Mark P Knowles :: Don't Panic !

I really, really like hubpages and have been using them for several years, but there is something fishy going on over there. I cannot claim to be a “google guru,” who can predict what google do or do not do to their search algorithm, but….. And this is a big but. For the first time in two years, I am seeing a steady drop in traffic to my hubpages.

And it is a steady drop in certain niches only which are all related. In fact, it is so steady I decided to check some of my pages that were performing reasonably well and discovered that they have been removed from the google index completely. And these unfortunately were one of the backbones of the pages I used in making money with hubpages.

I must admit – I have had this happen to webpages in the past, but it was usually some short time after initial publishing, and after the initial surge of traffic when google “discovers” new content. A few weeks spent building links usually fixed the problem, and I found that the longer they were de-indexed, the stronger they were when they came back.

This time it is different. These are well-established, older pages (some as much as two years old) that have well established incoming links and were generating traffic. No more – slowly any pages related to certain high-paying real estate related subjects have all been de-indexed and I suspect that hubpages has had a google penalty applied to these niche subjects.

I think it has something to do with hubpages’ recent aggressive drive to create lots and lots of new content with the 100 hubs in 30 days hubchallenge – which I took part in and initially thought was a good idea. The level of crap being dumped into certain subjects and the sheer amount of new pages in the “tempting” niches has apparently triggered something with big G.

Which – as far as I am concerned, negates some of the advantages that hubpages has over my own sites. In the past I found it financially beneficial to use hubpages for the relative ease with which pages were found and ranked compared to a stand-alone site. Frankly – it was worth giving up 60% of the income for that ease. And – yes, I know hubpages only takes 40% - but they actually take 60%.

Now – I am not so sure if they are an advantageous site to use in certain niches. Any one else experiencing the same issues?

At last, the hubpages hubchallenge is over. I really bit off more than I could chew, trying to do 100 articles in 30 days, but you live and learn. These are the last of my challenge hubs - I finished just 51 in the 30 days, but am already reaping the rewards. My adsense income has increased by around 20% and my Amazon sales are already reflecting the products I reviewed.

• There is much discussion about making money online and the internet is chock-a-block full of “guaranteed returns,” and “amazing opportunities,” to make money easily. I laugh at some of the ridiculous... Making money with hubpages
• Massage therapy has become a recognized way of earning a living. “Happy ending” type massage therapists aside, there are a growing number of qualified, certified massage therapists and the range of... Massage therapy as an occupation
• A professional massage therapist needs very little equipment, but a massage table is pretty vital unless you are also an expert at levitation or will be working on the floor (as some therapies require... Best massage tables
• Green energy is a subject everyone is talking about lately, and as interest grows, the powers-that-be look for more ways to misinform people and squeeze an extra penny out of them.... Green energy
• I have always made money at hubpages, but as a writer, I need to balance the desire for income with the desire to have my work read. Put simply – if I write an article, which satisfies the need of the... Making money with hubpages - the ethical aspect
• There is a lot of talk about credit scores, poor credit, bad credit blah blah blah. But this is on a personal level and no one is really looking at the creditworthiness of the banks and lending institutions.... Refinancing with poor credit
• Five best science fiction books? Why did I pick only five? For the challenge I suspect. For the record – science fiction is my all time favorite writing genre, and limiting myself to only five is the... Five best science fiction books
• Investing in real estate is not without risks, especially in the current market. Some extremely high profile “experts,” are getting their fingers burned as we speak. Donald Trump is one that immediately... When is the best time to invest in real estate
• Mountain view apartments The luxury apartment market continues to be volatile, and to decline in value, and there is an increasing argument in favor of renting rather than buying. Most pundits agree that it... Mountain view apartments
• Having owned several of these over the years, the Mercedes 190 2.5-16v and 2.3-16v are cars I can heartily recommend. They are fast, reliable, and handle extremely well (especially if they still have the... Mercedes 190e 2.5 16v
• I am officially disgusted. My wife pointed this abomination of a recipe book out to me and suggested I write about it. Good grief! Lisa Lillien has concocted 200 recipes under 200 calories, and as far as I... Low calorie recipes to lose weight

Life can now return to normal................

Still struggling to complete the hubpages hubchallenge. I have seen a marked increase in my page views and adsense income, so I believe this will be a worthwhile effort in the long run. I am only going with what I consider to be worthwhile adsense earning topics.

This is absolutely the best poker game on the planet bar none. This is a game where you can have the nuts and still lose money. How much fun is that? Seriously – Omaha high low is the ultimate poker game.... Omaha High Low

There are more ways to play Texas Hold’em than there are cards in the deck. And I am going to share my own personal preferences here – or at least some of them. I played poker professionally for some time... How to play Texas Holdem

No limit Texas Hold’em is the “Cadillac of Poker,” for a reason. And the reason is the bluffing opportunities. Often the flop is disconnected, and there is a good chance that no one hit. I am pretty... Bluffing in no limt Texas Holdem

Poker is a very simple game. Although there are many variations, the basis is the same – the best five-card hand wins. Simple really – a five year old could learn. But this doesn’t really tell you how... How to play poker

The luxury real estate market was long considered – or rather advertised – as being immune to the ups and down of the rest of the market. Since the financial downturn began, it is fair to say that the... Luxury real estate

What is an eco property exactly? I see an awful lot of advertising claiming this or that property development is “green,” or eco friendly,” or “sustainable” or “environmentally friendly.” Eco properties

Is wind power a practical alternative source of energy? Common sense would say yes, winsmills and wind turbines must be more practical, because they use a freely available, renewable source of power, but... Wind power

I decide to mix things up a little for the third and fourth days of the hubpages hubchallenge and cover some topics I had not written about in the past. Eclectic I believe they call that. Otherwise known as scatter-brained.

• I don’t know who first coined the phrase “voodoo banking,” but it certainly seems appropriate in light of the 2007-? financial crisis. If you are having trouble understanding the vast amounts of money being poured into the banking system by the world’s governments - Voodoo Banks
• Massage therapy has a wide-ranging variety of techniques, one of which, as the name implies, involves working on the deeper tissues in the muscles. Massage Therapy - Deep Tissue Work
• Having decided on a career as a massage therapist, the next logical step is to decide what type of therapeutic massage you wish to do. There is a vast choice of modalities, and for the inexperienced – perhaps an overwhelming choice - Massage Therapy - Swedish Massage
• If you are considering a career as a massage therapist, here are a few things to bear in mind before making a decision about certification. A Career in Massage therapy
• An awful lot of real estate agencies, both in the luxury real estate segment of the market and the “base” market, claim that their particular sector is immune to whatever downturn is affecting the rest of the real estate market – and base this assessment almost solely on median property prices. Real Estate Prices in Manhattan
• As a massage therapist, I have used tea tree oil to treat numerous ailments, from Athlete’s foot to outbreaks of Herpes and infected cuts. Tea tree oil is made from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia trees – which grow only in New South Wales, Australia. Tea Tree oil natural antiseptic
• My wife has now officially eaten her last Kraft Mac ‘n’ cheese, today for lunch. When I asked her how she was feeling afterwards she said, “I feel like I have just eaten a grease burger. Like my blood pressure is off the scale and I am about to have a heart attack. My left arm is tingling.” Kraft Macaroni and cheese

Enjoy.