Niche sites selection

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   DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years ago

   I understand there are a ton of hubs for staff to review for selection to the new niche sites.   2 different questions come to mind:
   
   1)  Are we allowed to suggest to them other of our hubs, which, in fact, 'match up,' or are in the same general topic category as one or more that has already been moved over?
   
   2)  I notice ALL of the Amazon capsules are being snipped...I sort of understand, and sort of do not.  I don't make many sales from these, but I recently just did this week...and if the capsule hadn't been on the hub, I'd have lost out.  What gives, here?  I staff preparing to delete the Amazon Associate program altogether?

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      kenneth averyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      DzyMsLizzy,
      You need to ask paradigmsearch about such things. This hubber somehow knows quick ways to get needed-answers for us who are "in the dark."

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      Blond Logicposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I sent the staff a message when one of my hubs was snipped. They messaged me back giving me the criteria for including an Amazon capsule. Alas I have since deleted the email but it made valid points.
      
      For example, if you are writing a cookie recipe, don't put a capsule advertising mixing bowls, because if they are looking for a cookie recipe, it is likely they already have bowls. If you were showing them how to make fancy cookies  using different cookie press nozzles, then an ad for a cookie press would be a good fit.
      
      It should be a product you know well or have used yourself. Then you should also write about your experience in the Amazon capsule. You do this by using the 'select a specific product' option in the Amazon capsule, then you have the option of adding a description.
      
      They also said, don't just stick an ad on for the sake of it and hope for sales as it looks spammy and desperate. (Not their words) I think it will also devalue your hub and lessen the user experience.
      
      We need to ask  ourselves, if the customer is coming to our page for information or are they coming there to find out about a product?
      
      I think we all need to pull together and shave our hubs to enable Hubpages to continue. I feel the move to the niche sites was a positive one and we don't want to backslide by putting a bunch of  ineffectual Amazon ads on.
      
      In saying that, I have one Amazon ad on one of my moved hubs. The hub is well over 3,000 words long and I make some sales from it. For now I will leave it as it is and not rock the boat.
      
      I hope that helps.

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      1. 85

         DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Mary.  I understand that much, and generally, that is how I handle Amazon capsules now.  I think in the past, when things were more lax, and I was newer here, I did put in some capsules for things I had not used, but which overall fit the subject of the hub, such as a book on grammar or a misspeller's dictionary on my hubs about language.  They fit, even if I had not read the specific book.  I read the descriptions to see if they were an easy-to-understand type of book, then included them.
         
         In my article on camping for the first time, for example, I included ads for camp stoves, cots, sleeping bags, and camp cookware.  I've since edited that hub down to a single item per text capsule.
         
         While I may not have had personal experience with that particular brand or model (my own stuff, I've had since camping with my family as a child), because the same models no longer exist.  However, that does not mean I'm unfamiliar with, or have never used the general category of items, such as camp stoves or sleeping bags.
         
         Yet, that hub had a "too many ads" notice. It rather peeved me, as the word count was adequate for each, per the new rules, so that's when I edited it down to a single ad per topic paragraph.

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2. 86

   Marisa Wrightposted 7 years ago

   Removing Amazon capsules won't make your Hub more likely to be chosen. If the Hub is judged worthy, they will snip any Amazon ads they don't want.
   
   Hubs are chosen mainly by whether Google likes them, ie Hubs that get good Google traffic.

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      paradigmsearchposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Hello.

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         paradigmsearchposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Redact. Declined.

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      agilitymachposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I don't believe this is quite true.  I think they are looking for authors who are "experts."  I believe I read that while Google traffic is a consideration, some Hubs that get low traffic may be moved if it provides good information from an author who is an expert, the Hub is of high quality and the Hub will fit well into the site.  I've had some low traffic Hubs go over.

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      1. 86

         Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         The way I read it was that the Hubs with high traffic get priority, but that each site also needs to have a balanced spread of articles across all its categories and selecting just high-traffic Hubs won't achieve that - so then, they start looking for Hubs to fill the gaps using the criteria you describe.

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         1. 93

            agilitymachposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            That would make sense.  But they also said that expertise was very important.  In PetHelpful, I noticed that authors with expertise had many, many articles transferred.  I can think of at least four. I don't know how those Hubs were doing traffic-wise.  I also don't know about the other sites as I don't write on other topics, so I don't pay attention to author expertise on those topics.   Of course HP is going to pull over the high traffic Hubs, but I believe they will also pull over the quality Hubs to fill in the site.  I believe they would pull over a quality Hub even if there was already a high traffic Hub on that topic.  I believe quality, traffic and expertise are the major keys here.  From my 24ish Hubs pulled over, that seems to be the case.  I have both high traffic and low traffic Hubs pulled over.  The ones that didn't go were my first Hubs when i was learning the ropes here, and they are not of the highest quality.  I wouldn't pull them over either. (With the exception of one or two.)

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   paradigmsearchposted 7 years ago

   Just so wish to talk.

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   1. 85

      DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Pick up your phone--reach out and touch someone. 

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         paradigmsearchposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Hammered by solicitors, ringer off.
         
         Ringer on for next hour.

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            paradigmsearchposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Poker playing days. Where are that?

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   paradigmsearchposted 7 years ago

   We need to talk.

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      kenneth averyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      

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         paradigmsearchposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Here.

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   paradigmsearchposted 7 years ago

   I'm live here. What's up?

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   paradigmsearchposted 7 years ago

   Upper right, Chron.

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      kenneth averyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Oops! I 'd at the wrong time.

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7. 85

   DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years ago

   Partly 'bumping,' and also a new, related question.
    
   If a hub has been 'snipped' of any and all links, but we still want people to know we have  sideways-related subject hubs, couldn't we replace the snipped link with text along the lines of, "...as written about in my article titled "how to find an article" on Hub Pages." ???

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      Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I haven't had that kind of link snipped from my Hub.   Was the link truly related?
      
      If you are linking to a related Hub or to a useful relevant site, the link would not usually be snipped.  I've only had a few Hubs moved to the new sites and the only links that have been snipped are affiliate links.  Maybe your "sideways-related" Hub was not related enough?

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         kenneth averyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Marisa, good morning. I had a hub snipped recently. The hub was my review of a certain television show. I left my ratings/stars at the bottom of the hub and HP deleted that section. Why?

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            Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            I can't shed any light on that I'm afraid.

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               kenneth averyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               Marisa, that's cool. No problem. Peace to you, good friend.

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            Christy Kirwanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Hi Ken,
            
            Please see my response to Rachael here: http://hubpages.com/community/forum/136 … ost2817522
            
            It sounds like you're asking the same question.

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      2. 85

         DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Marissa:
         The snipped link was in my hub on Boating Lingo, in which there is a brief section on navigation.  The snipped link referred to my (I thought) somewhat related article on how to find your way with a compass, which applies anywhere, on or off the water.

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