Is HubPages Doomed - a Sinking Ship?!

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   Kain 360posted 5 months ago

   I know the community on HubPages is a shadow of its former self. It's not nearly as active as it was years ago. It's one of the last remaining sites of its kind - sites like InfoBarrel and Squidoo have perished long ago - along with many other content farms.
   
   There have been many changes to HP over the years whether it was the TAG takeover, removal of Adsense, removal of comment sections, or introduction of vertical sites which now are going away or are already gone.
   
   Is HubPages truly doomed? Is it a sinking ship that's headed to the bottom of the sea?
   
   Seems like few writers are optimistic about the site's future. There is a lot of uncertainty and writers are concerned about HP in general and the transparency of what's been transpiring. And the landscape of the internet has changed dramatically over the years with the implementation of artificial intelligence and Google Algorithms etc. 
   
   Some of my articles accumulated hundreds of thousands of views back in the early 2010s on a separate account. I even had an article go viral and reach the top page of Google! I was on cloud 9 back then. I also wrote for Constant Content, but I always liked HP more and had more success and built up a residual income at one point.
   
   I don't know how most writers stay positive whether they're freelancer writers, columnists, or aspiring novelists. Seems like the cards are stacked against you and everything is trying to deter and demoralize you into submission.
   
   And these days, everything is going digital. A lot of magazine companies are going away (or already gone) and columnists are losing their life-long careers. Voice actors and script writers are rightfully concerned about AI. We're living in the digital age, where AI and streaming seems to reign supreme over conventional and traditional writing.
   
   Is there any hope for HubPages or a future for writers in general in this world?

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      Rock_njposted 5 months agoin reply to this

      Declining views and earnings crashing certainly seem to foretell disaster ahead for our beloved HubPages.

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         Cheryl E Prestonposted 5 months agoin reply to this

         Feedback from the HP staff would be appreciated.

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   2. 79

      Susan May Gudgeposted 4 months agoin reply to this

      It was always pretty slow for me as I do not have many articles. Even if it was just a few cents here and there, it felt really nice to be paid for my writings. An ego thing LOL.
      Noticed that the last 6 months or so it was booming. Now it seems to be in a decline this last month, back to what it was when I started many years ago. Hoping it is just kind of a wave thing and will start paying off again. High hopes.
      But...I write fiction novels and can say that the decline in sales is even worse. Either the market is just plain bad or I am a horrible writer. Probably horrible. Don't all writers worry about that? haha,,,  Peace.

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   3. 79

      Susan May Gudgeposted 4 months agoin reply to this

      When I started writing, it meant printing out 100 copies, double spaced, one sided of the books I wrote. Envelope, stamp, return envelope and stamp. Then a trip to Post Office to mail. All that cost money I didn't really have. But I kept trying...hundreds of times for each book I wrote.
      I knew I was almost done when they made queries and submissions available by email. Millions suddenly hopped online with their manuscripts, some good and most bad. It became too easy and no longer a game of the dedicated writer.
      Now AI has been "perfected."
      I am old now and happy to retire. It makes no sense anymore to be a writer. We are obsolete.

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   PaulGoodman67posted 5 months ago

   The ship is below water. It's unlikely to reemerge.

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   Solarasposted 4 months ago

   Doom and Gloom
   
   My current views are at 1/5 of what they were 6 months ago.  I was on track for 15 Million views in 3 months, and now I doubt I will get there.
   
   It will take 6-7 months at this pace, and the pace is ever slowing.
   
   Since the move from PetHelpful to Discover, views on the top article are 1/5 of what they were.  CPM is substantially lower.  Had I left them alone, they would be nothing to me, so I count my pennies.
   
   It is sad to see the last of the freelance writer farms leave.  I had really high hopes once upon a time.  I lacked the time to do this full time, but it was a terrific supplement to my income. 
   
   I will note that as of this writing - AI stinks.  It gives terrible advice, and that might be enough to sink it, given how many objects of value, animals and peoples lives it effects negatively. 
   
   I really don't know how socially irresponsible Google intends to be, but they are really asking for trouble, in my humble opinion.

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      Cloverleafposted 4 months agoin reply to this

      It’s really tough to see this platform negatively impact our readership and income, especially after investing so much time and expertise. But I see this shift as a sign that it’s time to broaden our horizons. When one door closes, another opens—and for us, that door could lead to new opportunities where our voices and expertise can thrive.
      
      With pet care and so many other niches, people are still craving trusted, human information. The difference now is we have more options than ever to connect directly with audiences, whether through our own blogs, social media, or even video platforms. This is the push we need to turn our content into a brand that reflects our unique knowledge and voice!
      
      And you're right about the AI dilemma. Real, compassionate expertise stands out all the more against generic, sometimes inaccurate AI responses. There’s value in what we bring to the table, and we’re not alone in feeling this way.
      
      Let’s keep moving forward and build a following where quality expertise is truly valued. This shift might end up being the best thing that happened to us

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         Solarasposted 4 months agoin reply to this

         Indeed!  The income I was receiving here had me dithering about stepping out on a new venture. Was it better to put my efforts into the unknown, while HP was a known quantity. I knew I could write here and get some traction with new articles.
         
         The gross decline in views, cpm and revenue has made that conundrum moot.

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            wildernessposted 4 months agoin reply to this

            A couple of years ago I lost about 80% of my income each month.  I had been getting 4 figures each month but that joined the Dodo Bird in extinction.
            
            Then HP explained that Dengarden would no longer earn, and that is the majority of my articles.  So I asked to switch them all to Discover, as HP requested we do.
            
            And income fell probably 90% again.  For the first time in years I will not make payout this month.  I'll be lucky to see $20. 
            
            I've always known that one day HubPages would die.  Google gave it some mighty blows, but we struggled through.  I think the Arena Group has delivered the coup de grace though.  RIP HubPages - you were a good friend after I retired and helped out considerably during the Pandemic.

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               PaulGoodman67posted 4 months agoin reply to this

               Good to see you post, Dan! I do sometimes wonder what the old HP regulars are up to!
               
               I think we're all in the same boat. The site always went up and down but now it seems like we've finally sunk!
               
               I don't think the days of four figures are coming back! Like you, I'm no longer even making a payout every month!
               
               The site seems to be ending with more of a whimper than a bang...

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