Just Venting: Earnings Down to a Ridiculous Level

1. 85

   DzyMsLizzyposted 9 years ago

   Just a vent/rant.  Not expecting answers/solutions.
   
   
   Ever since January, my earnings, which were never spectacular, have dropped like the proverbial stone.
   
   I had one really good week around the holidays last year, when I made over a buck a day for the first time ever.  (and I have very, very few 'seasonal' articles.)  After that, the trend has been steadily downward, and of late, has picked up speed at an alarming rate.
   
   Now, I am making less than a quarter a day, and it's hardly worth my time to bother to write anymore...this after I'm FINALLY noticing some of my articles getting pinned to Pinterest....which was never happening prior to my 'good week' last year.   It always has taken me about 3 or 4 months to reach the payout minimum, but at this rate, I'll be lucky to get to the next one by next summer!
   
   Is it the influx of massive amounts of new material from Squidoo?  Is it Google's latest  slap at "content farms?"  Is it just the fact that no one reads anymore?  Is it that people don't click on ads at all anymore? 
   
   I can't suss it out.  I'm not going to bother trying; I don't own a crystal ball.
   
   I'm sure it has to do with my topics apparently not being of much interest, despite all my "traffic up" arrows.  I'm not asking for a magical solution, or any solution.  Just venting.
   
   **end rant

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      Nell Roseposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Same here lizzy, I always reach payout, in fact I was doing really well, earning quite a bit, now its gone down the pan, over to bubblews for a while!

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         misterhollywoodposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         My earnings are down 65 percent. I was doing very well until late Septmber. Some hubs were at 1500 views a day. Now down to 500 and dropping. I can relate. I'm sorry you are having to deal with this.

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      mariexotoniposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I totally feel you on this! My earnings were going up until may (nearly $60)... now, last month, I'm barely making $30.
      
      It's so frustrating. Especially since I put out 10 new articles that were better researched than any of my previous works.
      
      I'm just waiting it out and seeing what happens with search algorithm changes and hope for the best. Until then, I'm on break from writing here at HP. Wish they'd incorporate some new writing programs with critical feedback. Or that beautiful Earnings Program...I was SOOOOO close to reaching a tier before it was removed!
      
      AGHAL;JSD

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      CatherineGiordanoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the rant. We all have to vent sometimes.  I do it myself quite often. I have never had earnings--25 cents in one say is a cause for celebration for me. However, while I do hope to see earnings sometime soon, I am writing for more reasons than just money. The satisfaction of seeing the finished article; the satisfaction of seeing comments that tell me others liked it, and the satisfaction of seeing my writing skills improve.

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         mariexotoniposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         It took me about a year on HubPages to start making over a few pennies a day

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      ChitrangadaSharanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Its the same with me! Earnings and page views, both down drastically!

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      relacheposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Yes.  All of those elements have some influence on what's happening.
      
      But there's more too, and it's all compounding.

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         Rhonda Lytleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Could you please elaborate on the "more".  I'm not being contentious here.  I really want to know.

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      Kathy Stutzmanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I am new to HubPages but I have noticed a discrepancy between the number of links that Twitter is telling me linked to specific Hubs and the number of views recorded in my stats report at HubPages...the discrepancy is not small, and in fact some of my best performing views and links on Twitter report back in Hub that there were zero views, and as a result the earnings have dropped to zero also - not sure what that's all about because I am new I have nothing to compare to except the outside reports and Twitter is not the only report that is very different than my Hub stats.

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      Maffew Jamesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      You can write on any topic you want and you'll generally be able to get traffic. You need to actually research keywords and use them properly for search engines to even notice your content though.
      
      Then you have competitors. If you were writing in the health niche for example, you have huge sites like WebMD to compete against. It's nearly impossible to beat a site like that. If you can't move up in the search results, you won't get traffic because barely anyone moves past the first page of the results when they search for something.
      
      Also, Hubpages as a whole has its own advantages and disadvantages. The domain has significant authority because of its size and sheer amount of content. This will generally help a site rank above other sites quicker and more easily, but Google is constantly releasing updates that penalise Hubpages as a whole because it is a 'content farm' in their opinion. Even if you have high quality content, Google doesn't care. It's part of Hubpages and that will affect your overall ranking.
      
      If you can work through all of this and play it just right, you will make money on Hubpages. If you can't, it may be better to start your own blog and focus on building subscribers instead so that you don't have to rely on the search engines for traffic. The other benefit of this is that someone else's domain won't impact your content. You own the domain and can control how it is perceived.

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         misterhollywoodposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Hard to hear advice but true!

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      NateB11posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Like many others, I'm feeling what you're feeling. I've spent at least two years getting mostly low traffic on my articles on, basically, unpopular topics. Finally, a few months ago, my traffic was getting decent and I thought, "I finally did it!" Then, last month, my traffic dropped by at least 75%, I think about 90% or so on one HP account. It's a shock, no doubt. And disappointing. It shows me how arbitrary the Internet is. It's not dependent on quality of content, etc. Plenty of good writers have this happen to them.

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         jansharesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I second that exactly, NateB11.

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      fpherj48posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Dzy..my friend.....earnings are soooo low, I'm expecting any time now they will read with a MINUS sign before them......You have earned  -$14.32 today....Congratulations to us!  You may send check or money order for the privilege of being allowed to remain here.  Keep writing!  We're piling up cash for Christmas Shopping.  So sorry you won't be celebrating this year. 
      Hey!  C'mon....how many times does someone have to laugh at you when you tell them you're a writer??!!   You people sure are a determined lot!!  ROFLMAO!

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       Sherry Hewinsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       I was making payout every month for a while there, but with every rise, there is a fall. I have gotten used to the ebb and flow now. I consider myself fortunate when the Google gods smile upon me, and when they rain on me, I just hunker down and wait for the sun to come out.
       
       As to whether it's worth it, I'm not putting out much effort right now, just letting it ride, so it's all free money, whether it's a little or a lot.

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   LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

   ranting with you!

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   LuisEGonzalezposted 9 years ago

   

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      Nell Roseposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      LOL!

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      DzyMsLizzyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      LOL--I hear that--I'm about there myself!

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   blueheronposted 9 years ago

   The latest Panda update (some on here have said) gave Hubpages a slapdown. My page views have dropped by almost half. Earnings per click are also down a bit. Over many years of doing freelance work, I have become resigned to being subject to decisions that are out of my control.
   
   I have another freelance income stream, and the people running that one recently went to a "new platform"--which, as best I can tell, is a disaster at several levels. I don't really know how this came about. I have learned from long experience that they're not going to tell me, either.
   
   The only part of the decision-making process that you have any control over is whether you go or stay. That will depend on your other options.

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   alexadryposted 9 years ago

   I have come to accept that writing here is like an investment; it has its ups and downs, difference is it doesn't depend on Wall Street but on Mr. Google. The low earnings we are seeing is because traffic is much lower these days and page views are almost half of what they were.The big point is if you want to make some money out of blogging it will take many years and earnings won't start overnight, but most of all, (and most disturbing to all of us) the earnings will have ups and downs; therefore, we must have our eggs in more than one basket, so when thin times are near we have other resource/s to make up for the losses.

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      Barbara Kayposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I like the comparison to an investment. The stocks are up one day and down the next. It really is an investment of our time and energy rather than an investment of money. I guess just like the stock market, we should expect ups and downs. That gives me a different attitude. Thanks for the idea.

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         CatherineGiordanoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Good point. I noticed stocks are down too. When it rains, it pours.

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   jansharesposted 9 years ago

   I'm feeling your rant and your frustration MsLizzy. Most of us relate as we are going through the same.

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   Arco Hess Designsposted 9 years ago

   If you've had problems since January, your problem would be Ponds 4.0 and not Panda 4.1. A better thing to look at instead of earning would be views. Are your views down the same amount as the money or is it the same, less, or what?
   
   If you are getting pins now, that's a good sign. For now, stay focused on marketing. There are so many Google updates and other things involved in rankings that you should just stay focused.

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   Torrs13posted 9 years ago

   I think a lot of us are in the same boat as you. I will cease to publish any new hubs until everything settles down. Until then, I guess I'll be focusing on my own site! Here's to hoping things turn around...

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      Barbara Kayposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I will be doing the same thing. My site is doing well, so I'll work on that again.

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      NateB11posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I just want to second this; this slump is a good opportunity to work on other things; and that's what's good about having your own sites.
      
      Also, in the past few days I've written a few articles on subjects, on a different account, that I just wanted to write about, no consideration for keywords or being search friendly. It was refreshing and kind of what I needed. Like going back to basics.

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      misterhollywoodposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Good for you! At least with your own site you have more control (total control) over the domain.

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   Silva Hayesposted 9 years ago

   I'm having the same experience.  Knowing I'm not alone, hearing from others who share this situation makes me feel better.  I was so happy earlier in the year when my earnings reached payout each month, then in August they did an abrupt nosedive and haven't pulled out of it yet.  Reading these comments has helped me to shrug it off and focus on other endeavors.  I will still write a hub here and there and keep mine in good shape and perhaps someday they will edge back up.

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    CassandraCaeposted 9 years ago

    So was it Squidoo's fault every other time this happened too?  It's always about squidoo.  People need to look at their own backyards before judging others.  I have been doing awesome here.  My traffic is up, both ads and amazon numbers,  and I am thrilled to write more content.

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    LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

    It took me 3 years for first payout.  Although earnings have dropped in the past month, they are still double - triple than what they were a year ago. I have 35 news hubs in the past few months.  Let's see what happens with more hubs.

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    Zachary Baselposted 9 years ago

    I don't mean to come off too negative here, but for as much work as some of you put on writing articles do you really find it worthwhile for little to no pay?

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       mariexotoniposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Personally, it's worth it to me.
       
       Hard to have the patience. But, I feel like if you've been on HP for awhile, you get used to the lows and highs and accept them. Heck, if you only make 10 bucks a month, that's an extra $120 a year. It depends on if it's worth it to you. It helps if you do it for fun too.
       
       I used to question this myself. I stopped writing here for a few months (making pennies a day, at best) and came back, noticing that my daily earnings were actually in the seventy to eighty cents range. I just left my articles up and forgot about them, came back pleasantly surprised.

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          Zachary Baselposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          If you have a passion for writing then by all means write. However, if your number one priority for writing for Hubpages is to earn some extra passive income than I think it's not worth the effort. Opportunity costs are very high for such minimal gains. I am very new here, but it still baffles me when I hear people complain about how low their earnings are on Hubpages. I go to their profile and I notice they have over 50 articles posted. Then that translates into what? An extra $20 a month? That's not even a dollar an article.

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             Melissa A Smithposted 9 years agoin reply to this

             You can't go by the amount of articles. You can make three digits with just 5 articles with the right traffic.

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                Zachary Baselposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                We all know that's few and far between. I didn't mean for this to ignite into anything. I just wanted to add my own two cents.

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             mariexotoniposted 9 years agoin reply to this

             Melissa is spot on.
             
             Its a learning process. You learn how to write quality, well-researched articles which address what users are searching for and is engaging. Definitely not about the quantity of articles. Only 10-20% of my hubs bring me a majority of my traffic. So I could delete probably 40 of my hubs and still generate nearly the same revenue.
             
             Also, by continually posting content, you have more chances to "hit the mark", as well as make you a more trustable source with Google. Online writing for revenue isn't for everyone (it's hard work and of course, it can't happen overnight). But, for me, when I "hit the mark", it is worth it.
             
             Can't just equate time spent (or # of articles written) with money- have to make it quality time, quality information + incorporate social marketing (which I completely struggle with).

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             Maffew Jamesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

             The problem is that writing for the web is different to writing for an offline publisher. Articles have to be crafted in a way that search engines will be able to find and value them. Then you need to build authority and links to both your article pages and your domain.
             
             Many people will write to a site like Hubpages and just write whatever they want without taking this into account. Sometimes they get lucky and they write an article in a way that, by chance, includes necessary keywords and isn't competing with other massive websites. Most of the time though, they will see next to no organic views.
             
             What this translates to is that the writer feels dismayed because they've wrote something they are proud of and believe is great yet aren't receiving views for it. These writers would be better suited to freelance work directed at magazines, books, etc.
             
             You can make money on Hubpages. A lot of money in fact. You will make nothing if you don't know how to write for the internet though.

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             Barbara Kayposted 9 years agoin reply to this

             I've been writing here for 4 years. If you add up what I've earned in that time for what I have written, it is better pay then I would earn for writing anywhere else. When you first start, it doesn't seem like much, but it all adds up after years.
             
             I've been putting more of my time into my websites lately and little time here. I still keep earning. Never would I try supporting a family writing just for Hubpages, but it is well worth any time I invest.

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       NateB11posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       That's a very good question. And I'm apt to agree with you considering the effects of the recent Google update to their search engine which I'm pretty sure decimated my traffic. However, I do know it's possible to make more than $20 a month from 50 articles; actually you can make quite a bit more with a lot fewer articles. Others are correct, if you do some keyword research for your article writing, you can get very good traffic. I think, or hope, that this recent setback, due to the algorithm update in the Google search engine, some of us are having is temporary; others have experienced ups and downs like this, I think it's par for the course.
       
       However, I think you make a good point. A person would have to assess whether it is worth their time to write online considering you might not make much money and the rug can be pulled right out from under you at the drop of a hat. No doubt my time and energy are precious and I consider it necessary to put very serious thought into how they're used.

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    LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

    Well, as for me, I am retired, don't have a busy life, and really don't need the money.  I still enjoy a few extra bucks though for cookie jar money.  If I could reach a payout 3-4 times a year, I would be happy with that. Of course, more would be better.
    
    If I think about or do something I may as well write about it in some way. If I buy it, I may as well write about it.  If I think about it, why not write about it.  Maybe I will earn some cash, maybe I won't.  But if I don't, not earning a thing is a definite.

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    eugbugposted 9 years ago

    If all the writers here could mount  a major crowdsourcing marketing campaign for HubPages on Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Facebook, I wonder what influence it would have on search results? Twitter has a "trends" panel so I wonder how much activity is required on a # tag to get listed on this? How can we convince the public that just as Google is "the" search engine of choice, HubPages is the best article site to find info on, and they must add the word "Hubpages" when searching for information.
    Just some thoughts!...........

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       Zachary Baselposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Just post your own articles on all of those platforms. It will drive more traffic to hubpages, but most importantly more traffic to your articles.

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       relacheposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       That's an intriguing concept. 
       
       How would you "prove" in this campaign that a site which got major national press as losing 46% SEO visibility in the latest Panda update is the best article site for info?  I'm really curious to hear your take on this....

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          eugbugposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          As I understand it, the whole purpose of sales and marketing is to create brand awareness and "get customers in the door". Hopefully if they like what they see, they will come back. Large multinational companies spend millions on marketing campaigns for their food products which often are downright bad for us, but as long as the consumer thinks its good, that's all that matters.
          When I do a Google search for e.g. power tools and add hubpages as a keyword, my hubs appear on the first page and often as the first entry in the list. So how could we encourage people to do this?.
          We can pin and post articles to Facebook, Pinterest, Learnist and all the other social networking/bookmarking sites .This generates direct and in-direct organic traffic via Google searches. As far as a searcher is concerned though, they are just clicking on an image which takes them to HubPages. They are only concerned with whether the article is useful to them or interesting, not who or what HubPages is. If HubPages was like some form of ultra-popular magazine, maybe we could get lots of traffic that way?

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    Dana Tateposted 9 years ago

    Well, I hate to say this but I feel sooo much better knowing it's not just my hubs and page views that has hit an all time low. I was so surprised when my most viewed hub for years went down to less than half. However, I have learned to just wait and see what happens and it is true having other sites to work on helps.

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    LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

    Zachary:  There is no way for you to know what is being earned.  Nobody will tell you because we are not allowed to disclose earnings.  There have been writers here who have supported their family on the income they have received.   There are writers here that do extremely well with sales, but that is not disclosed either.   Just curious, why are you writing here?

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       Zachary Baselposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       I wrote on Yahoo contributor before it got shutdown and I was making $7 dollars an article for just about any topic I wanted to write about and for only 300 words. I decided to post a couple of those articles are Hubpages to see what would happen. So far the traffic has been extremely bad.

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    davidlivermoreposted 9 years ago

    My views are higher than ever, but my earnings are basically a joke.  They are either paying out very little, or hits from mobile devices are my main source.  Mobile just doesn't pay as well as someone on a good old fashioned PC.
    
    Sorta disgusting, really.

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