This will probably get me hunted down and shot, but here goes…
When I first started here, I plastered Amazon capsules all over the place; each and every one of them 8 products long. And then two more 8-mile long ones tacked side-by-side after comments.
This lasted for about my first newbie month. Then I stopped doing that. Unfortunately, there are apparently many who never do stop.
I am 99% certain that all those multiple rows and columns of affiliate links are what give Google hissy-fits. And it won’t matter how many words accompany them. Rows and columns of spam links are still spam links no matter how much lipstick you put on them. * This is just my guess as to Google’s apparent, current perceptions. *
Here’s the part where I get shot. I would limit each Amazon capsule to ONE product. After all, 99% of all visitors are coordinated enough to know that clicking on it will give them access to whatever else they want. I would also limit the number of Amazon capsules to 2 or 3 per hub.
In the interests of full disclosure, this post was made by someone who does not depend on Amazon sales.
If you are writing craft hubs, this won't work well. For example, you have a step where you need specific kinds of tools. Then another step where you need another kind of tool. In this case, an Amazon capsule would need to have more than one product if you need more than one tool to begin (making wine at home, quilting, and others come to mind).
Also sometimes you can have a quite funny or entertaining article that is funny because it groups certain Amazon products together. It's all about the work the writer puts into it.
I'm in the process of doing that to a great many ebay hubs. I don't have any Amazon hubs left.
My ebay hubs depend upon six capsules. So I can't go lower than six with one product. If that's problem, I'll delete them. The relentless bickering, blame-mongering and name calling is starting to wear thin with me. It's not the way I live my life - under any circumtance.
Nelle! You're down to 8 hubs!! Have you just unpublished them while you tweak them? Are you giving up on Amazon hubs altogether??
When it comes to what Google wants, I have no idea what they're looking for in terms of backlinks and affiliate links. That said, my most successful product hubs are reviews of individual items with one (maybe two in rare cases) Amazon products in a capsule right-flush of its own text capsule.
I really wish that we could use the Amazon capsules to give a link to a page. For instance, if I'm talking generally about purple cat widgets, it would be nice to bring them to a whole page of purple cat widgets on Amazon. Remember -- it's not alwqays about selling a specific product. It's all about the cookie.
If everyone did what you do, I’d bet we wouldn’t be in this current mess.
Irohner, you can put in a text link that will do just that; take the reader to a searched page on Amazon that would hopefully provide the products you want. I don't have any idea how to get your cookie on there, but don't some other hubbers do that? Give Amazon text links with their tracker?
Oops, I forgot about all the other stuff; but you know what I mean.
The chance that amazon capsules have much to do with this on a site wide basis seems very very remote to me. I've seen the list of worst affected sites. Very few of those sites have any affiliate presence at all.
Squidoo was not affected, and it has a very heavy affiliate presence... most of the sales lenses I've seen there are much more blatant than even the worse offenders here.
by Brandon Hart 11 years ago
I like to add in-text links when I'm talking about certain products as I not only think they are some of the most effective, but also some of the most helpful. What I don't understand is why there is a limit of 2 in-text amazon links whereas we can make a slew of Amazon links using the Amazon...
by ryankett 13 years ago
In light of the latest Hubpages blog post, can I safely assume that any non-sales hubs would benefit from the removal of Amazon capsules altogether?These are capsules which likely earn me next to nothing for 10 months of the year. Also, how does Google determine what an affiliate link is? What...
by x 13 years ago
Well, folks. For those who missed it, here it is:"Yes. We ran several tests and Hubs that used Amazon were the most likely to see a decrease in traffic, followed by the news capsule." --Paul Edmondsonhttp://hubpages.com/forum/topic/70082#post1526822..I, for one, will be busy...
by Mary McShane 9 years ago
I just got this email. Is terminating your account normal if you don't have any sales or referrals in 90 days????Hello,Thanks again for joining the Amazon Associates program. We’re reaching out to you because we have not seen sales activity on your account.At the time your application was...
by Janis Leslie Evans 11 years ago
Have you seen the new rules regarding product capsules? It's in the HubPages Weekly. We have to reduce products within each capsule from 2 to 1, as a way to prevent looking spammy by Google. Oh Lord, what a task. I've already started this morning, 14 hubs down, 37 hubs to go. Question to...
by Paula Atwell 9 years ago
Is there a balance of Amazon products on a page that makes a hub overly promotional? Or is it dependent on the individual hub (over and beyond the 50 words per product)?
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