Let's Form A 66%ers Club!?

1. 61

   aoiffe379posted 14 years ago

   I have heard the saying :Fake it till you make it; but today I read an interesting thread sparked by howtoguru. I have searched but can't seem to pick up a link to his hubs. let me backtrack.
   
   I read a hub with a poll; and unless it is ancient,66% of those who voted said that they earn $10 or less on HubPages.I went to check my earnings and found that I had 4 impressions and 2 signups but no money. Apparently my signups are not making any money either.
   
   Now, I am an optimist by nature; but I do have my dark clouds days. Sometimes i feel like throwing in the towel. Today I was on the brink of  such a decision when I came to this forum to ask a question and start a new thread. Everything evaporated
   I try to read hubs and visit the forums when I can get online and my computer does not freeze or time out. i read a hub with a poll that indicated 66% of hubbers earn $0-10 from Hubpages.
   When I saw the post by howtoguru who claimed to have made $1000 from 13 hubsI was interested.Recently a man bought two lottery tickets and won $256 million. Considering that I have 102 hub and I am editing them in hopes they will improve, I was all ears.Years ago I kicked a $100 and picked it up. Maybe, I could get back in the groove and start small by earning if only $1 a day from each published hub.
   Why am I being longwinded? Statistics says 66% of the hubbers earn $0-10; so only 34% are above this majority. Those hubbers- including me- need someone like howtoguru to show them how to 'fish' on the internet and reel in some internet traffic and convert them to $$$. With an earning of $10 a day for 102 hubs,I could churn out 2-10 hubs per week easily. Reading hubs from successful hubbers is excellent; and it is from reading a hub with a poll that I discovered the statistics.This tells me that reading and following the tips are not enough.I went to Makeover forum and I am still dog paddling/treading water.
   
   Come on 66%ers.What are we going to do to help each other? Would someone please tell me how to find howtoguru's hubs? I cannot find him/her and would appreciate a link or hint.

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2. 93

   habeeposted 14 years ago

   Are you saying the poll shows that 66% of hubbers responding to the poll make 0-$10 per MONTH on HP?? From ALL their hubs combined??

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   1. 73

      relacheposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The stats sound like the poll that's up on my Hub about earnings, and it does ask users to self-report their total combined Hub earnings.  So in answer to your question... yes.
      
      http://hubpages.com/hub/Improve-Your-Hu … od_1969509
      
      The first version of the poll was up from Aug 2007-2009, and the poll results up now are from Aug 2009 to the present.  258 people responded to that.  In it's second incarnation, I've had 395 responses so far, and this version includes more earnings tiers to choose from when answering.
      
      I'll be wiping the poll this coming August, and refreshing it to start over again with a screen shot of the 2nd version to show the history.

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3. 61

   aoiffe379posted 14 years ago

   Apparently, that is the implication I got from it.Or it may be per hub. Frankly, I am one of the 66%ers; and to me it is like admitting that you are an alcoholic or gambler. I am a teetotaler and non-gambler; but I am a non-earning 66% hubber! Is there any other hubber who will make such an honest admission? I believe in hard work not pity parties; and faking is not my style.

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   1. 58

      DevLinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Haven't made a dime. Don't get the traffic as othrs either. 14 hubs-200 hits

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4. 61

   samboiamposted 14 years ago

   I don't make anything on HP. But that is not why I am part of this community. I want a place where I can express myself and connect with others who do the same.
   
   I have mad a total of about $3 with Google in my two months on HP. So yeah I am definitely part of the 64%.
   
   If my focus was making money I would surely be discouraged and disappointed but since that is not my reason for using HP I am not bothered in the least.

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5. 63

   Faybe Bayposted 14 years ago

   I think you have to take into account how many hubbers voted in the poll, also there are a large number of hubbers who have never written a single hub. I am in the 66%, but I never saw the poll. Howtoguru may be making $1000. or not, but by his/her own admission it is not exclusively from Hub Pages. Nelle Hoxie on the other hand has worked for a year and makes 1000 per month. 600 hubs I think I read somewhere. I guess that's a lot of work, but she says if you treat it like a business it will pay like a business.

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6. 61

   CYBERSUPEposted 14 years ago

   Count me in--I can not understand how anyone makes money on HubPages-- I am new, I have around 8 hubs that I have posted and my earnings are to date: "0" if not Zippo and I don't me my lighter.

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   1. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Cybersupe, that's why the poll shows so many Hubbers earning less than $10 - I bet most of the Hubbers who read that Hub are newbies, trying to find out how to make money.
      
      And the fact is, unless you pick a great niche or are already internet savvy, most Hubbers make no money in their first two to three months on HubPages.  You're normal!
      
      In your first few months, your only readers are other Hubbers.  You don't make any money from those views.  Until you start getting decent search engine traffic, you won't earn income.  And it takes a few months for your Hubs to rank well enough to get decent traffic.
      
      I took about 9 months to earn my first $100, with 55 Hubs.   These days I'm cashing out monthly with ease.  HubPages is a long-term investment!

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      1. 59

         Jane Seamanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I do recipes and I am a newbie. do you think I have a chance to make anything on hubpages? I also have issues with adsense. Long story I won't bore you with.

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   2. 59

      Jane Seamanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I would join, God knows I need all the help I can get. I am not sure how much help I could offer as I am brand new.

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7. 61

   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   aoiffe, it looks to me like you've made some of the same mistakes I made when I was newer on here - write the kind of titles that aren't necessarily what people will search for if they're looking for information related to the Hub.
   
   When I first signed up I just answered request after request (now questions), without knowing that I should re-work the title.  As a result, I have a bunch that have titles nobody is going to be looking for.  Even now, if if I'd rather have a certain title, I'll risk less traffic just to have the title I want (so if you decide to look at other people's titles to see what I mean, don't use mine as an example - although I have both "the right kind" of titles and the wrong kind.
   
   Other people (in the know) have said titles shouldn't be the kind of "catchy"/clever titles we might see in magazine articles (as a way of catching a reader's eye).  What Hubs (and web articles) need to have is the kind of title that search engines will find when people search for the kind of information/material the Hub has.
   
   Whether or not you're using the right keywords is another thing (I don't know if you are - but that's another factor).
   
   Here's an example:  Bad title on, say, a Hub about math:  "The Dilemma of So Many Fifth-Graders".  Good title:  "How to Help Your Child with Math" or "Math Help for Elementary-School Students" or "Long Division Tips"  (You get the idea.)
   
   (Some of my Hubs earn really well.  Others don't earn much at all, if anything in any given month.  I pretty know why the ones that don't don't.    )  (I'm not in that 66%, by the way.)

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      Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I'm a bit confused, Lisa.  If the title needs reworking, why not rework it?
      
      If you mean the URL - it's not the end of the world if the URL isn't quite right, because you can make up for it by changing your title.  In fact I've been told it's worth making the URL and title different, to cover the maximum number of keywords.

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      1. 61

         Lisa HWposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Marisa, you mean mine?      I have so many of them I just can't make myself go back and "re-visit" them all.  I know I should, and I know what I could do to make them get better traffic.  They're just kind of like "big blunders" that I hate to even look at (they actually make me cringe  ), and yet I leave them up with the idea of one day doing something to fix them up. 

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      2. 79

         MyWebsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I believe that is a very valid approach, but it would dilute things a bit. Probably best to use that approach on easier long tail keywords and keep it all the same for the harder keywords in my opinion.

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8. 93

   habeeposted 14 years ago

   It's funny which hubs earn well and which don't. For example, my funny "What not to Wear" hub is one of my top earners, and I just wrote it for fun! The CPC isn't much, but it's made up in sheer volume of visitors. Another top performing hub is a product review. It doesn't have a high traffic volume, but each time someone clicks an ad, the payout is high.
   
   What everyone has told me about time and patience here is totally true! But I'm not here just for the money, either, so I know how the OP feels. I really enjoy the HP community!

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9. 61

   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   habee, it IS funny which ones do well.  I have some that I just whipped up and didn't take at all seriously, and they're great earners.  Then I have a couple of "big, serious" "dealing-with-grief" type of Hubs - good traffic, etc (and not at all a "marketing" or "product" Hubs).  On the other hand, another one with traffic is about (ew!) yellow finger nails and toe nails.  :rolleyes")  So I've got mediocre ones that earn well.  Well written, serious ones, that do well.  And weird ones that do well.  In the middle, it's a big mix.  It can seem as if there's not really any rhyme or reason sometimes (but if I really think about it I can see there really is).

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10. 79

    MyWebsposted 14 years ago

    By only counting my hubpages earnings then no I'm not part of that 66%. I'm barely surpassing $10 for the last consecutive 30 days, $10.05 to be exact. I had to look it up in AdSense because I really wasn't sure. I had voted in that poll a while back when I made less. So minus one from one column and plus one in the next one up the scale.
    
    I'm sure if I had of produced more than a measly 16 hubs in my 90+ days here I would be doing much better by now... I can only imagine if I had of done just 1 hub per day. DOH This is why the 30 days challenge is such a great idea in my opinion. /me kicks self in butt for dropping out of it.
    
    My initial goal is to have 30 hubs that each make me $1 per day, or about $900 per month and 30 hubs that each get 1,000 views per day. I still have a looong way to go on both counts. But I truly believe I can eventually reach the money goal as many others here make as much and even a few make a lot more.
    
    Since the stats page doesn't show how many hubs get 30,000 or more hits per month there is no way to know the numbers on this. Only 352 hubs get 10,000+ views a month so it must be a very small number that get 30k per month. I probably will never reach this goal, but it will be fun trying.
    
    I agree with what Lisa HW says about the Titles. They are important both for SEO reasons and to attract them golden clicks. Combine good keywords in a catchy title and get the best of both worlds. But I think the "Summary Text" is better for a catchy phrase, description and call to action than the Title is. To each his/her own way of doing things...

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    1. 61

       Lisa HWposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       What I've found, too (and a lot of other people have already known), is that the Hubs that do well are the ones that "inspire" comments or questions that amount to additional discussion on the Hub.  You can write a "lovely" Hub about "the meaning of life" (and such), and readers may like it, say, "that was nice" , and that's pretty much the end of it.  They have nothing else to add because you said what you had to say, and they think you did a pretty good job saying it. 
       
       It's the Hubs about something people want to know more about it, or the ones that are about "issues" that everyone has an opinion on, or a problem with, that start to develop a life of their own.  Of course, then there are the "basic" Hubs that do a little something regularly.  Those may not "catch fire" earnings-wise, but those are the ones that, if you make $3 a month on them and have 3000 of them earning then - there you go, too.
       
       This shouldn't be misleading, though, because it isn't all that easy to come up with 3000 (especially in your free time), and a whole bunch of them may not earn that $3 a month.  More likely, some will earn much, much, better; and others will earn pennies here or there (that type of thing).

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11. 61

    aoiffe379posted 14 years ago

    My life as a 66%er is confusing based on what I have read thus far. I have a hub with a title  which includes the keywords financial, hoax and scam. This hub has generated runaway traffic from the day it was posted. But it has not generated any income.Maybe it is just interesting reading.I went to Extreme Makeover Forum where it is expected that hubbers would critique the hub. A few hubbers - less than 10- responded. Sometimes I wonder if the forum is a popularity contest arena. I read hubs and make notes on what I have gleaned,apply and hope it works.But it has not produced clicks for an income.Thus far,nobody has been frank enough to call a spade a spade. While my primary goal at Hubpages is not money- I like to write- after ten months of writing in this community I feel stupid when someone who has been here for a month or three months announces his/her lucrative earnings. Since it is possible, I am forced to ask myself:Why not me?

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12. 47

    DanPowersposted 14 years ago

    Hub income is not usually related to number of visits.
    
    To make money you need to figure out why people click on ads.
    
    Most hubbers who are in this for money are focussing on the wrong thing. They need to focus less on writing, and more on marketing.

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    1. 61

       aoiffe379posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks Dan Powers. What I have gleaned from reading hubs and articles outside Hubpages is SEO: keywords, traffic and backlinks. of course ther is a need for quality content. Okay, based on your experience and success, why do people click on ads? Maybe if I can figure out the answer with your help and the help of a few more hubbers, I will be on my way to income.When I look at some ads placed on my hubs,I don't want to click on them.

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       1. 86

          Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          People click on ads because they are looking for an answer to something, or they're looking for a product.
          
          ALL of your income-producing traffic on HubPages will come from search engines.  You have to ask yourself, why do people use search engines?  What are they typing in?
          
          Ask yourself, what are people likely to be looking for, that I can write usefully about? 
          
          If they're typing in words like scam or hoax, they're looking for warnings about things NOT to buy.  So they're not likely to be clicking on ads.

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13. 57

    wrenfrost56posted 14 years ago

    O.k. this maybe a silly question, but you do have an adsense account right? Because at over 100 hubs and at 10 months here a little money could have been earned? It does seem a little unusual. I have not earned a lot but I am seeing steady, if a little slow incease in traffic and earnings.

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    1. 61

       aoiffe379posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Every question is important. I do have an AdSense account and when I checked on the weekend,I had 4 impressions and two signups but zero dollars. Right now my mind goes to  Hemingway'sThe Old Man and The Sea and what the other fishermen called saleao. Maybe this is just a lesson in endurance- perseverance.I cannot figure it out.Anymore ideas?

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14. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

    Any hub can be monetized if it's getting good traffic.
    
    If you've got a hub that doesn't have related products or books - but gets a lot of interest, pick out really,really popular products, ipad, nook or kindle, weight loss products, anti-aging strategies - things from Biggest Loser, celebrety chefs - and make little ads throughout the hub.
    
    Title the Capsule with phrases such as "Lose Weight with the Biggest Loser Cookbook" make it a different color and you've got your own ad.
    
    Even if the hub isn't on weight loss, so many people want to lose weight you might actually make some sales. To find really popular products on Amazon just look for what they feature.
    
    That way you can write what you like and still make money.

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    1. 61

       aoiffe379posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks Nelle Hoxie. I do have two hubs on weight loss so I will apply your suggestions.

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15. 88

    gracenotesposted 14 years ago

    aioffe,
    
    I have something to add.  Just food for thought.
    
    I have taken note of some ads that decorate many HubPages hubs.  They are kind of appealing, actually.  I really didn't think that much about it at first, but when I went to other web sites, I saw those same ads plastered everywhere.
    
    As fate would have it, I had already planned to write a hub based on that same company's products, and I followed through.  I even wrote another hub about a store that I have visited.  This store NEVER advertises (certainly not on Google Adsense), nor do they sell their products on Amazon.  I imagined I might be wasting my time.  But it was a hub that was about the same industry as the first hub, after all.  This feature hub about the store has gotten me more traffic than I thought I'd get, and just the other day, a rather high-paying click.  I'm still not doing very well with the money, but I believe it's an idea worth refining and re-working.
    
    So, just as an experiment, try finding some Adsense ads on some web site, somewhere, not just HubPages, that you find appealing.   Try to write a related hub that will make Google serve up that ad, and see how you do with the clicks.  And keep on experimenting!

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16. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

    aoiffe379 - my point was do this on hubs that have no connection to the ads. If they are popular you'll just make sales because they're popular - not because they are related to the hubs.

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    1. 61

       aoiffe379posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for the clarification. I have to spend more time pondering the idea and visualizing it.Nothing is impossible when we believe in its possibility.Right now, I am willing to test any idea- for what it is worth.Once I understand it, I can do it.

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17. 61

    aoiffe379posted 14 years ago

    Thanks Marisa Wright and all the other hubbers who have contributed ideas and knowledge.I appreciate yur help. Eventually i'll shout,"Eureka!' Until then I will plod along.

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18. 61

    aoiffe379posted 14 years ago

    This morning when I checked for earnings I found a pink notice.The good news is I do have some earnings which may keep me in the 66%ers group; but not for long.The payment threshold is still a mystery. Is it $10? A PIN was mailed to me on 25 April,2010.
    
    The tax information left me confuddled for a while. I live in a tax free haven and have not paid taxes for umpteen years! I hope the information I provided was sufficient.I tried to connect AdSense account to Google Analytics but failed miserably.I did not find the keyword research tool either.Meanwhile, I am moving with fire under my heels to get out of 66%ers/65%ers.
    
    Nelle Hoxie, I am getting a 'glimmer' of what you were trying to tell me.I did not know/understand that a hubber had a choice about ads on the hubs. I have been reading so much[in the early morning when I am perking]; now I have to analyse,synthesize and evaluate.Anyhow, I am preparing to move to the next levels. I need my June check to talk!

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    1. 86

       Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       The payment threshold is $100.  Most Hubbers take 9 months to a year to get there. 
       
       If you don't live in the States, you shouldn't have to do anything about tax.

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       1. 61

          aoiffe379posted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks, Marisa Wright. With that threshold, sounds like I will need to optimize at least 50 hubs before the end of June. I am inspired; and the fire under my heels will be more a furnace or conflagration!  No tax will keep me working harder!

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19. 66

    AlanSwensonposted 14 years ago

    I got over $10 in month one and now at the end of month 3 I am about at $30 a month.  I should hit my payout in month 4.  Im a 33%er then.  I have 41 Hubs,

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    1. 61

       aoiffe379posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks Alan Swenson. Your response is an inspiration; and I am happy for you. Now I  have to not only compete with myself but  make it to the next level. What I see is not so much competition but goals.The second leg is tough but I will keep my mind and eyes on the home stretch...and wait for the anchor leg. Anymore competitors, cheerleadersand fans in the stands?

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20. 0

    Linda Myshrallposted 14 years ago

    Who do I see for a membership card?
    
    I've never had a payout, but I can say that the theory about being patient appears to be correct...  the traffic and clicks have begun to pick up steam over time.
    
    I have also noticed that the hubs I've written using the advice of more experienced hubbers (the Fantastic Five, or so, have already been mentioned by name) have done much better, much quicker...
    
    I'm eeking my way towards the finish line, but, for now, I am still a proud 66%-er.

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    1. 61

       aoiffe379posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       That's the spirit, Linda Myshrall! Membership is free; and you maintain 66%ers status as long as you qualify. Like you, I have never had a payout. Thus, we are in the same situation. During our trek towards the finish line and the first payout, we have to keep our goals within view. I like 'eeking my way'. Continue to listen to the experienced hubbers and improve your hubs. I am setting up milestones in units of tens; but you can decide your own transition points. Presently, we are ahead of those who have not left the starting blocks yet![lol] We may even be ahead of those who got a good start but are resting [on laurels?]..Let's stay connected through the forum.

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       1. 66

          AlanSwensonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          A quick bit of advice for you.  Your hubs are not connected to each other.  Make groups and also link them together, also, you have too many tage I think.  You should only have like 10 per hub otherwise it starts looking spammy to google.

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             aoiffe379posted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Thanks for the advice.I have started to link some hubs but the process is slow because I have to organize on paper first. This means reading and rereading hubs,changing titles/improving them, editing,adding information... It is a long tedious task.
             
             To add to the drama,when I am in the middle of something important, I may get a message,memo or visitor- some interruption I wish to ignore but cannot because of priority. One reason why I am working so hard on my hubs is so that one day I can ignore these things because of an alternative income.I am juggling a demanding job and hubs; and you can guess who is winning now.
             
             As for tags,I have not learned the 'secret' yet. I have to balance the right keywords that are high paying with what I set out to say. Eventually,I will get it right.In fact,three goals are: title, keywords[ high paying that get traffic] and comments.Presently, I am breaking so many rules. It reminds me of trying to do butterfly with freestyle  strokes!I will work on changes.

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21. 0

    poetlorraineposted 13 years ago

    i have made nothing, but it is my fault... i am a techniephobic, and cannot spell

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22. 61

    aoiffe379posted 13 years ago

    That's an original,poetlorraine! With a personal hubscore as high as your own, I believe you have something to offer regardless of any 'shortcomings'. I have seen hubs with serious spelling,grammatical and punctuation errors hit the 70s,80s and 90s. Write to communicate and get traffic; and hopefully the traffic will induce an income if visitors click on the art. Hubpages provide lessons in marketing not writing. Change your mindset to "I can!" and you will.

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23. 63

    mymagicviewposted 13 years ago

    Hubpages is the best place if you want to earn at least something from adsense. From last few months I am earning 4 to 10 dollars per month with hubapages by doing nothing. And I am so happy with hubpages. If I do more efforts than I will get more amount of money! last month I have earned 9 dollars and now I have 90$ in my adsense account. Hopefully within a month I will clear the barrier of 100$ dollars.
    
    Luck and knowledge are the two important things while you want to earn online. Hubpage is the nice place to know right things that are required for earning money. Thanks hubpages... I am very greatfull...

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24. 61

    aoiffe379posted 13 years ago

    Thanks mymagicview for your input. I am truly happy for your success.

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