Data Trend for HubPages (Global)

1. 91

   greatstuffposted 2 years ago

   
   
   This screenshot of Hubpages global traffic data trend over the years shows a decline but hopefully, it will rise again to its 2009-2011 heydays. What went wrong?

   replyreport
   1. 69

      Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know. I was not around those years. I came in around that time Squidoo is being swallow. Those who are there during the formative years should tell us.

      replyreport
2. 97

   theraggededgeposted 2 years ago

   Google Panda is what happened. HubPages had allowed people to publish any old thing. Some hubs, including those belonging to staff, were nothing but 100 word adverts.
   
   And then HP took on 'the best of' Squidoo, which really did nothing to help (although we Squidooers were greatful.
   
   Thankfully, HP did an awful lot of pruning and adapting, so it survived. I doubt if it will ever go back to those very high traffic days. It doesn't mean individuals cannot attract high traffic and good earnings though.

   replyreport
   1. 69

      Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Bev, I had you in mind when I said those in the formative years should open up.                                   Glad you're here. Methink you can spew out a few more detail than what mine eyes has seen.                                              Thank you. Happy week.

      replyreport
3. 94

   Beth Eaglescliffeposted 2 years ago

   Your graph only shows the traffic for Hubpages. It doesn't show any of the traffic that has been diverted to the niche sites. That is where I believe most of the traffic has gone (and the earnings.)

   replyreport
   1. 97

      theraggededgeposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Good point, Beth.

      replyreport
   2. 96

      DrMark1961posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I totally agree. Those charts are bogus unless they show the traffic from all of the niche  sites with hubpaqes main site.

      replyreport
   3. 91

      greatstuffposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Yup, I guess that's what it is.

      replyreport
   4. 60

      TessSchlesingerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Just took a look.
      Owlcation remains steady.
      Dengarden is climbing.
      Discover.hubpages is climbing.

      replyreport
4. 97

   eugbugposted 2 years ago

   This is what Google Trends gives for Owlcation. I don't know whether this means people searching for Owlcation or using boolmarks/backlinks with Owlcation in the URL or actually estimated traffic to the domain?
   https://trends.google.com/trends/explor … =owlcation
   
   

   replyreport
   1. 85

      tsmogposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      From what I just read it is search volume for a given search term.

      replyreport
5. 60

   TessSchlesingerposted 2 years ago

   I noticed on Alexa the other day that Hubpages had recently climbed. Of course, it could just be a spike. They happen.
   
   I recall when Panda happened - we were all blown out of the water. Numerous content sites went down. That was because most of the people writing on content sites were affiliate marketers, and they were using black hat SEO.
   
   Google explained that no good content was getting to the top of the SERPS, and that is true. If one wanted to find anything academic, or simply that wasn't an attempt to sell something, it was difficult to find anything. So Google wrote an algorithm that did away with anything that had affiliate marketing links and said that only stories from recognized publishers would be recognized. That did not include content sites.
   
   As far as I know, Hubpages has been the only one to survive, but it is nowhere near what it was when I first joined.
   
   That said, Google keeps adjusting because marketers keep trying to game the system. Added to that, advertising is changing. Marketers are now looking to placing e more of its marketing dollars with influencers. People will more likely buy from someone they trust and follow so SEM advertising is slowly dwindling.
   
   Ev Williams probably saw this coming when he opened Medium. He said that he was looking for another publishing model than to be paid by advertising. He saw how advertising affected bias, and how truth disappeared in the process. Interestingly, despite not using an advertising model, Medium has an excellent PR. I recall Hubpages being in the top 10 when it came to page rank, and I recall at one time I had a page rank of 6 or 7 (in those days, they gave PR to individuals - gone are the days of glory).
   
   What's going to happen in the future? Where do writers go?
   
   I don't think it's possible to tell. I can say it's best to be prepared - write for a passive income site like HP, write for a magazine site (Medium, Newsbreak), write for a competition site like Vocal, write for KDP and Smashwords, find a way to put your work on Google Play (they opened to indie authors in October, last year).
   
   Bottom line here is to be prepared, so that if one stream of income fails, we are not completely in the hole.

   replyreport
   1. 69

      Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, Tessa for the insight.

      replyreport
      1. 50

         erorantesposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         I believe. It is because the organization of article in different categories.  The subtitles are not clear enough for people to see. Or, The subtitles are not showing on the front page where readers see it first. I can see them clear. I know the articles are there. Also, the pandemic restrictions and complications with COVID-19. The way of leaving  changed for everyone. We need to make the best of what we have available.

         replyreport
         1. 60

            TessSchlesingerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            The readership for hubpages does not come from hubpages or one's followers. They are sent to the publication by Google and other search engines.
            
            The only ranking that matters are the top three. If one's articles isn't placed on the top three, then it's more or less dead in the water. I don't think this has anything to do with organisation and subtitles, but I may be missing something here.
            
            What do you mean?

            replyreport
            1. 69

               Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

               Erorantus? Over to you.

               replyreport
6. 94

   PaulGoodman67posted 2 years ago

   I don't know what the graph means or what data is being used? HupPages.com? If so, it's of little use.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      TessSchlesingerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I used data for owlcation and dengarden.

      replyreport
7. 50

   erorantesposted 2 years ago

   It did dropped down a lot.

   replyreport
   1. 69

      Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Erorantes? Whatsoever that means, I don't see how it can affect me. I as not around in those formative years. Where you?

      replyreport