Considering a Change...

1. 76

   DzyMsLizzyposted 13 years ago

   Maybe I should change my name to "Dummy Miss Lizzy," because try as I might, I just don't seem to be able to get a handle on things vis-a-vis crosslinking, backlinking, SEO and external links.
   
   I've read and read, and asked questions here, and gotten answers and explanations to the point that it is now officially embarassing to ask yet again. I'm sure there is a tutorial somewhere here, but I probably read it without understanding very well...and/or cannot find it...(sheesh--Alzheimer's setting in?????)
   
   I've had several folks look at my hubs and tell me that "something" must be "off" somewhere for me to have such low earnings that I can't even get to the payout threshholds.  I just don't know where to look.
   
   I'm writing summaries, watching out for keywords, trying my best to acheive "long-tailed titles" without being 'cutesy' about it...apparently all for naught.
   
   I still don't 'get' how and where to 'backlink.'  I'm focusing all my writing energy here...so my blogs are being neglected.  I don't have time or energy for both.  My blogs to carry an RSS feed from my HP articles...but I don't think they get as much traffic as I do here, (because I don't have time to spend on promoting them), so that's probably pointless.
   
   In reading recently about using social media, the advice is, to "be social," for if you solely post self-promotion, you'll be seen as a spammer or at least selfish and unconcerned with others...neither of which perceptions are likely to gain your work a look-see.  Again, I don't have time or energy to sit all day on FaceBook or Twitter trying to win friends and influence people.  I don't have a "smart phone,"  my cell phone is just for emergencies, and it is not glued to my body 24/7 like so many these days.
   
   I'm a writer, not a 'techie,' and I am certainly no mathematician, so I can stare at Google Analytics all day long without understanding what it's trying to tell me. 
   
   So, I very shamefacedly implore anyone to try one more time to explain in dummy-terms, what exactly 'backlinking' is, how and where to do it, and so forth.  Feel free to e-mail me if you wish.

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2. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

   Backlinking is just posting links to your hubs elsewhere on the net. Many folks don't bother with it and just let the links self-generate. You can also get in trouble with HP and Google if you post links to your hubs in the wrong places. I, for one, have just decided not to generally mess with it.
   
   I could be wrong.

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   1. 74

      Richieb799posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Google tend to contradict themselves with the case of where you backlink, because on one hand they say you have no control on who backlinks to you :S

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3. 84

   Rik Ravadoposted 13 years ago

   I'm with Paradigmsearch.  I enjoy writing more than backlinking so I now write rather than backlink.  If you find it difficult then don't bother.  If you write good original content you'll get natural backlinks eventually anyway.  I find patience is a good virtue when writing online!  You're not a dummy you're a writer - Keep writing

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4. 82

   GmaGoldieposted 13 years ago

   The blog postings and the social networks are the part of this that I don't care for. Learning how to do a RSS post, navigating the various social networks is hard.
   
   In the end, when Google settles, the good writer with excellent content will win but the sad truth is we must market our hubs in some manner. Those with their websites, writing for newspapers, active on sites such as SheToldMeSo and Tumblr have an advantage.
   
   Hang in there - this "new wild west" is confusing. Stay here on HP and learn, the experienced techies will train us and we will learn.

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5. 81

   LuisEGonzalezposted 13 years ago

   I too do not know much about SEO and other stuff, but I do post links to my hubs on Facebook, Twitter, Redgage. This has slowly brought me traffic. I also post links with IMAutomator. Perhaps this may help. Like Paradigmsearch mentioned there are sites that can damage more than help so I stay away from sites that include points awarded for visiting other sites such as Traffup which I used to use a few months back.......

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6. 87

   crazyhorsesghostposted 13 years ago

   You have some hubs on topics that should draw traffic from the search engines and eventually pay you. Evergreen topics are very important. Simply this is content that should remain popular over the long term and be as popular next October as this October.
   
   Examples are hubs on health, home remedies, finance, self improvement, pets, travel.
   
   If you do hubs on those subjects they will be as popular next year as this year. Hubs that teach people how to take care of a problem will always be popular and should make money.
   
   Targeting popular key words is very important. You can use the key word tool at Google to look for long tail key words. ( 3 - 4 word key words )
   
   Your key word density for Google should be 2 1/2 percent while content written for Yahoo can go to 4 percent.
   
   SocialMonkee is a good way to get good free back links. Check my profile for it.
   
   I use the paid version but the free one works fine.
   
   Think outside the box. When you use images give your image a caption so Google Images will find it.
   
   There are many many places where you can submit articles or pictures and build good safe back links. I'll give you two of the best off my list. Ezine Articles and CNN's I Report. If you do a very good well thought out article at either place you can get a lot of traffic. And while I won't give all my list you can use Google to build you a list to use.
   
   Hope that helps a little bit. I think if you give it a try you'll see I have pointed you in the right direction.

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      charliegrumplesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Actually that isn't what a long tail keyword is .. it can even be a single word ... it's about a keyword that probably less people search for but has lower competition .. so for example by the 3-4 words thought 'high blood pressure' could be a long tail keyword but it isn't and in fact health is a difficult topic to rank for. However if you went for something with a title like 'green honeycomb' you'd nearly certainly be number one. However, of course no one searches for that so it would be pointless. You need to find topics that get say 500 local searches a month that has low competition ... have a look at nichepursuits.com and sign up and you can get a free booklet which is really helpful and he has just started selling his tool 'long tail pro' which is excellent .... I'll probably affiliate to it when I get around to it. good luck

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7. 80

   Danette Wattposted 13 years ago

   I too find much of this confusing. I quit stressing about figuring it all out and just focused on writing and reading others hubs and providing good feedback and evaluation.
   
   One thin I find hard to do is self-promote. I know I'm a good writer but I find it hard to shout to the world on FB that "I've just written another awesome hub so stop by and vote it up!!" Just not my style. So... I don't get a lot of views, don't get any payout, etc. I'll work on it again later but for now, I'm just content to keep writing.
   
   Hang in there.

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8. 71

   HikeGuyposted 13 years ago

   You're not alone. No doubt more experienced hubbers can give you the best advice on this. Just want you to know I'm right there with you.
   
   I found this post by Habee encouraging: http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/84106
   
   Like you, I haven't been drawn to the social networking sites. I did make myself tweet all the new and updated hubs -- I only have 14, counting the one in progress, so it's all a learning experience. I don't think tweeting was of much value, because I'm not active enough with Twitter to have much of a following. I spend several hours a day writing for a living, and the rest of the time I'm usually outdoors -- not hanging out on the Internet "socializing." I'm making an exception to hang out on HP a bit because I find things here I enjoy.
   
   I think using pingler.com helps -- I use it every time I post something new or do an update. I've also been submitting them directly to Yahoo and Google and posting links to them on my website. Google found most of the new ones and I've already had a little traffic from Yahoo -- but it's all such small numbers, aside from a traffic surge from friendly hubbers when I first publish a new one. I discovered my Facebook info from long ago and I may give that another shot -- but like you, I'd rather spend my time writing. I have four more assignments due for a client tonight and if I can get those to bed by midnight I'll have time to finish a new hub I'm having a good time with.
   
   The one backlinking method I've started trying that I'm comfortable with is posting a link to a recent hub when I communicate with another creative person in a discussion or email. I choose something relevant to the topic. I can live with that. Glad you posted -- go easy on yourself, not everyone is comfortable with self-promotion.

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   1. 87

      crazyhorsesghostposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hash Tags helps a lot to get more traffic from Twitter. Say you do a Hub Page on Costa Rica. When you post to Twitter use for example the Hash Tags   #Travel #Vacation and you will over time see more traffic. A hash tag is the symbol # and a word. You can not use spaces. Some hash tags will give big to huge traffic over a period of time.

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9. 76

   DzyMsLizzyposted 13 years ago

   My goodness, thank you all so very much!  There is a lot of good information from everyone here, and I'm sure I will be able to put a good deal of it to use without stretching my "time budget" out of shape.
   
   A friend of mine did turn my on to TwitterFeed, so with that set up, it auto-finds and tweets any new articles.  you can set it to search your site in time increments from every half hour to every week.  (I think--I'm not on there much; once it's set up, it auto-runs--you don't even have to be signed in.)
   
   I really appreciate all the suggestions!  Thank you all for your time in posting such detailed information.

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10. 71

    HikeGuyposted 13 years ago

    crazyhorsesghost -- Thanks for the Twitter Hash Tag tip. I'll give that a try.
    
    DzyMsLizzy -- Glad I stopped back here -- I'd better find my TwitterFeed! I hope you see great improvements.

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11. 49

    MoiraCrochetsposted 13 years ago

    Hi DzyMsLizzy! I'm new to Hubpages (barely 2months since I started writing for HP) but I'm closing in on my first payout for AdProgram (I'm $2 short). My strategy is to write niche topics, specifically, crochet because its the only thing I know very well.
    This is all good for me because I know several crochet sites where I can get my hubs backlinked. For example Crochet Pattern Central, a site which publishes links to free crochet patterns, is the number ONE source of my pageviews. Another site that I really love is Ravelry because I can selfishly promote my hubs there to my target audience. So I don't worry much about Google not finding me. (Although, when Google finds me, it feels really good.)
    Sometimes I'm tempted to try writing fiction. But since I'm here to make money, I concentrate on making crochet patterns. When I run out of ideas for crochet patterns, I'll begin writing fiction.
    I hope this will help you.

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