HubPages SubDomains

It seems that the folks over at HubPages are moving writers to their own sub-domains. This is good news for several reasons.

First, it allows those of us that use HubPages as a repository of writing to have an easy way to point people to it. For example, I can now say that if you want to check out my writing on HubPages all you have to do is go to hubllama.hubpages.com instead of some hubpages.com/whatever type of address. (My main freelance writing samples are on my freelance writing business website, of course.)

Second, it should help with search engine optimization and avoiding the Google Panda update hit on HubPages.

HubPages Subdomain Improve Quality for Google

The new HubPages sub-domains are not a cure all for the hit the website took when Google updated its algorithm to smack down content mills. It is, however, a positive move for writers who publish quality articles in an effort to make money writing online.

There are plenty of “writers” who publish crap on HubPages. Some of them do it deliberately in a misguided effort to linkspam their way to the top of the Google search engine ranking pages, or SERPs. Others do it in an effort to earn money on Hubs with the HubPages ad sharing by filling up pages with copyrighted images, plagiarized content, and little, if any, original writing. Finally, some just don’t have any writing skills.

Either way, there is plenty of what might be regarded as “junk” on HubPages. Google’s recent Panda update pushed a lot of that down in the search engine rankings. Subdomains are one way to help Google determine what might still be worthwhile content. My writings can be judged, at least partially, from the fact that they are linked from hubllama.hubpages.com and that they all link back there. If Google thinks the majority of my articles are of reasonable quality, then they are easy to find and sort from someone who just publishes pictures of hot girls on HubPages, for example,

In order for you to get the benefit, however, you need to make sure that your profile page has good, non-spammy content, and links to your works. Don’t rely on HubPages’ automatic links, either. Link your best, favorite or highest paying Hubs directly in your text so that they are permanently linked and so that you can control the context of the links.

The new subdomain feature is free. You just have to log into your account and choose which subdomain you want for your account. Then, go out and start building links to it. Maybe your profile page can get enough link juice to pass out to your hubs to make the whole thing a little more worthwhile to professional writers.

 

New Information Published at HubPages

It has been a while since I have updated here. However, that means that I have some good new stuff to tell you about.

My latest posts at HubPages represent a small trickle of postings made primarily to keep my so-called HubScore or Author Score up above 90. Over time, your HubPage’s writers score declines because part of the score is based upon activity. However, if you have several good hubs already published, the drop happens very slowly and seems to stop well before any real damage is done. A quick new Hub posted and you are back in business in no time.

I published an article on how to close TD Ameritrade account because the article I wrote didn’t find a home on its original site. Ironically, it has done fairly well on HubPages, so maybe that was a blessing in disguise.

I also published some useful tax information and retirement planning tips since a lot of people will be looking for that kind of data this tax season. Of course, my best 2010 tax tricks and tips are at FinanceGourmet.com, but there is a lot of things to know in the world of financial planning, so there are plenty of left-overs for HubPages. Check out this one on spousal IRA contribution limits 2011 and 2010.

After you digest that money management advice, you can chew on this article that tells you can I convert my Roth IRA back to a traditional IRA. The short answer is yes, if it’s the same tax year, otherwise, not so much.

Finally, I fired up an article based on a magazine ad I saw. This one shows how to get brighter eyes the easy way.  If that weren’t enough I also speculated on whether or not Google can tell you bought links and a few others.

Stop by and check out all of the published information and helpful data I’ve managed to produce.

 

Earning Money on HubPages With Hubs

Frankly, Hubpages is a side project of mine. More accurately, HubPages is a very low-priority project I do in my ever decreasing spare time as a freelance writer.

That being said, I like HubPages and like writing for HubPages and publishing Hubs. However, it has most definately NOT become a large stream of passive income for this writer. That may be in part to do the level of effort I can commit to the community, and it may be in part to do with the fact that making money with AdSense is hard.

Earning money writing by publishing content with ads is a precise science that requires the ability to customize virtually every post to ensure maximum advantage in Google’s search rank algorithm. A website like HubPages prevents that by forcing writers to use the HubPages template and design which, of course, includes numerous links to other articles on HubPages that may or may not have anything to do with the writer who published the hub.

In fact, it is quite possible that HubPages will link to another article providing exactly the desired information (or at least the promise of the information) that would have led the user to click on an advertisement to get it. In that case, not only do you not get the ad click, someone else might.

Of course, done right, the same thing would happen in reverse on a regular basis as well and the writing universe would even itself out over time.

Here are some of my recently published articles on HubPages. They include an article about Google’s Instant Search Feature, how to change a MAC address on a network card, distraction free writing with some writing softare called WriteMonkey, and an assessment of a Facebook security risk that could compromise your financial accounts. (Is your mother’s maiden name easily identifiable from your Facebook profile? If so, ask yourself what is the number one security question asked by your favorite credit card companies, local bank, etc…)

Finally, I wrote an article about whether it is worth it to cut off cable TV and a quick research effort about why FOREX trading is so profitable just to see what the deal was since everyone seems to be targeting Forex trading with both content, ads, and guaranteed trading strategies (all hogwash, BTW)

Lastly, I had published some information about the 529 plan withdrawal penalty which actually led to some other work for me. So, while HubPages itself (via Google AdSense) may not be making a profit for this writer, more good exposure never hurts.

Facebook Security Risk Online

Another hub published. This one about the hidden dangers in Facebook Security Risk Online. Noting how the answers to many of those security questions that financial websites, banks, and credit card companies use to verify your identity are easily obtainable on your Facebook Profile.

Upfront Pay and Traffic Share Pay

Hubpages offers a great way to earn money writing online but they do not pay anything up front. Every dollar you make from writing for HubPages comes from your share of Google AdSense ad impressions and clicks.

Another content website I publish higher-end articles for is called Bright Hub.

Some of my recent articles published there earn an up front fee payment for submitting the article as well as ongoing passive income from revenue sharing.

Here are some of the latest:

• Should You Buy Umbrella Insurance Yes or No
• Best Rates for Car Rental Insurance and Advice
• Repayment of Subsidized Student Loans
• Camera Settings Photography Basics
• Student Loan Facts Financial Aid

Keep an eye out here for more articles that I have published over there and other ways to make money writing online and earn income publishing articles at HubPages (and Bright Hub).

Good Information About HubPages

My latest six hubs over at the online content publishing site for writers who want to publish their own articles online, HubPages, are a good example of why I write for HubPages.

The truth is that HubPages does not pay well unless you do all the work. You have to do the keyword research, you have to write the hubs, you have to build all the links to drive traffic, and you have to rank high enough in the search engines results to get enough page views to make any money. Anyone who says differently, is selling something, or works for HubPages.

However, the value of writing for HubPages is that it gives you a blank canvas that you can write about anything you want on without diluting the focus of your real websites elsewhere online that you have spent a lot of time and effort building quality, focused, content on to draw traffic to a website where you get to keep 100% of your AdSense revenue.

Which brings us to today’s listing of HubPages compiled over the last handful of days by me. The include some whining, some keyword pandering, some thoughtful discussion, and even on really great search engine optimization link building tip.

Enjoy these. I hope that they bring you success or just put a smile or knowing nod on your face.

The first one is about the best free SEO tool ever, which I just found this morning, ironically, on HubPages. Next comes a hub about mental health and what to do about a bad moods. After that is a cynical SEO experiment that wonders if cheaters really do prosper.

Later, I debate whether or not it is worth canceling cable altogether or if the savings on the monthly budget just are not worth it. Next up is a little information about Google’s search algorithm update that has been affectionately (or not) named the MayDay update by the blogospher echo chamber.

And, last but not least, a big fat keyword pander that I never really expect to go anywhere but that I wrote mostly for the purposes of increasing HubKarma by linking to others is my hub about why forex trading is so profitable for successful investors.

There you have it. Six for six. Have a wonderful day and here is to success and profitability.

How Much Money Can You Make With HubPages

Earn money writing HubPages

It seems like one of the main questions about HubPages is how much money you can make writing for HubPages.

Let me start by saying that if you are seeking a full-time writing income from HubPages you have a very long and very hard road ahead of you. HubPages is crowded with articles on every topic imaginable by writers who have no qualms when it comes to building enormous amounts of backlinks by any means necessary. Furthermore, HubPages takes 40 percent of all ad impressions for itself, so whatever money you could make with your Hubs gets reduced by almost half.

That being said, if you are willing to put in the work writing online, you can make some big money. Just don’t think that you can throw up ten hubs and watch the cash roll in, no matter how good your keyword research is.

Part-Time Income On HubPages

On the other hand, if you are looking for a good way to earn money writing on the side, HubPages can be a very good resource for you. Since the website community generates plenty of new content every day, and other HubPages authors are constantly looking for places to link to, it is possible that your past-time of writing about organic milk could turn into a cash cow. (Hah!)

Maintaining your own website in order to earn money writing online takes a lot more work. Without that extra effort, you’ll get more traffic on HubPages than you would on your own website. That means that you will make more money on HubPages even with the company skimming off 40 percent of your AdSense ad impressions.

How Much Money Can HubPages Earn

How much money you can earn on HubPages is a function of how much your keywords pay, how often ads on those keywords are clicked, and how much traffic visits your hubs.

A page about best chicago pizza for example routinely generates earnings of between 30 cents and 60 cents per click. Get 1,000 visitors and that works out to between $300 and $600 minus the approximate 40 percent haircut from HubPages, that leaves between $180 and $360 of income. The good news is that is steady passive income. The bad news is that it might take quite a while to get 1,000 visitors unless you can push your Hub up in the search engine rankings.

HubPages HubKarma

Wow, don’t know where HubKarma came from all of the sudden.

For the quickie take on what HubKarma is for, why you should care about HubKarma, and whether or not HubKarma is important follow the link.

I’ll be back with bigger, more detailed updates.

Making Money Writing Online at HubPages

Hub Llama is the pen name for  a professional freelance writing company. ArcticLlama provides high quality writing for a variety of clients. We’ve worked as freelance technical writers, freelance financial writers, freelance copywriters, and just about everything in between.

Currently I run several websites including a personal finance tips website, a parenting skills from dad website, and a site about business strategy and personal development.

I am also attempting to raise the profile of my own name in various web searches, so please do go look at my personal biography website for Brian Nelson. As a professional writer, and self-proclaimed SEO expert, I know a thing or two about rankings and searching. So, I also would like to take this opportunity to make sure that anyone using my middle name initial can find me as well at brian e nelson.

Check out freelance writing samples for examples of some of my work. Also, here is a hub about Capital One Rewards NoHassle Miles program that I am using to build backlinks to another article about the Capital One Rewards Catalog.

By the way, this is a quick throw together effort by a writer to promote his own writing work. That means that this is not proofread or even carefully typed. I just bang these posts out as fast as I can in order to hit the mythical minimum word count required to be considered a “real” post by the various ranking and indexing search companies out there. Please use the samples link above if you want to know what my professional writing really looks like. These posts will be jargon filled, and littered with keyphrases that I know are wrong or otherwise not optimal in order to catch variations on search phrases. Again, this leads to hack-style writings and not high quality publication values, so please do not use this post or any posts here to judge my abilities as a writer. If that kind of thing is not your speed, you probably won’t be very happy here, but please do look around. I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to giving out useful writing advice, financial guidance, and just generally good ideas within my writing.

And so, dear reader, if there are any of you, I will bid you adieu in the course of 30 to 40 words in order to clear the 400 mark. Hopefully now I can get back to what I was supposed to be doing which is making some money by writing for my actual clients and not banging out linking articles about things that I found interesting on this particular morning.