Slimming down my poetry hubs

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   Tinskyposted 6 years ago

   I'm updating my poetry hubs and need some advice. In the past, I've used a multi-textual format for my poems - a hybrid form of textuality. I don't think this fits anymore with HubPages split categories and different domains. I would publish a poem but also include brief information on the theme or topic of the poem in a different capsule as well as background information on why I wrote the poem (personal reflection). Or, I would write about the theme or topic as the primary basis for the hub and use the poem to enhance it (like an image enhances a topic).
   
   What I'm thinking of doing is removing the capsules with information on the theme or topic and also the background information from my poetry hubs, leaving only the poem with images (usually one or two).
   
   I've looked at the poetry that has been accepted for Letterpile and I think this is the way to go.
   
   What do you think? My other thought was to remove them completely to my personal website where a hybrid form of textuality generates more traffic, especially if I discuss more technical aspects about the writing style and genre (but I don't use a revenue stream on my personal site, which is one of the downsides to moving).
   
   Cheers
   -Tina

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      kenneth averyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      @Tina -- I have to agree. And may I add, that I am behind you 100%. On my poetry pieces, I, like a blind sheep, have followed HP protocol and gave a brief summary, but YOUR idea, I know, will get you more response and with your permission, when I post my poetry, may I use your idea? And Happy New Year.

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         Tinskyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         @ Kenneth - happy to share ideas   I'm sure, I'm not the first to use these formats, I'm just trying to work out (with some anxiety) which one will work  best with HubPages and it's different network sites moving forward. And from what I've examined from those selected for poetry in LetterPile, simplicity appears to work best.

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   Marisa Wrightposted 6 years ago

   Bear in mind that the reason you created that hybrid style was to attract search engine traffic.
   
   Google doesn't like short articles with very little content.  It doesn't make exceptions for poetry.  Removing your additional material may offer a better experience for readers (though I'm not sure I understand how, if the extra material is at the end of the poem and therefore not intruding), but if it's going to lose you search traffic, fewer people will see your poem. 
   
   That wouldn't work for me. 
   
   Are you saying that you've submitted your hybrid Hubs to LetterPile and they're being rejected? 
   
   Or that you're writing brand new Hubs which aren't being transferred?  The Letterpile editors must be pretty busy with the transferring of "how to" Hubs to Hobbylark, so they may be a bit slow processing their queues right now.  It may just be a case of having some patience - I've known some Hubs to take three or four weeks to get moved.

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      Tinskyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Marisa,
      
      Thanks for your thoughts and feedback.
      
      These articles are old hubs that have been sitting and waiting for me to decide what to do with them. Some are older than four or five years. They initially did okay for poems but then traffic fell off away a couple of years ago.  In most cases, the poem comes first with hybrid material afterwards (or the side, which now needs to be changed). In one case, I have the material first with the poem last as the focus was more on the topic than the poem. I may split this into two hubs (the topic needs an update with new relevant information).
      
      In all cases, except the one where the poem compliments the topic, I added the hybrid material to achieve more ticks for the 'article goals'. With SEO in mind though, I think trimming is more appropriate as otherwise the text might just be seen as filler, even though the page will have a lower word count. I'm also worried the background to writing the poem might be seen more as a personal blog entry as it's written in first person. Perhaps there's another way to present this information so that it doesn't come across as personal. I might have a look at some literary sites and see how they add the background information of the writer etc to their pages for poetry submissions.
      
      I submitted one restructured poem today to Letterpile. I'm not worried about a quick response, quite patient. After trimming the fat and submitting it, I'm a little more confident that removing the additional material for Letterpile was the best action for this poem at the very least. But we'll see what feedback I receive in due course. And I'll treat this as a test submission to see how it goes and monitor traffic.
      
      I would love to add a sound file of the poem being read aloud to the page. But adding sound files isn't a feature at Hubpages (I do this with poems on my website). I think instead, I may look at creating a video with the poem being read out loud for Letterpile.
      
      Again, thanks for the response, I appreciate your thoughts.

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         Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Are you worried about the "purely personal" and "filler" problems because of how Google might react or because of what a HubPages editor might think?   If it's the editor, then the usual HubPages rules do not apply, so there's no problem with personal content.  In fact, there's an entire section on LetterPile called Personal Memoirs.
         
         When HubPages created the niche sites initially, they selected the Hubs based on traffic, nothing else.  All the highest-traffic Hubs were moved (about 20% of HubPages.com in total, which accounted for 80% of all HubPages' traffic).  So, if your old Hubs weren't included in the initial tranche, it was purely because of lack of traffic, not because of any problems with structure.

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         kenneth averyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         @Tinsky -- a note to confirm that you and I are talking about the same thing, me, putting a more-separate summary-type note in at top of my poems to say everything but their real meaning--for most of mine are abstract/prose and I have to use metaphors to a fault to glean out the meanings behind the real meanings. I hope that I am making sense.
         But do email me to confirm that what I've said is like you talked about.
         Peace.

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            Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Ken, if you are going to include a separate note explaining about your poem, then my advice to you is - move it to the END of the poem.  Do not put it at the beginning.
            
            The reader has arrived on the page looking forward to reading a poem.  They will be disappointed because they don't see a poem.  Better to let them read the poem first, then you can explain it to them.

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               kenneth averyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               @Marisa -- 1:03 am., Jan. 6, this was very helpful. And I shall take your advice when I get into publishing my brand of poetry. Did you get an email from me?

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                  Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  Yes I did, thank you, and please be assured you  have not done anything to offend me.  I am just not the type of person who goes in for compliments or small talk.

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   kenneth averyposted 6 years ago

   January 6
   @Marisa -- no, thank you. I feel much better now. And while I'm at it, I find that (me) following your pattern of (not) going into a lot of small talk, really works. And the advice about where to put the summary or text content of poetry is going to be very helpful. Thanks again. Do have a Safe and Happy New Year. If you should ever need me for anything and I feel that I can help . . . you know where to find me.

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