HubPages versus a Blog

1. 59

   StevenDiggsJrposted 13 years ago

   Is having a large group of well-developed hubs better than running a blog? I have a blog that I am trying to make be the be a great place, but I am having trouble gaining viewers. I am not sure what I should do?
   
   The one thing that I like about HP is that the pages can have a lot of info, including videos, which make them better in a way than Wikipedia articles. However, I could do the same with a blog. Which would be better?

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2. 70

   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   A mixture of both would work.
   
   I find that I get more traffic to hubs than blogs I have, but using me as an example isn't a good thing, considering I've limited knowledge and probably incorrect ON PAGE SEO with many of my pages.
   
   But, from what I've gathered from other hubbers, a good mixture of different writing sites, not just HP or Blogs, but others, like Reddit, Diggs, Squidoo and others work well.

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3. 79

   LuisEGonzalezposted 13 years ago

   Cagsil is absolutely correct. A good mixture of sites and formats works best but does take considerable time to develop and maintain. Hubs are for informative, entertaining,critical, reviews and other purposes. Much like an article on a magazine. A blog is typically more personal in nature and is less structured than a hub.....

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4. 74

   QuestionMasterposted 13 years ago

   Interesting that you've asked this question despite having a hub titled "Increase Your Website's Traffic."
   
   Unlike Hubpages, the best type of blog is one centred around a single topic (such as cooking or weight loss) instead of a mix of random subjects. Google is more likely to send hits to a site that looks like it is an authority on a single subject instead of just having a lot of topics thrown together. Plus, you need to make sure the niche is one that has low competition (not many other websites about it) and reasonably good traffic.

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5. 79

   eisuttonposted 13 years ago

   I prefer Hubs. I can't speak for anyone else. I have never cared to "follow a blog." I have my own life and do not need anyone else's, Thank you.  Hubs enable writers to develop good articles without rambling on about mundane topics.
   
   Hey, you didn't even have to pay me ten cents for that opinion.

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   1. 74

      QuestionMasterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Many people have the idea that a blog needs to be like a diary - in that case it will rarely make you a cent.
      
      However you can use a blog as a normal website - and post updates all on one topic - I have quite a few like that and 90% of the visitors never come back - they just arrive from search engines, find what they want and leave.

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   2. 61

      dabneylewisposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      But if you’re thinking about the visitors, so what I’ve experienced the quality visits you’ll catch here and their comments you’ll not get it’s so easily on blogs….  It’ll take number of months to get visits like this…
      
      From my side thumb up to HUB!!!!!!

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      1. 74

         QuestionMasterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Hubpages may once have been able to outrank any relatively new but SEO'd site easily. However now it's often easier to get good traffic and even comments on a blog style site. Hubpages is still good for one off topical articles though, since it's easier than having to build an entire site around just a few hundred words.
         
         Some articles attract comments, others do not. If you're referring to other hubbers', sometimes you get lots of those comments, it's true - but other hubbers don't click adverts.

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6. 69

   2uesdayposted 13 years ago

   It is worth considering this not as either or but as both. A good blog on the same subject as your favourite HubPages niche can send traffic here and visa versa as long as you stick to the hub rules about the number of links in hubs and the subject being relevant to the hub.
   
   You can put links to blogs in your profile.
   
   I think the writing style of a hub needs to be different to the way you write in a blog, so it suits me to have both.
   
   Blogs may still be considered by some as a persons on-line diary but there are many that are on a topic and are visited by people from search engines in response to a query.
   
   A page on HubPages is often described as an on-line  magazine article, stand alone page.
   
   While - Blogs even with added pages tend to 'loose' the older info as it rolls on with added posts.
   
   I think they are both good but for different reasons,another factor to consider is - if it is money that is the motivator, or writing and getting readers. I am still working on both

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7. 76

   daybreakposted 13 years ago

   Several comments here bring up an important issue; there are many types of formats and what works for one user may not work for another.
   
   Although diary type blogs can be extremely successful, the ratio of high performers to duds is probably pretty low.
   
   I maintain a portfolio of owned sites, blogger projects, lenses, and hubs, most of which are niche related.
   
   One thing that I have learned is that the vast majority of traffic tends to come from search engines, at least for the floorplan that I implement.
   
   Wordpress seems to have really done a great job of planning and providing an array of tools so that bloggers can customize a site.
   
   For a lot of niches, implementing both POSTS and PAGES are useful. In terms of search traffic, PAGES can rank very high and become a key component of a website.
   
   Another essential Wordpress tool is the interlinking feature, which can really help users navigate and stay on site.
   
   The original question is important; how do we decide when is it in our best interest to maintain a blog vs. a web 2.0 page?
   
   I think volume is important. As writers, are we prepared to make a long term commitment and write prolifically within a niche? If so, a full blown website might be worthwhile.
   
   One more observation may be worth noting. Traffic does not all have the same value when it comes to generating income.
   
   If we look at ad click through ratios (CTR), we are likely to find that niche sites might have CTRs that are MUCH higher than some other projects.
   
   For example one project might require 1000 visitors a month to achieve x amount of income while a niche project might earn the same amount with only a fraction of the traffic.

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8. 81

   viking305posted 13 years ago

   Yes I agree with most posted here, do both.  But I do not use my blogs in the traditional way.  They are not a diary.  I use them as websites and it works very well.  They are easy to set up and the widgets are amazing.
   
   I use the free Google blogs.  I can add Google Adsense and Amazon.  I write an original summary for my hubs in each niche blog and link to other articles and news items. Also Hubpages has the direct link to Google blogs at the end of each of my published hubs with the SHARE button.

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9. 95

   Cardisaposted 13 years ago

   Well I created a blog less than two weeks ago and have been getting a steady trickle of traffic everyday. It even started moving up the page ranks already.
   
   With both the blog and H[P articles you have to market them well. Use all the free SEO tools you can get. I don't understand half the SEO articles I read but I do try to use them as best I can. I submit my blogs to search engines and follow lists to get visitors.
   
   Keep your blog fresh, updating it at least once per week, adding stuff and links. Add photos and videos just the same.
   
   My health blog was created because HP disabled the ads on those hubs. Upon checking with Google I could place ads on my blog with those same articles....weird.
   
   The articles that are doing well here I will leave, but if they aren't doing so well, I may as well blog them. Blogs can also be informative or creative.

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