Why are my worst hubs (effort and content) the highest scoring?

1. 80

   Kyler J Falkposted 5 years ago

   It continues to baffle me how the Hubs I've written with the least amount of effort and attention to detail end up being the highest scoring Hubs out of all my content. Every time I write a Hub my score upon featured status is immediately around 65 and my scores never dip below that, rarely do they drop below 70, but the Hubs I put the most effort into don't regularly surpass 75.
   
   The Hubs that I could put out in my sleep, the ones with little to no sentimental attachment, the ones that hardly have any real soul to them, those are the ones going into the 80+ score range. For example my article "Amateur Writing Isn't as Daunting as It Seems" rarely if ever dips below 81 and I'm surprised that thing is even allowed to be featured. The title isn't even worthy of a google search algorithm, let alone a higher score.
   
   So, why is this? I already know many of my articles would be better suited to a blog, so no need to let me know that as that isn't the case when some of my "bloggy" Hubs are doing better than the rest. Would love a Hub staffer with intimate knowledge of the score algorithms to answer me, but I welcome any serious input with facts supporting the claims. Not looking for anecdotal criticisms of my amateur Hubs.
   
   Thank you!

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   1. 84

      bravewarriorposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Kyler, I took a cursory glance at the article you mention. To a seasoned writer, it has flaws. It's too long between subtitles, there are no pictures, videos, or polls to break up the text and you lost me half way through. I don't even know if you came up with advice to amateur writers. But it doesn't matter, because I'm not the demographic that would put those terms in Google search.
      
      However, for a novice writer, to which your title appeals and and a Google search of the terms "amateur writing", which gleans 1,240,000 results, appeals to those who would like to break into the world of writing for a living.
      
      That's why your article is getting views. If you want something more, read the HP guidelines for posting articles that will get you into the niche sites. HP articles don't realize much revenue, but the niche sites will bring you more over time. However, they need to be top notch and provide your readers a reason not to leave your page before they get to the last sentence.
      
      Perfect your craft if you want to give advice to novice writers, whether online, or in print. Otherwise, find a different niche and perfect that.
      
      We only get better with practice. Keep on truckin' until you've found your rhythm. Speak to the readers and give them reason to come back.

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      1. 80

         Kyler J Falkposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         It does not get views, and as I said I already knew it was terrible. That is why I do not understand the high score. Thanks for the input.

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         1. 84

            bravewarriorposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Don't rely on your activity report. Check the views report from the post itself. You'll be surprised.

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            1. 80

               Kyler J Falkposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               I do that regularly, I'm attempting to get some insights on the score. Thank you.

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               1. 84

                  bravewarriorposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                  You might also want to check your Google Analytics report for bounce rates on all your posts. Bounce rates equal how many readers leave your posts before reading until the end.

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                  1. 80

                     Kyler J Falkposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                     Are bounce rates taken into account when calculating the score of a Hub? The way HubPages explains their scoring system is so intentionally vague that it is nearly insulting, and no amount of gathering data and attempting to create my own formulas helps me in figuring out how the score is actually calculated which is my actual goal.
                     
                     "Why do bad Hubs have higher scores, while comparatively good Hubs have lower scores?" is the concise question here.

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   2. 85

      NateB11posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I've noticed the same thing in some cases. Also, some of the articles I've put the most work into, get the lowest traffic. Years ago, I used to take a long time and put in a lot of work and energy into articles; none of them received significant traffic. So, it's not about that.
      
      But, as far as why articles get the scores that they do, that is a mystery I'm still trying to figure out.

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      1. 80

         Kyler J Falkposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I recently took to doing lazy articles, and my numbers are skyrocketing. Not sure whether to question my competence or to just dull down everything I do to the point of mundane simplicity.

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         1. 85

            NateB11posted 5 years agoin reply to this

            That is exactly my conclusion. Keeping it simplistic and more or less irrelevant is best, as far as numbers go. People search the Web for very shallow reasons, mostly.

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         2. 71

            SmartAndFunposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            When you state your "numbers are skyrocketing," are you referring to the number of views your articles are getting or the scores on your articles?
            
            An important point I neglected to mention in my earlier reply -- if it wasn't already obvious -- is the fact that views/earnings are really the only numbers worth caring about. Hubscores are meaningless. It has been years since I have even looked at my Hubscores because they just do not matter. But I check my earnings (which are based on number of views) almost every day.

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            1. 80

               Kyler J Falkposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               I'm only concerned with the algorithms behind the scores, as implied by my post. And when I say my numbers are skyrocketing I mean both, and sometimes just the score, and other times just the views.

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   3. 65

      OldRosesposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Kyler, it appears that you just joined us.  I have been here for quite a few years and can assure you that it is safe to ignore hub scores.  They are totally meaningless.  As is your personal hubber score which just measures how active you are on this site.  The most important "score" that you need to be concerned about is your views.  That is what will make or break your income.  Spend time in the Learning Center, read lots of hubs, learn SEO, and continue to write and update your articles.  Those are the secrets to success on HubPages.

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      1. 80

         Kyler J Falkposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I'm not concerned with anything other than the algorithms behind the score, as implied in my post. Thank you for the input.

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2. 100

   DrMark1961posted 5 years ago

   Not sure I have an answer for you, but have you noticed that those articles that have more traffic have a higher score? It is not an absolute, and according to HP the amount of traffic does not affect score, HOWEVER, I have noticed that my articles at the top of my account page (based on traffic) score much better than those in the middle and the bottom.
   You have a lot of work to do, but kudos for the effort you are putting in. (I read a few of your California travel hubs.) Many people do not reach 50+ hubs for 7 years, much less 7 weeks. Be sure to submit your articles to the appropriate niche site every two weeks and make whatever changes necessary so that the hub will be accepted.
   Best of luck.

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   1. 80

      Kyler J Falkposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Doc, and yeah I've noticed some weird trends with the scoring. My highest grossing Hub at the moment, my satirical survival guide, is actually one of the lowest scored hubs I have. All the while the Hub I mentioned in my post has zero traffic, the least amount of views, and one of the highest scores that rarely ever drops below 81 without going right back up and I would say it belongs in the garbage.
      
      The scoring system is quite an enigma to me.

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3. 71

   SmartAndFunposted 5 years ago

   You are right that HP's explanation of scoring is vague. It has been awhile since I've been on the forums much, but back when I was more of a regular, the advice about scoring was always to ignore scores because they are assigned by algorithm and not by an actual human. It seems article scores rise when an article gets higher traffic and more comments. Don't think of scores as corresponding with the skillfulness of the writing or as a grade from a teacher. At least that was the consensus a few years ago. IIRC it was even explained by HP at one point that the scoring was more of an entertainment feature to keep writers interested, engaged and involved, ie.doing things like logging into their accounts, checking their views and comments, reviewing their articles for possible improvements, etc. rather than as a measure of the writing itself.
   
   I'm assuming that is still the case.

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   1. 80

      Kyler J Falkposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      From all that I have read recently from posts spanning as far back as seven years, most Hubbers find the scoring system to be a source of great confusion and even dismay. If HubPages were being honest with us, and that is how they presented that system as a form of "entertainment", then it would be better classified as a tool of manipulation. By purposefully going out of their way not to explain how the algorithms calculate score, but still including an "unimportant feature" worthy of being ignored when it only creates more interest, they are artificially creating interest in the score system.
      
      This raises the big question of, "If it is so unimportant and worthy of being ignored, why haven't they explained it in detail so the hubbers it devalues frequently can rest at ease?"
      
      The answer to which is because it creates a system of seeming-addiction, or unnecessary scrutiny that keeps the site active with inorganic methods. Then again I'm just going on a speculative tangent because I am bored.

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4. 82

   Rupert Taylorposted 5 years ago

   My understanding is that the Hubscore starts with your shoe size, which is multiplied by the last two digits in your social security number. Then, things start to get really weird, because they subtract the number of minutes it takes a dung beetle to kick in the bumps on a dill pickle. And, there you have it, your Hubscore. No, no applause is necessary.

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   1. 80

      Kyler J Falkposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      This made me laugh so hard I'm willing to believe it!

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