promoting vs. referencing a hub: what's the difference?

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  1. janshares profile image92
    jansharesposted 11 years ago

    I understand that it's against hub rules to promote hubs in comments or within a hub article. Please clarify the difference between making a reference to your own or someone else's vs blatant promotion. I've see hubs mentioned all the time in different places and cannot tell the difference. What is the rule?

    1. livewithrichard profile image73
      livewithrichardposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If you comment on someone's hub and place your non-relevant hub link then that is frowned on.  I for one delete the comment as the link provides no value to my readers.  However, if the link is relevant to my topic or adds to the conversation in any way then I leave it.  Links in my comments that point outside of hubpages I just delete unless of course it is a relevant link.

      Any link you place inside of your hubs should be relevant to the topic.  If it is to another hub then you can have as many as you want (so long as they are all relevant.) Don't just accept the link suggestion tool without first checking the linked destination.  Internal linking is not bad but too many can have an adverse affect on your own hubs.  I would limit it to 2 within the body of the hub, remember that comments that come from other hubbers will provide and automatic link to their profile.

      Links in the body of your hub that point to external sites are limited to 2 to the same domain but it really makes no sense to provide more than 1.  In your link capsule you can place as many as you need so long as they are reference type links that ad value for your readers.  Links in the body of the hub that point to your own content or content that you want to promote should not be placed on pages or domains that violate Google's TOS or to pages that are full of affiliate links. Linked pages too should ad value for your readers.

      1. janshares profile image92
        jansharesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

        Thanks for this explanation, livewithrichard. So it looks likes we're talking about links, not just casually mentioning your/someone else's hub. The other factor, if I'm getting it right, is relevance to content. For example, if I'm reading your hub about rome apples and in my comment I invite you to read my hub about gala apples, that's ok. But if I invite you to read my hub about oranges, even without a link, that's frowned upon, right?

        1. livewithrichard profile image73
          livewithrichardposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          99.9% correct.  It's the linking that is of interest.  Just mentioning is not a problem except in the rare instances where someone wants to rant or rage against a fellow hubber and it becomes derogatory in tone.  The I'm right, He's wrong kind of hub is the kind that gets flagged most often.

        2. Marisa Wright profile image85
          Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          You're right.  If you don't know why "backlinks" (hyperlinks to your Hub) are important, then it's worth doing some research on that.  Mentioning a Hub by name, without linking it, can be done anywhere.



          It depends on the Hubber, but neither would be OK in my book.  If you're "inviting" me to read your Hub on gala apples, you're using my comments box to advertise your Hub - and that's considered rude.  However, if I mentioned a particular disease of rome apples, and you'd written a Hub providing more information about that disease, that would be very welcome.

          In other words, you should only mention your Hub in a comment if it adds value to the Hub you're reading.

          1. livewithrichard profile image73
            livewithrichardposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            big_smile What she said!

          2. janshares profile image92
            jansharesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Got it! Thanks again.

    2. Novel Treasure profile image89
      Novel Treasureposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      One thing I didn't realize until reading the learning center was that when you put a url reference for your picture that counts as a link too. So if you are getting pictures from the same online source and you reference each one with a link than it can be deemed as overly promotional.

      1. janshares profile image92
        jansharesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

        Thank, Novel Treasure, didn't realize that.

    3. Marisa Wright profile image85
      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Your understanding of the rules is not quite right.  Neither of those things is against the rules. 

      It's against the rules to reference a Hub more than twice within a Hub article.

      It's not against the rules to reference a Hub in comments, but it's considered bad manners.

      It's against the rules to reference your own Hubs in the forums, but you can reference other people's Hubs.

      By referencing a Hub with a hyperlink, you're effectively promoting it - so they're the same thing.

      1. janshares profile image92
        jansharesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

        Thank you, Marisa. Your explanation makes it clearer for me, I think :-) Sounds like it's more about etiquette and less about intentionally committing any egregious violation.

 
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