How to Boost Discover Performance

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   Cloverleafposted 6 months ago

   Hey everyone,
   
   I wanted to share some thoughts on why Discover isn’t performing as well as it could be, especially for network sites moving to this platform. Despite having a solid Domain Authority of 95, many articles aren’t ranking well, and I think there are a few key reasons for this:
   
   Why Discover Is Struggling:
   
   1. Low Engagement: Unlike Reddit or Quora, we don’t have much user interaction on our articles. Without comments, shares, and votes, search engines don’t see our content as valuable.
   2. Static Content: A lot of articles become stale after publication. This lack of ongoing engagement can hurt visibility over time.
   3. Limited User Input: The format doesn’t really encourage community interaction, so we miss out on those engagement signals that boost rankings.
   
   Suggestions for Improvement:
   
   1. Boost User Interaction: Bring back comment sections or upvote options to encourage more reader engagement.
   2. Keep Content Fresh: Regular updates to articles can help maintain their relevance. We could even highlight newly updated content on the homepage.
   3. We Need More Interlinking: Create a better strategy for linking related articles. This will improve navigation and help build authority across the network.
   4. Highlight Popular Content: Showcasing trending articles on Discover could draw more attention and interaction.
   5. Provide Better Analytics: More detailed performance insights would help authors understand what’s working and where to improve. Please update the analytics tool!
   
   By making these changes, perhaps we can boost Discover’s underwhelming performance and make it a better platform for all of us.
   
   I’d love to hear all your thoughts (especially from HubPages Staff)!

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      Kenna McHughposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Good ideas, Louise. Some writers can do it, while others are up to HP staff.

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      Kenna McHughposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      These are do-able points:
      
      2. Keep Content Fresh: Regular updates to articles can help maintain their relevance. We could even highlight newly updated content on the homepage.
      3. We Need More Interlinking: Create a better strategy for linking related articles. This will improve navigation and help build authority across the network.
      4. Highlight Popular Content: Showcasing trending articles on Discover could draw more attention and interaction.

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      WriterJanisposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      These are all great ideas and I especially wish that comments would be reinstated. However, as much as writers have asked for this, it hasn't happened and now I feel as if the site really doesn't want to help writers at all. Sad, because I really enjoyed being here previously.

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         Cloverleafposted 6 months agoin reply to this

         Isn’t it sad. I’ve emailed team@hubpages.com with my suggestions too and I’ll keep you guys posted with their response.

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      Nyamweyaposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Sure, certainly you are on point, especially on the aspect of bringing back comment section

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      bravewarriorposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Items one and three at the top of your post are the main culprits. Google loves interaction and rewards posts that provide just that. With no way for our readers to interact with the authors, engagement is non-existent.

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   Rupert Taylorposted 6 months ago

   Interest thoughts. Engagement/interaction is entirely in the hands of HubPages. Despite constant pleas to bring back comments etc., the platform has shown no inclination to act on this. In its current moribund state I don't see them being seized with intent to do anything.
   
   I do update as much as I can but when you've written an article about Henry VII's gargantuan appetite there's nothing new to add.
   
   I look at my best performing articles in the hope of identifying a magic connector that will lead me to bust the internet wide open with hordes of readers. There isn't one. My top five are Philosophical Dilemmas, A History of the Media, The Folklore of Magpies, a story about an incompetent general, and mistreatment by media and police of an innocent man. All completely different topics.
   
   I gave up on analytics long ago. I felt inundated by arcane statistics that handed me no useful information.
   
   Sorry about this. I hope someone else will chime in with a more positive view.

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      PaulGoodman67posted 6 months agoin reply to this

      "In its current moribund state I don't see them being seized with intent to do anything."
      
      Unfortunately, this is true. The site is suffering from neglect on a large scale. I don't believe that's going to change.

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   Eric Cauncaposted 6 months ago

   Your articles are still on PetHelpful. Have you contacted the HP to move all your articles to Discover? Starting at the beggining of November, you will no longer be able to earn revenue from PetHelpful.

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      Cloverleafposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      I moved them over in September but they did terribly on Discover so I asked Lisa to move them back to PetHelpful until Oct 31st.

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         WriterJanisposted 6 months agoin reply to this

         I got an email saying you need to request this by Oct. 29th.

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