Editing

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   Glenis Rixposted 5 months ago

   I am generally appreciative of improvements made to my articles by HunPro editors. However, one of my articles has just been edited for the fourth time since 2021. This is not an unusual occurrence. Which begs questions about the role of editors. Surely once an article has been professionally edited no further tinkering in the future should be necessary? Which leads me to question the objective judgments of editors compared to subjective judgments. For example, in the latest comprehensive edit two of my photographs have been replaced. Surely this is a matter of personal preference rather than an editorial issue? These are small irritants but, added to the intrusive sprinkling of ads throughout my articles, my frustration with the direction in which Hubpages has moved in recent years, in terms of formatting and advertising, is increasing.

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      OldRosesposted 5 months agoin reply to this

      Google is constantly changing the rules on which articles and which formats will be featured in their search results.  The editors are tasked with keeping up with all of the rule changes and making sure that our articles fit Google's ever-changing criteria.  Hence the numerous edits.

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         eugbugposted 5 months agoin reply to this

         None of the edits improved my traffic, but maybe it would have been worse if there was no editing.

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            OldRosesposted 5 months agoin reply to this

            I always revert my articles back to their original form, so I have no idea if the edits help or hurt my traffic.

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               eugbugposted 5 months agoin reply to this

               I revert them too if they express things in a way that I wouldn't. Fixing grammar and spelling, adding bullet points, breaking stuff up into  paragraphs etc is fine, but not adding extra content. That effectively means an article is a joint effort and I would worry at a later stage that Hubpages could claim copyright for the content.

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   theraggededgeposted 5 months ago

   The idea is to show search engines that the content has been updated and is current. I like it when the editors tweak my articles. Although it doesn't seem to help improve traffic like it used to.

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3. 85

   Venkatachari Mposted 5 months ago

   Do they edit without your consent or even without any prior notice?
   I never think so. It is we who authorize them to edit our articles. So, I wonder at this strange issue pointed by you.

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   1. 83

      bravewarriorposted 5 months agoin reply to this

      They never ask for permission prior to editing our articles. We're notified after the fact. The editors are attempting to make our articles more SEO-friendly. However, I do not like it when they replace my personally-taken photos with others. They don't always fit as well as what I originally posted.

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      Kenna McHughposted 5 months agoin reply to this

      I received a notice from HP that an editor will edit my article.

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         bravewarriorposted 5 months agoin reply to this

         You're fortunate, Kenna. I only receive notification after the editors have infiltrated.

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4. 95

   jansharesposted 5 months ago

   Glenis, I feel your frustration. I also hear the logic in the replies about improving SEO and keeping content current. But if it's not improving traffic or Google ranking, then the question you pose is a good one: "what is the objective of editing?"

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      bravewarriorposted 5 months agoin reply to this

      I think that the main problem with SEO and Google ranking, is HP is way low on the totem pole. Any URL that reverts to HP or a derivative thereof, is not ranked in advantageous space to the authors.

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5. 98

   PaulGoodman67posted 5 months ago

   The editing used to improve views for my articles, sometimes dramatically.
   
   It is funny how stuff gets edited over and over, sometimes with editors editing the work of previous editors. I understand why it happens, but still.
   
   I think that with Google assessing the site as a whole (not just individually), a critical mass has to be reached whereby enough articles meet the grade. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s happened so far.
   
   A lot of writers aren’t even around anymore which leaves editors with a mammoth task. I’ve begun to wonder if the model can work anymore, as by the time editors catch up, Google have moved the goalposts again.

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