis I have turned off HubPages and will have another look at it tomorrow. I appreciate the advice.
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  wildernessposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Sure thing. You'll find that Adsense updates all day long (click the adsense reports link on the same page).
  
  Could have been coincidence, but I also got an email from HP warning me about the upcoming changes as soon as I turned off the HPads program.
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  sallybeaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hooray after a load of self promotion, twitter and facebook etc it had the response I needed, I made the payment threshold this morning. Thanks for your help wilderness.
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  lobobrandonposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Awesome.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  That's great news! Congrats.
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  wildernessposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Good news! You're more than welcome. Don't forget to turn the HPads back on.
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  sallybeaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Done! Made the switch. It was an Interesting exercise. I was shocked to discover how low earnings can be on Adsense only. I really had to work hard to achieve the pennies I did earn even with much increased promotion and very much increased views. Glad I did it however even though it means I probably won't make payment this month on HubPages. Amazing what one can achieve with a lot of effort:) I am inspired to start writing again after what has been a very difficult year.
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  wildernessposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Like you, it reminded me of just how much HPads beats out Adsense alone. It cost me nearly half of what I gained to make the switch for those few days. Worth it, though.
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  lovebuglenaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I have under two bucks to go to reach the adsense payout. If we are no longer earning anything on adsense from HP then I lose all those earnings?
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  No, if you close your Adsense account you will be paid the 98 bucks. I have almost the same in mine, but don't want to lose my Google Adsense account.
  
  I don't like the HPads at all with its lack of real reporting and inability to see what clicks and how many we're getting paid for.
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  lovebuglenaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  That sucks. I don't want to lose my adsense account. But I also don't want to lose my money. HP was my main earnings with adsense. I have a few google blogs that are linked to my adsense account but some show the message that I have to create an ads.txt file on them. And one says that it requires review because it's been inactive but to submit it for review I have to add my adsense code to it. I've never had to do any of this before on google blogs.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I know it does indeed suck, as I've done well with both the Adsense and Amazon affiliate programs. One of the reasons I first joined HP was the affiliates reported often and they gave more info on what article was being visited and what the ad clicks were worth.
  
  Now, you have to wait several days to get a look at what you may have earned. Too many ways to meddle with the earnings in that time for me to trust the results. As I said, I didn't just fall off the cabbage truck.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  That is correct, we will no longer be using your Google AdSense account. You will still be able to log in to it, but you are free to do what you’d like with the account. I'm glad this is a welcome change for you!
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  Sherry Hewinsposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  FatFreddysCat, If you are dense, I guess I am too. I was wondering the same thing.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I assume many use the HP programs, but I've always done better with the private affiliates. I think it depends on one's subject material and views.
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CYong74posted 4 years ago
Hey Robin, thanks for the update! Could I confirm the following:

I started on HP using a YouTube-obtained AdSense account, one of those hosted, limited accounts as they called it back then. Two years ago, I managed to upgrade the account to a full one.

Would I need to do anything to my settings? Currently, I have the HP Ads program turned on and it's 99 % that way for over a year. After Jan 29, would we also need to remove HP and the niche sites from our individual AdSense accounts, as in the permitted sites section?
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  If you are Active in the HubPages Earnings Program then you don’t need to do anything. I took a look at your account and you are, so you are all set! We will handle everything else.
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  CYong74posted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks Robin! That's wonderful to know.
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Randy Godwinposted 4 years ago
Not me, I make payout every month on both Amazon and Google Adsense. I don't want to wait to see my earnings and like the real time stats. I also don't want my earnings sent to paypal. I don't even remember how to log in to it.
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  lobobrandonposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  It's simple to just make a new Paypal account Randy. You can direct deposit into a bank account from Paypal too.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I know Randy, there are a few of you. I apologize for this inconvenience—I know it is a big one. We do think that your potential for earnings is higher in the HubPages Earnings Program, so I hope that provides some relief. Feel free to email the team if you need help getting your PayPal set up or if you have any other questions. I'm always happy to help. Again, I’m sorry about this.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I've been expecting this to happen since the Maven acquisition, Robin. I suppose I'll find out if the HP program is better or worse than Adsense.
  
  Is there a way to track daily earnings like on Adsense?
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  paradigmsearchposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Randy, I was thinking about doing another straight-AdSense experiment. Looks like that is not going to happen.
  
  As a side note, Maven made a rather prosperous-sounding financial post about a week back. I'm thinking all should be well.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks, Randy. Once you are signed up for the HubPages Earnings Program, you will be able to track your daily earnings on your My Account > Earnings page.
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Ben716posted 4 years ago
I was a bit doubtful when Hubpages partnered with Maven. But as things are, it was a good investment for both companies. In any case, for the time I have been with Hubpages (11 years), I have barely earned €30 from AdSense.
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Kenna McHughposted 4 years ago
I hope all goes well and appreciate the clarification. I am not familiar with the "BYOA" program though I am familiar with the "BYOB" program -- since high school.
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  robhamptonposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  LOL I'm familiar with the latter myself!
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ShailaSheshadriposted 4 years ago
Hi,

Thanks for the info. Looks like exciting and positive changes are going to happen with Maven acquiring HP. I want to know whether we can add Amazon Associates affiliate earning program to our HP account even after 29th Jan?
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hi Shaila! The January 29th deadline is so that you can continue earning in a seamless way. You can always update your account after that date, but you may be losing earnings in the interim if your HubPages Earnings Program isn't Active. We want to get everyone that has a "bring your own" AdSense and/or Amazon Associates account signed up by the 29th so that they can continue to earn from their articles.
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William F. Torpeyposted 4 years ago
I have been on Hubpages for many years. Initially I had an Adsense account but I am a computer dummie and somehow it disappeared. My attempts to re-install it failed and I gave up trying long ago. I do not have a Pay Pal account and I don't want one. My question is this: Can I keep my Hubs without signing up with Pay Pal ? What happens to my 158 published Hubs if I don't sign up with Pay Pal ? Can I keep my Hubs (assuming Hubpages continues to place their ads on my existing Hubs ? I understand that Hubpages needs to have ads on my Hubs and that I would receive no compensation for my Hubs under the circumstances.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hi William! You don’t need to sign up for PayPal or the HubPages Earnings Program if you aren’t concerned about earning from your articles. We are still happy to host your content for you and provide all of the same services that we do to all of our authors. If you do want to start earning from your articles, you will need to sign up for PayPal and the HubPages Earnings Program. It is very easy to do, and we are always happy to help you do this, if you so choose!
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SANJAY LAKHANPALposted 4 years ago
What will happen to the Ad Sence account connected with Hubpages? Will it remain connected or disconnected? If the connection ends, then how the balance payment in the Adsence account nearing the threshold payout limit of $100 will ever cross the threshold.

In my "HubPages Earnings Program Settings", the status of all three, (Ad Program, Amazon Program, Google AdSense) is active.
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  lobobrandonposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  You would have to cross that threshold by placing your code on other websites, because from what Robin says all earnings will now be seent through the HP Earnings program. Also from the occasional Adsense ads.
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  CYong74posted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Is that hosted vs non-hosted AdSense account business still in existence? Because if it is, and Sanjay obtained his AS account via HubPages, then he wouldn't be able to use it elsewhere.
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  lobobrandonposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Oh, I completely forgot about that issue.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Great question! You own your AdSense account, so it will remain open . unless you choose to close it. If you have a “bring your own” AdSense account and HubPages is the only place that you are using the id, you are free to close the account. There is a $10 payout minimum. Here’s a link from Google AdSense on collecting your final payment.
  
  If all of your settings say Active, then you are good to go!
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  incomeguruposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Are you suspending the space reserved for Adsense ads?
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  No, the space won't go away, and pending ad-partner availability, should be filled with ads through the HubPages Earnings Program.
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  incomeguruposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  In that case, Google Adsense ads is going to be a thing of the past.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Yep! Looks that way, but who knows for sure. Some things don't work out the way they're planned, especially on an online content farm. Oh well, it was good while it lasted...
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  paradigmsearchposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  You'll make enough where one would still want to hang around.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I don't know about that, Para. I tried the in house program once and was not impressed at all. I've never really trusted it because of the ebay ads.
  
  I sold a few grand of ebay products and never made a dime I'm aware of. Of course, I have no choice now as to what I want to do if I'm to remain here. I'll soon find out if it's really worth it or not.
  
  I can always sell my account as I've had offers before, but I dislike doing this as many of my articles are how-to and I'd hate to sell it to someone who didn't know what they're talking about in answering the many questions I get both on the hubs and by email.
  
  Dammit man!
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  paradigmsearchposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Yeah, I remember when HP exterminated eBay with extreme prejudice; they weren't thrilled with eBay either. I'd like to comment further on certain subjects, but reticence is the better part of valor (or something like that).
  
  Hang in there.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  You know me though, Para. I've never been afraid to bitch when I don't like something. It's an American right you know. For now anyway.
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  JR Cuevasposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hi, Robin! Can I still get my AdSense earnings w/o closing the account?
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Venkatachari Mposted 4 years ago
Thanks for the updates. I hope it is going to be a plus point for all of us, here.

I think the AdSense program that we have already that is associated with HP is not going to be affected. So, Sanjay Lakhanpal need not worry.
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lobobrandonposted 4 years ago
Thanks for the update Robin and I'm glad this was sent out in an email, I'd not have come across it without the mail.
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Prantika Samantaposted 4 years ago
Thanks for the update, Robin. It is definitely a great news and this will help all hubbers increase their earnings. I have joined in November 2019, and I do not have an Adsense account and my Earnings Program is not yet active. My query is post 29 January, will all my articles since November be eligible for earnings?
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Welcome to the HubPages community and thanks for the question! As soon as you sign up for the HubPages Earnings Program you will begin earning from your articles. Unfortunately, we don’t do retroactive pay. For new authors, it usually takes a bit to start earning, so you should be okay if you sign up as soon as possible.
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  Prantika Samantaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thank you so very much, Robin.
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  TheShadowSpecterposted 3 years agoin reply to this
  You haven't gotten an Adsense account yet? It may be a blessing in disguise. They treat their account holders terribly. I've had nothing but problems with Google Adsense ever since I got an account from them.
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davrowpotposted 4 years ago
This is such a great news, and an ever greater news for beginners (or newbies) like me who have been writing, publishing, and earning in HP! I have a lot of friends, who are also writers, in my social media account and henever I share my articles they seem pretty interested in joining. I'll happily deliver them the good news to them, and update an article (about my experiences in HP) as well. Thank you for this update!
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Marie Flintposted 4 years ago
Thank you. This is good news.

I was hoping, however, something about a content writing tutorial was attached to the change, but, as usual, I'm on my own.

Blessings!
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paradigmsearchposted 4 years ago
For those of us who brought our own AdSense and Amazon account numbers:

Are both of those account numbers hopefully going to be automatically reset to the HP/Maven account numbers for us? (side note: if yes, am fine with it)

I have no recollection of what my old Amazon account number was. Is the account number currently shown on my earnings page mine or HP/Maven's?

Also, I haven't posted any Amazon ads on my articles in years. Will Maven/HP add any Amazon Ads or Amazon embedded links in my articles on their own initiative? (side note: whether yes or no, I'm fine with it either way)
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Great questions. I’ll try to answer all three:
  
  1. Are both of those account numbers hopefully going to be automatically reset to the HP/Maven account numbers for us?
  
  We won’t be using your account numbers; we will be using Maven/HubPages account IDs. You have the right to do what you’d like with your accounts (keep them open or close them—it’s up to you.) Once you sign up for the HubPages Earnings Program, you don’t need to do anything else.
  
  2. I have no recollection of what my old Amazon account number was. Is the account number currently shown on my earnings page mine or HP/Maven's?
  
  Yes, you can see your account-specific affiliate codes on your Earnings > Settings page.
  
  3. Also, I haven't posted any Amazon ads on my articles in years. Will Maven/HP add any Amazon Ads or Amazon embedded links in my articles on their own initiative? (side note: whether yes or no, I'm fine with it either way)
  
  We are not adding Amazon Product Capsules or links to your articles (though there may be third-party ads shown on your page that contain Amazon products).
  
  Hope that helps! Thanks!!
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skgraoposted 4 years ago
I am sure you are doing your best to increase your presence on line and many young writers will appreciate your move which is late but it has come.
I had gone back to my BLOGS and forgot my Hubs.
Now I hope you will understand everyone can't write King's English or get some Idea's from somewhere and use them differently.
I know who copy my writings but I enjoy that and don't bother.
Thank God you woke up Guys.
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Cheryl E Prestonposted 4 years ago
Are you making money with your blogs?
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Cheryl E Prestonposted 4 years ago
Can you supply a website I would like to check them out.
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  paradigmsearchposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  https://maven.io/company/press/maven-up … DFCl4K5zqw
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paradigmsearchposted 4 years ago
To whom it may concern,

"Section 16 contains a mandatory arbitration provision and class action waiver, which requires you to arbitrate certain disputes and claims with us and limits the manner in which you can seek relief from us."

The above is from TERMS OF USE – MAVEN COALITION, INC.

Are the Maven Washington State lawyers aware that California passed some new laws regarding arbitration agreements? I have not researched this, nor am I going to; I just wanted to mention it, so that Maven doesn't suddenly get broadsided by a California politician or lawyer.

Personally, I'm fine with Maven and looking forward to another prosperous year.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thank you for always looking out for us! While I cannot answer with specifics as I am not a lawyer, I do know that our policy and legal folks stay on top of all sorts of changes in the landscape, many of which are coming out of California recently (such as CCPA, in addition to what you raised).
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jansharesposted 4 years ago
My favorite line:

"If you do not have a “bring your own account” and are already earning on the HubPages Earnings Program, you do not need to do anything."

Yeay!! Thank you! Carry on . . .
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Kierstin Gunsbergposted 4 years ago
Sorry, I'm confused - are we not going to be able to earn through Amazon links here on HP anymore?
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hi Kierstin. You are definitely still able to earn through Amazon, but all Amazon earnings will now flow through the HubPages Earnings Program. You are already signed up for HEP, so you won't see any changes to your earnings and you don't need to do anything.
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  Kierstin Gunsbergposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks, Robin! That’s wonderful and sounds much more streamlined. Good news
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randomcreativeposted 4 years ago
If we sign up for the HubPages Amazon program, does it only affect the HubPages tracker ID? I have multiple tracker IDs in my Amazon account. I want to make sure that switching to the HubPages Amazon program won't affect all of those tracker IDs. Thanks!
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Yes, if you sign up for the HubPages Earnings Program for Amazon, it only affects your HubPages account. You can still have your Amazon tracker IDs on other sites, but we will no longer use your ID on HubPages.
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  Life and Luxuryposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hi Robin,
  
  For Amazon links already in our hubs connected to "Bring your own Amazon", do we now have to change the coding in those links once we switch over to HP Amazon?
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  You don’t need to do anything on your articles. Once your account is configured to the HubPages Earnings Program, we will update your articles.
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  randomcreativeposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Okay, thanks, Robin!
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Randy Godwinposted 4 years ago
This to Robin, but more than likely those of you accustomed to the HP Amazon routine can answer this question. On my personal Amazon account I often sell items by those clicking on my Amazon ads ordering items I'm not advertising on my hubs.

Am I correct in that I won't profit from the 12 hour cookie as I did on my Amazon affiliate? If so, that sucks! Some of the biggest Amazon sales I've ever made were on items bought because the cookie.

I'm talking well over a thousand dollars, and that ain't peanuts for me.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Hi Randy! I believe it’s a 24-hour cookie, and you will still have that feature on HEP. Plus, it’s likely our rev share will be better. Here’s the policy on Amazon. Have a good weekend!
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Randy Godwinposted 4 years ago
Thanks so much for responding, Robin. This relieves my worries a bit. You're the best! , Do you recommend I switch to the in-house program after I reach the Adsense payout this month?
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Robinposted 4 years ago
If you think you’ll make the $100 payout before the 29th, then I’d wait until then. After the 29th you won’t be able to earn from it any longer on HubPages.

If you’re closing your AdSense account, there’s only a $10 minimum for payout, but if you’re keeping it open, I hope you get to that payout before the 29th!
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Almost there despite this being my slow time of the year. I'll make the dead line as usual. Thanks again, Robin!
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Robinposted 4 years ago
Of course! Have a good long weekend!
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  The same to you, Paul, and the young uns!
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paradigmsearchposted 4 years ago
@HP Please give the current straight-adsense Hubbers top best-ad priority for the remaining days. They need all the help they can get to reach AdSense payout before HP permanently shuts off that revenue stream. It can be your good deed for the week.

Side note. This post is not self-serving, I'm already with the HP ad program.
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Randy Godwinposted 4 years ago
Hmmmm. It seems my account took a direct hit at the same time Robin announced they would no longer honor the Adsense and Amazon affiliate programs. I wonder if they already knew something as they announced the change during the second week of the month.

I believe in coincidences, but dammit man!
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  wildernessposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I think most of us has taken a hit, and before Robin's report. I know I did, and saw others commenting as well. If I hadn't seen bigger hits in the past (from Google's machinations) I would say HP was dying for sure, but I swore not to make that conclusion again without several (meaning 8 or more) consecutive months of falling traffic.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Well, I suppose we have no choice at this point, Dan. I've been through slumps before as you probably have.
  
  My earnings were about normal until the sudden announcement. Someone needs to post the "jumping out the window" thingie.
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Kenna McHughposted 4 years ago
Wilderness, What are you trying to say?
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  wildernessposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  LOL Not real sure, except that thinking the sky is falling is premature. I was here during Panda and the other Google fiascoes and I panicked every time traffic fell significantly. Eventually I learned that a drop, even a big one, is not the end of the world - that there is a very good chance it will return once more.
  
  Google has, I believe, worked hard to isolate and remove anything that doesn't make them a buck. One day they will succeed and HP will truly die off, but until then we will see ups and downs as Google changes the rules every so often.
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FatFreddysCatposted 4 years ago
Your wish is my command!

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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks FFC, I needed that!
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paradigmsearchposted 4 years ago
I dropped by one of my HP articles. Even though am with the HP Ad Program, article still mostly has AdSense as usual. I've always thought that is because AdSense is usually the highest bidder. However, it now has occurred to me maybe HP had some sort of contractual obligation with Google and HP had to display certain AdSense ads even when AdSense wasn't the highest bidder. That contractual obligation comes to an end on the 29th. This is total speculation.
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Kenna McHughposted 4 years ago
Wilderness, Thank you for the clarification.
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Cheryl E Prestonposted 4 years ago
Google is disgraceful
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Cheryl E Prestonposted 4 years ago
I'm hoping for the best but prepared for the worst. Yahoo, Blasting News and others did not work out. I want this to so we will see.
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Robinposted 4 years ago
Hi, Everyone. Any traffic and/or earnings changes you are seeing are unrelated to the TOU update. We are still in the pre-announcement phase, and nothing has changed in the system as of yet on our end. The timing of the announcement and implementation was intentional because we didn’t want to make any updates during the holiday-peak season.

As far as traffic goes, there was a Google core-algorithm update on January 20th that specifically targeted YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) content. In our experience, the best way to counteract these updates is to update and improve your articles—especially your highest-traffic pages. My advice for authors is to take the 80/20 rule to editing and content production. Spend 80% of your time updating and improving your content and 20% creating new content. Start with your oldest and highest traffic content and work down. Update your titles and subtitles, add fresh content, add images, make sure that the first Text Capsule is flawless. I know it’s a lot of work, but it is the only way you will continue to sustain and grow traffic to published articles. I know it's frustrating to see traffic fluctuations—it is for us as well.
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  nitinkhaireposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thank you so much Robin for these golden nuggets.
  
  I will follow your advice and start updating my hubs.
  
  Always remember, if life throws lemons at you, make lemonade out of it.
  
  Make the best of every situation.
  
  Thanks again.
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Randy Godwinposted 4 years ago
Wow! 39 cents today so far! It's not worth the trouble if this continues on into the Spring. I spend so much time answering questions on my articles and via email, it just ain't worth it anymore.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Randy, if you are answering questions via email, you'd be better off adding a Q&A to your article and pointing the person back to your article. This will add content to your article and help more readers, and Google will see that your page has fresh content.
  
  Sorry about the earnings. On top of the update, January is always a very slow month for earnings.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Why would I want to answer even more questions for such low return, Robin. I like to help people but, at this point I don't want more low paying time consuming questions to answer.
  
  I tried the Q&A and opted out because it was a waste of time for the earnings they provide. Perhaps I'll try it again if things begin to look up. Thanks!
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  I meant if you are already answering in the email, you might as well put it in a place where you're helping more readers and making your article better. You could create a Q&A Text Capsule with specific questions as your subtitles and the answers below. This format does really well in search.
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  Randy Godwinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks Robin, not tryin' to be a pain in the a$$. but I get accused of it often.
  
  I appreciate all of your advice.
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  Robinposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Lol. I'm always on your side, Randy.
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Robinposted 4 years ago
Are you using your AdSense account anywhere else, Sally? If you aren't, you can close your account and you only need a $10 minimum to make payout. I'm so sorry about the inconvenience.
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  sallybeaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Yes I am using it on my own website, will that make a difference and if so how would that work?
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  paradigmsearchposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Don't close your account!!! Your website will eventually get you to payout.
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  paradigmsearchposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Update. The money from HP (until the 29th) and the money from your website (forever) goes to the same AdSense account.
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  sallybeaposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Great thank you, I will go back to HubPages earning then.
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  lobobrandonposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Yup, PD is right. If you got your AdSense ads showing on your website you will eventually get to the 100 USD required. Do not close your account. If you did not have your own site you could close it and get paid if you had anything above 10 USD as Robin commented.
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sallybeaposted 4 years ago
Thank you. I did change to Adsense and soon made a penny, makes me wonder if I should just try it until I reach payout.
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sallybeaposted 4 years ago
Thanks, have done only to discover they took one penny off! Nevermind, tomorrow is another day.
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  wildernessposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  LOL Yeah, Google gives and Google takes away, for sure!
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  nitinkhaireposted 4 years agoin reply to this
  Ha ha ha ha. That's a good one bro.
  reply report

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