Confused about link removal

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   agilitymachposted 8 years ago

   I have a question about removal of one of my links during the snip editing process.  I'm not angry, just trying to learn.
   
   At the end of my articles on dog training, I let my readers know that if they want to follow me on Facebook, they can click the posted link and like my Facebook page.  I have over 2K followers on Facebook.  When I publish a new article, I post it on my FB fan page, and my fans then "share" the article.  It can go anywhere from a bit viral to very viral.
   
   When my articles get "snip" edited or pro edited here on HP, the Facebook link is removed.  I know people can follow me here on HubPages, but I also know that people interested in my dog sport aren't going to create a profile here just to follow me.  However the dog sport community all hang out on FB, so reaching them there is a breeze.
   
   If the link to my FB fan page benefits HP by increasing (by a lot) views to my articles, why is it removed?  What is the downside of having the link?  There must be one or it wouldn't be removed.   
   
   BTW, when I look at just FB and Google stats for my work, about 60 percent of my hits are from FB.  Only 40 are from Google.  Most of my work is written with FB in mind, not Google.
   
   So, what am I missing here?

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   1. 91

      Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      The downside of the link is that people click it and leave HubPages. Even if it results in more views to  HubPages, they're playng a game that doesn't consider the future, just what happens immediately when the link is clicked. They don't understand that when a HubPages writer promotes her hubs on another site she's also promoting HubPages in multiple ways. First, the views to her hubs produce money from advertisers and second, when people come to her hubs because of a facebook page, they have come to HubPages and may move on to other hubs once they are here.
      
      They don't seem to understand the value that a writer having a readership brings to them so they don't support it. They don't seem to see the value of social media traffic to HubPages, either.

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2. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 8 years ago

   Because it counts as self-promotional and that's not allowed.

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3. 92

   agilitymachposted 8 years ago

   But why, if it helps bring in views?  I really am trying to understand - not trying to be a pain.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Because they don't know it helps bring in views.  Most people who link to a Facebook page, would be linking to a page that promotes them as an individual - or it might even promote their own blog. 
      
      The moderators don't have time to go and check the Facebook page to see whether it's promoting HubPages or some other site - so they just have a rule that it's not allowed.

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4. 92

   agilitymachposted 8 years ago

   I mean, I can totally get it if I were putting in a link to my "Zazzle" account that sells artsy dog products, but it's a link to my FB page designed JUST for my HubPage acct. 
   
   And thanks for replying.

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5. 90

   Millionaire Tipsposted 8 years ago

   In addition to what the others have said, I think it is also risky to let a link to another site stay.  For one thing, it would be hard for a moderator to judge which sites are really spammy and which sites are not.  You could, for example, be really spammy on Facebook. Or maybe you aren't now, but decide to be in the future.  If your Facebook page is linked, it may appear as an endorsement to that page, and HubPages doesn't have the manpower to monitor it and has no control over what you put or don't put there.

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6. 92

   agilitymachposted 8 years ago

   Thank you all for explaining the whys.  I appreciate the responses.
   
   It's really a Catch 22 for me.  My FB fan page has gotten 60 likes in just the last 2 weeks, so it continues to grow.  I do get that they can't moderate where all the links go to, and I also do get that I "could" make my FB page spammy.  But...as a person with marketing experience, I wouldn't do that to my audience there.  The page would lose it's power to reach my target audience.  However HubPages doesn't know I won't make the page spammy.
   
   I guess I have to decide whether getting a "hit" from HubPages for having a link they don't like (but benefits them) is worth the extra views.  I would like as many of my dog articles as possible to go over to PetHelpful, but most of my views come from that FB page.  It's a dilemma.

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   1. 90

      Millionaire Tipsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      It's not really a dilemma. You are allowed to post your HubPages links on Facebook. You just aren't allowed to post your Facebook links to HubPages.

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      1. 92

         agilitymachposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         It is a dilemma because the people who "like" my FB page FIND the FB page off of my link on my Hubs.  So...I wouldn't get a fan base if I didn't link my FB page off of my Hubs.  AND...my hubs wouldn't go viral without the fans finding my FB page in the first place, which they only do through my hub link.  (About as clear as mud, I know.)
         
         I do appreciate your thoughts on the topic though.

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