The 'Suggest Links' tool - your opinions please

1. 75

   Bard of Elyposted 14 years ago

   I have been using the Suggest Links tool on most of my hubs but have just been told that it is not a good idea to use it because it can send people away from your hubs. I had accepted that it was a good thing to use or otherwise why was it being recommended by hubpages but am now not so sure. What do you all think?

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   1. 73

      Reality Bytesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I interlink my own hubs, which gives me the inspiration to write a new hub.  I notice a keyword and think " wow I could write a hub about this subject and link to it here".
      
      Most of the links suggested are usually not relevant to my hub?

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2. 95

   CMHypnoposted 14 years ago

   I have been using it in the spirit of hubbers all helping each other - but the more I link out the lower the HubKarma score goes??
   
   I think for your own traffic, it can take readers from your hub. But if everyone uses the tool, you should be getting some reciprocal traffic and a link from their hub.
   
   So I am not sure?

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3. 87

   DaveLposted 14 years ago

   Linking out to other pages is in essence one of the main benefits of web pages. In fact, Google rely on people linking out to popular pages to help their ranking. The more quality pages that link out to another page, the more a signal of quality it is for the target page, thus helping improve its ranking. That's why sites like this are so useful to spammers.
   
   Without people linking to relevant pages from their pages, the appeal of the Internet is somewhat softened. If I see a link half way in a bit of copy and follow it, I almost always go back to the original page. The only times I don't is when the new page is more relevant to my needs. I suspect most web users are the same in that. Linking out to relevant pages can also help to improve your standing in the search engines eyes, thus helping bring more traffic. So, I say, do it and use it, but don't go overboard.
   
   The only problem I have with the tool at the moment is it is somewhat bad at returning good results for what to link to. Ie, a name of a person such as John Smith returns results for things like this: St John's Island, Smith's boot polish, etc, rather than a page on the actual person (probably because there isn't one yet). That sort of relevancy needs to be improved.

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4. 65

   darksideposted 14 years ago

   Consider the purpose of your hub (it was I who told you my thoughts via your facebook wall). Your hub is about promoting your album which is available at itunes.
   
   With 18 other links on the page it gives far too many chances for people to click away before making a decision on whether or not they'll click through and taste a sample your music. And hopefully buy and download it.
   
   You've worked hard to win the traffic you get, don't just let it leak out before you get any benefit out of it.

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5. 72

   sofsposted 14 years ago

   It is a good tool to be used Judiciously.. if I am linking to my own hubs (which I do all the time), I keep traffic within my territory.
   
   When I link to other hubbers hubs, I keep the links towards the end of my hubs....this keeps the traffic within the Hub page community..
   
   So I do see a lot of advantages with this tool.. tough much has been spoken negatively about it.

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6. 85

   Lily Roseposted 14 years ago

   I agree wholeheartedly with what Darkside said - you worked hard to get the traffic you do have, why make it so easy for that traffic to go elsewhere?
   
   Sure, I want my fellow hubbers who are working hard to get traffic and money to be successful, too, but when you're here to make money - especially because you NEED it - then I don't think being selfish is necessarily a bad thing.  I normally place an RSS capsule in my hubs with either related or latest hubs of my own.  I've never used the suggested links tool.

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7. 84

   Pcunixposted 14 years ago

   I link out when I feel it adds value for readers.
   
   I dont give any thought at all to any real or imagined impact on SEO.  However, I will note that I do have high traffic/high earning pages that contain links to pages written by people I do not even know.

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8. 68

   lrohnerposted 14 years ago

   FWIW, my highest-trafficked and highest-earning hub has something like 15 outbound links in it -- 2 to sites of mine and the rest to blogs/sites that I have no ties with.

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9. 75

   Bard of Elyposted 14 years ago

   Thanks again for the advice Darkside and getting me thinking about this! Thanks too to everyone else who has responded here!
   
   A lot of the suggestions the tool finds are to my own hubs so I think in future I will still allow them but stop linking to other hubbers hubs and community pages and keep it all within my own writings!
   
   DaveL, I find a lot of the connections the tool makes for suggestions very vague too and that I could do better myself in many cases! lol

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10. 75

    Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

    I usually only link to my own articles with the suggest links tool.

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11. 75

    Bard of Elyposted 14 years ago

    Yes, I will be doing likewise from now on, UW!

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12. 0

    mtsi1098posted 14 years ago

    My only issue with the tool is that if a hubber leaves and pulls their hubs you may not know of it immediately

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13. 75

    Bard of Elyposted 14 years ago

    Another good point! I get fed up of Youtube videos that have been pulled and alerts for invalid links!

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