With the HubPages Ad Program rollout last week, there has been a lot of curiosity about how it works and what sort of impact it makes.  Though 500 Hubbers have already gotten their invites to opt in to the program, they are only just getting started.

We took some time to chat with relache – one of the Hubbers who has been signed on with the HubPages Ad Program as a beta tester since January.  Read our exchange below to get a better idea of how it has been so far for her!

First, a bit of background – how long have you been on HubPages?

My very first Hub was published in July 2006.  HubPages as a whole was still in its initial beta test phase.

What are your favorite topics to write about?

My favorite things to write about are things that are part of my daily life or life-long interests:  body art, costuming, places I travel, whatever I’ve been doing around the house.  If I’m not interested in it, I can’t really write about it.  That’s probably why I’ve never gotten going as a ghostwriter or writer-for-hire.  People only ever pitch horrible web-spam topics to me, wanting me to write for them.

Since joining in on the HubPages Ad Program as a beta tester, have you seen an increase in your earnings?

Overall I have.  Looking more up close and personal at it, everything is “bouncing” right now both from the changes that that ad program itself had on my Hubs and from the February Google algorithm changes.  I’m curious to see what happens as the ad program rolls out to more users, especially since I have a few really strong referral writers linked to my account.

Most Hubbers who have opted in to the HubPages Ad Program are just getting started.  Do you have any advice for them?

As with all things related to the Internet, you need patience.  And you need to keep in mind the panoramic-view, not the micro-view.   I saw a HUGE drop in my AdSense earnings when the HubPages Ad Program first got implemented on my Hubs (I was warned that probably would happen), and the drop from that change has been pervasive and persistent since the inception (The changes from the Feb Google stuff then happened on top of that).  I’ll figure I’ll know in six months what my new AdSense is with all the new configurations, but for anyone who just can’t handle drastic change, perhaps they should consider not opting-in to this.

I think anyone who is curious to try a new program, who wants to investigate a new revenue option, or those who just wish they could earn more from their Hubs should consider trying it.  I also think they need to take a vow to themselves to let the program run for two months and not post a daily freak-out in the forums.  Web effectiveness is best evaluated with weeks or months of data, not hours or days.

As far as making an income on HubPages in general goes, what one practice has helped you the most?

I think ignoring trends has actually been beneficial.  I eschew the whole social networking thing.  I had to laugh when the blog post came out in early February that advised site users on “the secret” to finding good Hub topics because I’ve been operating that way for over four years.  I’ve had people scoff at me when I say I try and write Hubs that I myself would want to read or use instead of chasing some hot phrase or doing SEO research, but I’m not about to change my methodology at this point.

[Thanks, relache!]

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Aside from participating in the program, relache is also actively involved in HubMeets, and has one coming up this April in Seattle, Washington – if you live in the area, you should RSVP and join in on the fun!

jenblacksheep on HubPages

Just last week, jenblacksheep made an exciting announcement in the forums- that after 18 months of diligent Hubbing on HubPages, she had finally earned her first AdSense payout!  As jenblacksheep can tell you, it takes patience to keep on Hubbing while waiting for traffic to build and AdSense earnings to trickle in, but even the occasional check-in with HubPages was enough to bring her to the first payout.  Check out our interview below to learn more about Jen and her experience on HubPages.

Congrats on your first payout! Do you have any particular plans for the money?

Well it’ll be a big help towards buying Christmas presents this year. Anything that is left over I think I’ll put towards getting a new hair style. I used to have purple streaks dyed in my hair, and this time I’m thinking about going red!

You share on your profile that you enjoy reading, writing, photography, digital design, guitar playing, writing songs, and travel – how much do you write about these things on HubPages? And are there any other major subjects you frequently address in your Hubs?

I started writing book reviews for every book I read and I’ve done about ten or so of those so far. I hope to have a massive collection of them one day. I’ve written a bit about travel; I went to Venezuela to do some volunteering last year and wrote a series of Hubs about that. But I haven’t really done any other travelling in the eighteen months I’ve been on Hubpages, when I do I’ll write about it. Although it’s not a massive interest of mine, I randomly decided one day to write some Hubs about Impressionist Painters and they seem quite popular so I’m thinking about writing more of those.

You also mention on your profile that you’re a postgraduate student studying Healthcare Ethics. Have you ever published notes, study guides, or any of your student papers on HubPages? What advice might you give to other student Hubbers?

I did my graduate degree in Philosophy and I’ve published some notes and papers from that. I have loads on my laptop that I’ve been meaning to publish on Hubpages, but they all need editing and cutting down etc. I’ll get around to it eventually!

Advice for student Hubbers? When you have some spare time just write whatever is interesting you, whether it is something on TV or in the news or something completely random. It’s difficult to motivate yourself to write when you spend your whole time writing and researching, so just write when you can and don’t worry about the quality; you can always go back and edit.

Waiting for the first payout can take a lot of patience. What kept you going over the months?

To be honest I kind of dipped in and out of Hubpages. I’d go for a few months without doing much at all, and then I’d get motivated again, read something more about backlinking and keywords etc and try it out. I actually didn’t think that I’d ever reach my first pay-out I really didn’t, but the run up to Christmas has been good for me. Now that I know it is possible, hopefully it’ll give me more motivation to write more and payouts will become a more regular thing.

What, if any, future HubPages plans do you have? Do you plan on continuing to write on HubPages after you get your Healthcare Ethics degree?

I really couldn’t say but I hope so, I’ve still got another 18 months on my course before I have to worry about it. I always plan lots of things I could write but more often than not I never get around to them. I’d like to keep up the book reviews, and as I mentioned before, I’m going to write some more Hubs about artists. I did them in the style of ‘5 interesting facts about …’ and so I’m thinking about expanding that to include famous people, like world leaders etc. Obviously, until I start earning enough money to pay the rent through Hubpages I’ll have to get a job, but I’ll do my best to write as much as I can.

[Thanks, jenblacksheep - and congrats!]

If you’ve ever frequented the forums, you’re sure to know Cagsil, one of the most well-rounded Hubbers. (Take a look at his Accolades to get a snapshot of his activity since he started less than a year ago.) I learned recently from a forum thread that Cagsil hit his first AdSense payout recently. It seemed like as good a time as any to pose a few questions to Cagsil about his experience at HubPages so far.

1. The first payout is probably the most memorable for most Hubbers, even though it always takes the longest. You've been with HubPages for 7 months now, and have published 82 Hubs. How does this payout match against your expectations?

It matched my expectations, because it's based on my effort and learning of HubPages. It is not based on bring referrals exclusively to a program, like many others, even though traffic could be increased through referring others. [That] it was not a requirement is what I liked most.

2. You have a mix of types of Hubs – a lot of cerebral opinion pieces, as well as a handful of picture galleries. What's the motivation behind the different types of content?

Cagsil

3. A quick look at your Accolades shows you're quite an accomplished Hubber. You have over 500 followers, you're known for both commenting on others' Hubs and for having plenty of discussion on your own Hubs, and you answer a lot of Questions. What type of activities do you enjoy most on HubPages?

I enjoy the forums the most, because of the interactive nature and simplicity.

4. Now that you've hit the first $100 milestone in terms of payout, what are your goals going forward? Anything you plan on doing differently?

My goal is continue learning more about SEO and to display as many of the misconceptions that have been created, so as to distract others from the truth about what is actually happening and causing problems in their life, even if they do not see it happening. I will continue to explore other opportunities as they arise and work on my business model, so I can refine it and make it an excellent form of supportive assistance for others.

5. How does HubPages figure into your whole online presence? Do you use social media elsewhere? Do you have a blog, and are you active on Twitter or Facebook?

I am presently using HubPages platform to make my own presence known, as a person/writer/voice of reason and to create substantial revenues I can use for other purposes, other than supplying myself with earnings. Much of the revenue made from HubPages is leveraged, so as to create more. Thus, making money work for me instead of doing nothing with it. I am presently using Facebook under the same name. I am also on twitter as Cagsil too. I presently write articles pertaining to my hubs at RedGage as well. I also have a blog, which can be used for holding discussions on any of the topics I write about or other problems not presently written about.

6. If you were approached by a new Hubber, who told you that they wanted to make a little extra money writing online but that they wanted to still enjoy the process, what would you advise him/her to do?

I would tell them to write about things that they know themselves. Things they have experience with and to remain honest as possible. I would also inform them that they need to not rush, but produce quality content over quantity. I would also guide them to quite of few of the more knowledgeable hubbers, such as Sunforged, Thisisoli, RyanKett, Relache, Nelle Hoxie, Frogdropping, Darkside, MyWebs and point out that these veteran Hubbers provide support of HubPages community with regards to inside track of HubPages success.

7. Finally, what is something you'd like to share with the community about your experience so far as a Hubber? How has your interaction with the site changed since you began 7 months ago?

I am the most impressed with HubPages' ability to constantly listen to the community of hubbers who do take an active role. When changes come through the changes are not a final result, until reviewed by others, assessed and modified, which makes HubPages one of the most versatile platforms for writers to do their own creative work. I have not disagreed with any of the changes HubPages' staff/admin has given to the community and it's supportive staff is/has been one of the best I have ever dealt with online. I have been active in the community from day one and haven't looked back since. I presently have close to 20,000 posts in the community forum and I adore most of the people I come in contact with.

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Keep up with what Cagsil is publishing on HubPages–become his fan!

You might remember Court from the Keyword Academy, who had a challenge with Ryan Hupfer back in April of last year. This sparked the 30-Day Challenge which continues to this day. In a recent blog post, Court reminds that he made $475 during that one-month challenge period.

But, as every veteran Hubber knows, you make the bulk of your revenue well after the period of time when you publish your Hubs. This has been true for Court as well. He reports that he has made $4,003.43 from his Hubs. Keep in mind that it’s just been a year, and we see time and time again that great-quality Hubs continue to earn for years.

While Court is a pro at identifying lucrative topics to write about, but what’s impressive is that he didn’t spend any time updating his Hubs or promoting them. The high credibility that HubPages has in search engine’s eyes—due in no small part to the efforts of Hubbers like you that flag low-quality Hubs—has helped high-quality Hubs get the attention they deserve.

Even Hubbers who don’t want to do keyword research, but would like to write about the topics they love, can earn. There are some important keys, though, to choosing a title to your Hub, and how to break up topics into separate Hubs, that will increase your traffic. Be sure to check out our Learning Center and learn these simple tricks before publishing your next Hub.

Girly_Girl09 joined HubPages only 9 months ago, but she recently announced in the Forums that, despite having published the majority of her Hubs earlier when she had free time, she continues to earn about $200 per month even though she has shifted her attention to her studies. She took some time out of her busy schedule, though, to answer some of my questions and offer some very valuable advice to those Hubbers who are looking to earn money from their Hubs.

1. A consistent $200 or so per month on 136 Hubs written over 9 months is not too shabby! How does this compare to your earnings expectations when you started at HubPages?

It’s really exciting and unexpected! I am honestly astounded to be earning money every month in the form of a residual income. There was a period of 3-4 months last year where I unfortunately didn’t have a lot of time to play on HubPages, yet my earnings would still appear in my bank account near the end of every month. That, in itself, was a huge inspiration for me to continue to write as much as I can, when I have the time!

2. You mentioned doing some SEO research. What are some top-level suggestions you learned that ended up working for you?

If you research it, write about it and “SEO” it, they will come.

1.) SEO research is key. You really need to understand the basic concepts and work from there. HP was my first attempt at SEO (Search Engine Optimization) so I had a lot of learning to do. Search engine traffic is where 99% of your income will come from; it’s crucial. The good news is – you don’t need to spend a fortune learning SEO! There is a plethora of free and helpful information out there. I read countless blogs and hubs on SEO and of course ask lots of questions on the forums. While we have a wonderful community of eagerly helpful hubbers, I do recommend learning the basics for yourself, this way, you can grasp the general concepts and individually apply them to your individual hubs and marketing needs.

2.) Keyword research is very important! I suspect that if you conjure up a topic that is of interest to you, other people will be searching for information on it. However, the way you word your title and article content may not be written as it should be for SEO. This is why you really need to research which keywords you are using. I occasionally publish portions of my papers that I’ve used for class assignments and re-write them so they contain keywords that have earning potential and viable traffic. You can take almost any topic and find relevant keywords that can, in turn, earn you money.

3.) Write about what you know or can take the time to research. In my opinion, there is nothing worse (or boring!) than writing about topics simply because they are profitable. It’s one thing to do the research and write a great article, but I find it silly that people write about topics such as weight loss or mesothelioma, without even knowing what they’re talking about. Trust me, you can find a profitable topic, no matter your interests. Google ranks hubs based on many factors, one of them has to do with how much time a reader stays on your page. The longer and more helpful your article is, the better you’ll rank with search engines.

I have some further advice in my hub Increase Google Adsense Revenue. It was written for hubbers that already have great hubs already published, but just need to tweak them a bit for SEO purposes.

3. Glancing at your Hubs, I see a wide range of informational Hubs, mostly about products as diverse as flavored popcorn and pink shower curtains. They seem to be niche products that you know quite well. How do you determine what products to review in your Hubs?

In order for me to write a hub, I choose topics that I either know well, or can research and present effectively for readers. 9 times out of 10, the topics I choose are profitable because I write to earn money. I do choose really random topics or products, but I have a “rule” that I have to be interested in what I write about.

4. Most Hubbers’ earnings seems to follow the 80:20 rule (20% of their Hubs generate 80% of the revenue). Has that been the case for you? What have you learned about which Hubs attract traffic and generate earnings for you (or is there no pattern)?

I would say that 20% is about accurate, however I’m finding that with fine-tuning my keyword research skills, I can guarantee that I’ll eventually earn from each new hub I write. One or two of my first 35-50 hubs do have some exciting earners (by chance!) but a lot of them have only earned a dollar or so and I don’t expect much more than that.

5. In the same forum thread, you mentioned learning about entrepreneurship from your family. How does HubPages figure into your other extracurricular entrepreneurial activities?

HubPages gave me the courage to purchase my own domain and start up a new site; the revenue model will be based on Adsense. HP is a phenomenal place to research what topics work and expand from there. If you write a really successful hub and are earning a lot from it, then it may just be a topic that you can expand to a niche website. Not to mention, I have a few PR (Page Rank) 3 hubs that I can directly link to my new site to give it a search engine boost. While I still have massive amounts of work to make my new domain profitable, it is a small piece of internet “real estate” that I’m proud to own.

Thus far, I’ve found that it is much easier to earn money from HubPages then on my own domain. HubPages is still my preferred method of earning income online. I don’t have to worry about coding or server issues!

6. Tell us about your career in politics and your future career in law. Sounds intriguing!

I worked in politics for about five years. It started off with volunteering on a gubernatorial race which led to a position on that campaign. Shortly thereafter, I was hired as Projects Director for a political party in my state. I loved my job, the unique experiences I endeavored and the fantastic people, candidates and legislators that I had the pleasure of working with. There were daily challenges with many solutions and something exciting or shocking was always happening. In 2008, I naturally transitioned over to a presidential campaign. It was the best time of my life – thus far! It was a 24/7, demanding job, with my phone constantly going off at random hours. To sum it up in as few words as possible: copious amounts of Red Bull, traveling, hotels, car mileage, conference calls and Excel spreadsheets! I dealt mainly with election law procedures and logistics of campaign staff and volunteers on Election Day and the three days leading up to it (aka 72 Hour). Campaigns are actually built backwards from Election Day, so the whole experience was fast-paced all year long, not just in November. The project was where I solidified my desire to eventually attend law school. I was inspired by the ethics and professionalism of the attorneys that I worked with.

Presently, I’m pursuing an undergraduate degree in legal studies. I understandably have a huge passion for election law, but that is not something I can really make a career out of. My other interests include copyright & intellectual property, criminal law and legislative law. I’m quite certain I won’t know exactly what I want to practice until my last year or so of law school. Until then, I enjoy learning about a wide array of legal topics. While I honestly miss the 60, 80, 100 or 120 hour work weeks (depending on the “political season”), I now enjoy being a full-time student and pursuing new goals outside of the political realm. It’s great to be in classes where your professors actually want you to argue with them. What could be more fun than that?

7. Finally, you are noted for your contributions on the site in the form of comments on others’ Hubs and forum posts greeting and helping new Hubbers. How has interaction with other Hubbers contributed to your overall HubPages experience?

If there wasn’t a community on HubPages, I most likely would not be an active member of the website. Upon joining, the HubPages forum encouraged me to learn about SEO and alerted me to the fact that it was indeed possible to earn money on HubPages. I don’t have as much time to spend on the forums as I’d like, but I always try to give a helping hand where possible.

I’d also like to give a few shout-outs to some hubbers that have always been really helpful and have enriched my experiences on HubPages and expanded my knowledge of online writing for profit. Just to name a few – in no particular order! Nelle Hoxie, Misha, Darkside, Eric Graudins, Relache, Whitney05, Mark Knowles, Sunforged. Thanks everyone for making my HubPages experience a fantastic (and profitable) one!

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Keep up with what girly_girl09 is publishing on HubPages–become her fan!

Whitney05, domesticated animal expert and master Hubber, was thrilled earlier this month when she checked her AdSense earnings for November and found out that she earned over $1000 in a single month for the first time. Over $900 was from her Hubs alone. With a great 2nd-place win in last year’s HubLove contest and ever-growing traffic, Whitney has translated her love for and knowledge of exotic pets into sizeable monthly earnings.

Whitney05 generously answered our questions–have a gander below:

1. Whitney, you’ve been with HubPages for 2 years now, and you’ve really been a committed presence on the site. What keeps bringing you back?

I like to push myself to see wht I can come up with, what do I think people are looking up or may have questions about, and (of course) what do people want to buy. I like to learn, so when I have a question, I write a hub. When I think someone else may have a question, I write a hub. I like the atmosphere, and I enjoy the user friendly site that is HubPages. Of course, the ease of writing hubs and sitting back to watch the extra cash flow in doesn’t hurt, and having that second source of income is great.

2. $1000 from AdSense alone is really fantastic, with the lion’s share (about $900) coming from your HubPages publishing. In your estimation, how does HubPages compare as a writing monetization platform compared to other sites you’ve evaluated or used?

HubPages is by far the best place that I’ve found to earn money. I have tried other websites, and I’ve read many TOS from similar sites, and HubPages really has the best deal. The traffic is awesome, which means my profits have a better potential of actually earning money. I don’t have to work nearly as hard on HubPages, yet I earn so much more. It does take work, don’t get me wrong, and in many cases, it’s a hit and miss on topics, but the overall interface of HubPages is the best, from my experience. It’s just hard not putting all your eggs in one basket when HubPages makes it so easy.

3. Your traffic profile has shown steady growth as well, with you getting about 10,000 Hub views per day now. Are there tricks you’ve learned to attract traffic to your Hubs, besides publishing great-quality, useful information?

Truthfully, I don’t have any tricks. I don’t bookmark or do much of anything to create backlinks. I let them come naturally. I don’t search keywords or trends. I just write whatever, honestly. It’s worked for me, but it’s not something that works for everyone. The only thing that I do try, is to make sure that my layouts are visually appealing. I feel that if the page looks nice, views stay, which potentially bumps me up in searches because of longer page views… At least, that’s what I tell myself.

4. Where on earth have you been able to amass so much information on such a wide variety of pets? There is no question that you know more about caring for pets and animals than anyone I could possibly imagine.

Research and personal experience. I’ve had numerous pets throughout my days, and the number is still counting. I mean, I’ve had just about everything from dogs, cats, hamsters, mice, rats, chinchillas, guinea pigs, leopard geckos, crested geckos, gargoyle geckos, bearded dragons, ball pythons, rosy boas, Russian tortoise, red footed tortoises, and a few other pets here and there. I’ve done a lot of research that is on-going to this day. My love for animals grows with every new pet I research and learn about. I’ve always loved animals, but I never knew how much and to what extent until I started volunteering with an animal shelter in middle school and started seeing the variety of animals one can actually have as a pet. I started researching then, and it just never stopped.

Grooming, nutrition, health, training, and overall care of dogs is just important for any dog parent to know, so I do my best to stay in the loop of the latest info. I feel that if you have a pet, learn everything you can and keep learning.

5. How about your other earnings: eBay and Amazon? Have they steadily increased, too?

eBay and Amazon earnings are always fluctuating. I have my good months and not so good, although I do always reach payout. Amazon has increased, as I’ve been able to watch what people are buying, and I’ve catered a few hubs towards that, but I’ve never really worked on eBay. Lately, I’ve been trying to bump up eBay, we’ll see if it’s a hit or a miss. In general, eBay and Amazon takes a little more work figuring products and trends when compared to Google Adsense, and right now, I don’t have the time for research. I do my best and follow my reports from both affiliates, but sometimes, it takes more than that.

6. What would you suggest to a new (or veteran) Hubber who’s interested in achieving such an impressive earnings milestone?

Write. Don’t stress about earnings. Write what you know. Write what you want to learn about (research then hub it). Write what you think others may be wondering about. Make it pretty. Keep it simple. Have fun. To me writing and coming up with ideas is fun and a personal slice of entertainment. The more you stress about it, the hard it becomes. If you let it come naturally, or at least semi-naturally, it’s just so much easier. And, if you have to, research trends and keywords, but remember fads will fade really quickly, and you want your words to be longlasting. Evergreen is the key.

Keep up with what Whitney05 is publishing on HubPages–become her fan!

Cape Cod native Nelle Hoxie, a Hubber extraordinaire for about 9 months now, shared some great news about her Hubs in the Forums recently: she made $1000 in a single month!

Sounds incredible? Nelle’s spectacular achievement is testament to the value of consistent effort and mastering traffic-acquisition techniques. For the benefit of all of us, Nelle was kind enough to answer my questions to shed some light on what has made her so successful, as well as a little on what makes her tick. Enjoy!

1. You’ve been with HubPages for just 9 months now. How did you come upon HubPages, and how does HubPages fit into your overall Web publishing and monetization strategy?

HubPages was recommended as a place to get backlinks – similar to Squidoo – in an affiliate marketing forum that I look at once in a while. So I popped over here and quickly learned that this is not the place for mindless backlinks. I was working on a Cape Cod Travel website and decided that I might write some hubs about Cape Cod motels. I wrote about 5 hubs and then went back to my affiliate marketing. A month or so later I remembered the hubs and came back. I was totally floored by the Google traffic and rankings. However despite traffic and rankings, the hubs had not made any money, so I decided that a new monetization strategy was in order. I was already an affiliate of both Amazon and Ebay so I just had to start writing hubs and learn what works.

After 250 or so hubs, I’m ready to start integrating those hubs with my other affiliate marketing websites. I’m thinking of them as my “Nelle sites,” because they will all be “Nelle this” or “Nelle that” and Nelle Hoxie writes the HubPages. I’ve selected a WordPress theme, while not identical to HubPages is complimentary and won’t give visitors a visual shock as they move between the two. Right now my HubPages Widget is in the top right corner of all the pages. There will be other connections as I figure it all out. I’m very excited about this and I think it’s a winning strategy because of the HubPages’ Google traffic and rankings. This integration is a primary element of my 2010 work plan.

2. You’re quite a prolific Hubber – 251 Hubs over 9 months comes out to about almost a Hub a day! How do you maintain your Hubbing stamina?

It is such a joy to write Hubs – that staying motivated isn’t an issue. I know that if I write a Quality Sales Hub, I’ll make money. One of my favorite books is The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp. She stresses the need for rituals and a routine that provide discipline, so that you have the time and energy to be creative. So my morning schedule is I get up and as I drink my morning coffee I write a hub. Then I shower & exercise and write more marketing and sales copy.

3. I can easily see why you’ve achieved $1000 in a single month – your Hubs are well put together and they very intelligently target shopping niches, with search-friendly titles (like this one: Buy a Heart Necklace Online). How do you decide which niches to target?

I have a degree in Marketing from the Wharton School at UPenn, which has helped me a lot. But I think I was born to market and sell. When my sister and I were 5 and 4, we wanted to stand outside the Hoxie House (the oldest house on Cape Cod) and sell our autographs to tourists for a nickel. The next summer we learned how to make change, and with our parents’ support and approval, we opened a farm stand – which ultimately paid for half of my UPenn education.

To see what trends are hot and heating up, I spend a lot of time at Wal-Mart, because they survey their customers once a week and probably know more about the American consumer than anybody. I also watch a lot of QVC for hot trends and more importantly to hear the sales pitches. I read catalogs and magazines by the bucket load. I don’t use keyword tools to decide on niches, I do use them to write effective sales copy.

4. What many Hubbers have no idea about, but which is so very important, is that you are one of our prized “flaggers”, who identifies spam and other forms of inappropriate content on the site so that our moderators can get rid of the stuff and keep the site clean. To what do we owe this very much-appreciated magnanimity?

You actually have Relache to thank for that. One night I told a spammer off in the forum, and promptly got an email from Relache telling me it is more effective to report them.

As far as hubs go, I only report those that don’t conform with the Google Adsense TOS – it’s not just their Adsense at stake but mine too. If I’m booted out of Adsense, then I’m also booted out of the Google Affiliate Network. That means I lose the revenue from 100 GAN merchants.

5. How and why did you fall upon writing online, and how has your strategies changed? What advice could you offer to new Hubbers in order to make the most out of their Hubbing experience?

I ran a very proper economics consulting firm until 9/11. When the economy tanked that fall, I went with it. That following December I stubbornly sat at my computer on snowy night, and decided if others could make a living online, then I could too. I didn’t even know that affiliate marketing existed. But I kept finding affiliate sites and then I figured it out. By 3 am I had my first links up. The first week I sold enough dahlias and geraniums to get a $30 commission. And I was hooked. I’ve never wanted to do anything else since then.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9000008@N08/

6. Cape Cod is one of the most beautiful, charming parts of our country that I haven’t been lucky to visit myself. What can you tell us about it?

If I walk to the end of my street and turn left I’m at the beach. If I turn to the right I am in the postcard-perfect Sandwich Town Square, one of the oldest in the country. There is an inn where statesman Daniel Webster used to hang out. It’s also in communities like Sandwich, that the purest form of democracy was developed and remains in place today. Our form of open town meeting is what I’m most proud of. And then our commitment to public education, historic preservation and the environment.

Cape Cod is a wonderful place to live, but a hard place to make a living. Affiliate marketing and HubPages are what makes it possible for me.

7. I like to keep the final question relatively free-form. What would you like to share about yourself, or about something that interests you, with your fellow Hubbers?

Nature plays an important part in my daily life and determines in large part the values that I have. Last summer I stood with thousands of others as we watched and cheered as an endangered juvenile right whale navigated the Cape Cod Canal with a Coast Guard escort.

I love our New England poets – Mary Oliver, Stanley Kunitz, Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon who put into words the relationship between life and nature that I experience but can’t express.

Keep up with what Nelle Hoxie is publishing on HubPages–become her fan!

Sunforged, a Hubber who’s been with us for 13 months now, shared a jaw-dropping revelation in the Forums recently – he earned $100 in a single day through his Hubs. Cyber Monday, the first working day after Thanksgiving that’s typically a boon to online retailers, is apparently a great day for clever Hubbers who lined their ducks up in a row for when the searchers jump online.

And this important breakthrough couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Always helpful to new Hubbers in the Forums, sunforged has earned a well-deserved reputation for reliable advice on how to put together a Hub that is good enough to garner great traffic from the search engines.

In a characteristically generous manner, sunforged took some time out of the wee hours of the morning (still working!) to answer a few of my questions:

1. $100 in a single day is really amazing…most have to wait several months to get their $100 payout check from Google. How does that compare to other earning milestones you’ve set for yourself in the past and for the future?

That $100/day is particularly exciting for me as it’s only been about 4 months since I increased my Hub output and did massive title and keyword changes in all my older hubs. I have only had HubPages separated out into URL channels for 4 months so I dont know when my first Hubs only payout was made, but I can tell from my stats that my Hubpages earnings have doubled each month since.

My current goal, which I think it is very achievable, is a daily $100 in passive income. At this point “passive” is very much a misnomer but as my web presence grows I hope to be able to take a weekend off and open up my various dashboards and accounts to see that my past efforts are still reaping rewards.

My past goal was to replace my overly tedious and labor intensive eBay business with an income source that was more varied and enjoyable. i thrive on variety; online content writing allows you to tackle different topics and wear many hats throughout the work day. HubPages has definitely added to my ability to now only sell on eBay as a fun side hobby rather than having to rely on it as a major source of income.

2. I see you’ve been publishing on HubPages for just over a year now. How has your publishing strategy changed over this time? Have you covered different topics? Have you changed how you structure or promote your Hubs?

One strength of HubPages is a very real opportunity to achieve first page results in almost any topic. My topics have certainly jumped around, I feel I can write in topics I enjoy or try and tackle my latest possible keyword gem with almost equal results.

I am always experimenting with formatting and layout here on HubPages. There are lots of great hubs that show or explain some of the ways to best use the publishing tools to create a profitable and appealing hub. I went back and edited all my past Hubs to reflect that information and will do it again if experience changes my current theories. My promotion efforts are much more strategic and planned now compared to when I started. I openly discuss and share my promotion methods in hubs and on the forums… after I test the method for a reasonable amount of time.

3. Several Hubbers, both veterans and new, have thanked you for your advice and help. You were, of course, instrumental in resolving the mass-plagiarism-of-Hubs problem on Docstoc a couple of months ago. Help us understand why you’re so generous with your time and wisdom on behalf of Hubbers in the community.

It’s specifically because of my agreement that HubPages is a “community,” that leads me to want to assist others when questions are within my knowledge base.

Unlike most online communities that have a potential profit motive, HubPages seems to have an active user base of friendly, ethical and real people. In the course of my own research into the topics and methods that help me to live a mobile lifestyle, I frequent a lot of internet marketing related forums and sites. The quality of content and the value of the product that is promoted are always an afterthought, with many other forums and platforms are driven solely by people chasing a quick buck, usually using any means necessary. That distinction, that HubPages enjoys–creating quality content and accurate information–is a welcome change.

To me, the users of HubPages range from experienced marketers using the awesome internal SEO benefits of the platform, teachers, mothers, college students to professional freelance writers and experienced experts in many fields. These people deserve to find success because they represent what this field SHOULD be in my eyes. So, I don’t feel I am overly generous compared to other active users here. This is a generous and supportive community.

4. Your Hubs demonstrate a strong sense of SEO understanding: clear, search-friendly titles, unique, well-researched content, etc. Where did you learn your SEO skills, and what do you see as the best opportunity for new Hubbers to attract search engine traffic to their Hubs?

I think my learning experience has been mostly a method of deconstruction. Rather than always taking the so-called “gurus” advice at face value, I try to analyze what led me to the information in the first place. Once you pick up the lingo/vocab most of the information one would need is readily accessible via the search function in any browser or even just here at HubPages! Since, I attempt to optimize mostly for Google, I find Matt Cutts’ blog to be the final answer on any iffy subjects, like duplicate content and the future of search theory. The word you always will see mentioned there and here at HubPages is “quality,” Google has a lot of very smart people working towards creating an ever increasing “search quality” and I try to keep that in mind when evaluating any new flash-in-the-pan methods of optimization.

Best opportunity for new hubbers? Well, I think even if the writer doesn’t have a major profit motive, they want to write for someone, they want to be read. So they simply must take the time to learn the basics of keyword research and develop a backlink strategy. For instance, simply changing one word from singular to plural can add a couple of 00′s to your pageviews. 10 minutes a day following or preceding publishing a new hub is about all it takes. Think like your reader and try to guess how you would search for what you’re writing about.

5. With the great money you’re making from your Hubs, what do you like to spend it on?

I’m anti-stuff, so it’s not common for me to spend money on anything that’s not destined for eventual resale on eBay.

See, he's waving!

My last purchase just for me, was a netbook so I could work from anywhere in my city.

But I’m a painter and paint and art supplies is expensive! I tend to save in the winter for trips to the mountains to snowboard and in the summer to go to music festivals. I was saving up to move closer to family in Southern California, and when I visited last January, I fell in love with the overall vibe, surfing and the music scene. But, today, I saw the first picture of my 11 week old mini-sunforged, so I think I know where all the money is going now!

6. I noticed in your profile that you make your own wine (among many other interesting tidbits). Tell us a little about how you got into that, and what your hobby involves today.

One of my first successful niche websites is in the homebrew beer market. I live in an area of NY that has tons of wine trails and local breweries so I have a rare opportunity to take photographs, do interviews and develop first hand content. Its really not a bad gig to be able to say I’m going on a wine tour for “work”!

Making wine at home is just the natural result of having organic groceries and champagne yeasts within walking distance of my home. My set up is pretty low maintenance and DIY, I still have to burp my bottles!

7. As a final question, I’d like to leave it relatively free-form. What would you like to share with other Hubbers, about yourself or Hubbing or anything else you find interesting?

Well, I’m pretty long winded, so I think I have said enough “do’s” about myself. So here are some “don’ts” that I wish I had kept in mind when I started.

• Don’t become a stats junkie – set one time a day or week to check your earnings and don’t get caught up in the little spikes and valleys.
• Don’t expect immediate results and dont become discouraged by your own inflated expectations.
• Don’t forget to have fun.

Keep up with what sunforged is publishing on HubPages–become his fan!

One of the trends that I really like and that I am thankfully seeing more and more is that writers are now more than ever noticing that HubPages is much more than just a place to create a couple of backlinks. Fairly high-profile writers and online money-makers, such as Court over at the Keyword Academy, have found that HubPages is a totally legit, revenue-generating publishing community that gives writers of all types an opportunity to earn, interact and share interests. This, of course, is fantastic news and as HubPages continues to show up on writer’s radars there will be more and more Hubbers who will realize the potential that we offer them to be successful.

Speaking of Hubbers who have recently discovered the true value of HubPages, I am happy to introduce all of you to lakeerieartists who, according to this forum post, has just hit her first official $100 payout from Google. Her story is very interesting as she’s a writer who was once only interested in using us for creating backlinks to her other articles and blogs online, but who now has become a very successful and active part of our community. She let me shoot her some quick questions about her experiences with HubPages so far, what made her stick around and what she thinks about making her first payout and here’s what she had to say:

1. Oh my goodness, according to this forum thread that you started you have officially hit your first $100 payout from Google after being a member of the HubPages community for over a year! How did you feel when you first realized that this month was the month?

Well, to be fair, I have been a member for over a year ,but didn’t really become active at writing hubs until June of this year.  So in reality, I would count my active hubbing as starting in June, making it five months from beginning to first payout.  That is a reality for anyone.  I did not do anything special.  But, yes, I am truly excited because I have had an Adsense account for about three years and it is exciting to see it turn into a real income source.

2. After snooping around at your stats a bit (I hope you don’t mind) I noticed that you published your first Hub in August of 2008 and then you didn’t really get back into the swing of things until just a few months ago. Why have you all of a sudden been publishing so much on HubPages here lately?

When I originally opened an account on Hubpages it was to create a backlink to Squidoo which I had become active on in June of 2008.  I really didn’t understand either site very well, and created one hub. More recently, although I am a Giant Squid on Squidoo, I wanted to add more revenue streams and had heard good things about Hubpages.  I decided to try it out seriously.  I already had an Amazon account and Adsense account, so I figured why not build up those accounts?  And so I started to learn the differences between Squidoo and Hubpages and how I could take advantage of Hubpages to supplement what I was already doing.

What I learned was that I really like the total control I have over my articles on Hubpages, and that Hubpages lends itself to a completely different kind of focused webpage than Squidoo.  I also learned a lot about how Adsense works.

3. I know that you were a stand-out participant of the October HubChallenge — how did joining the HubChallenge affect your overall HubPages experience and success?

The Hubchallenge really got me going.  It was at that time that I committed myself to creating some serious earning potential with Hubpages.  And I found I really loved writing the hubs.

4. You write about all different types of topics, at least I didn’t notice any type of pattern in your Hubs. If you don’t mind sharing, can you please give us a quick overview of how you are coming up with all of these seemingly random topics?

I am writing about topics that interest me, some of which you will find echoed in my blogs and on Squidoo, and I am looking for Adsense topics that pay well, and that are either seasonal within the next few months or something that people will look for all year.  As I learn more about how Adsense works, then I am adapting my topics to make better use of that knowledge.  My biggest overall topics are art, green living, and shopping.

5. After all of this time on HubPages and considering that you have just now made your first $100 payout, what has kept you hanging around this (sometimes crazy) place? I guess a better way of asking is, what do you feel are some of the main reasons that you have decided to spend your time on HubPages?

I like the hubpages community.  I see the excellent potential for passive income, and I like the ability to have control over the hubs and the earning potential of the hubs.

6.  I always like giving credit where credit is due. Who would you give credit to if I asked you who has been helpful, motivating, inspirational, friendly or just plain nuts/entertaining during your journey to your first payout? Go a head and give some shout-outs to the Hubbers who have helped you get to this point.

I would say that I have learned a lot from Relache and Darkside, and gotten a lot of encouragement from Nelle Hoxie and Sunforged.

7. Ok, well that’s all that I have (and it’s 6:45 on a Friday so I need to get home to my wife for date night) — if there’s anything else that you feel like you should add to this interview, feel free to say it now.

First of all, thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed.  Over the last several months, I have come to really appreciate and enjoy the Hubpages experience.  I would say to anyone who is new, that it takes time to understand how Hubpages works, and if you continue to make Hubs while asking questions, you will succeed.  There are a lot of experienced Hubbers who can help you.  For anyone who is coming to Hubpages from another article platform, learn how Hubpages works, and adapt your style to the Hubpages platform.  It takes a little time, but it is well worth it.

Want to keep up with what lakeerieartists is up to? Click here to become her fan now!

Believe it or not, when I’m lurking through the forums day-to-day I’m doing more than just amusing myself with what gets posted in the Religion section — I’m also looking for great Hubber stories that need to be shared with the rest of the community. One of my favorite types of story to share is when a Hubber reaches their first $100 payout from Google, which is always a very exciting and memorable milestone for anyone who is looking to generate some earnings here on HubPages.

The latest ‘YAY!!! I made payout!!‘ forum thread was posted just a few days ago by a habee, a Hubber who has been a part of our community for over 5 months, but who has just started getting serious over the last couple. I shot her over some questions so that we all could get a better sense of what helped her get to the  sometimes seemingly unattainable first payout and here’s what she had to say:

1. I guess that some champagne is in order — according to this forum post you have officially hit your $100 AdSense payout for the first time, ever. Did you earn all of this first payout on HubPages and what was it like seeing that total add up to more than $100 bucks for the first time?

Yes, Ryan. It was all from HP! I was psyched! Even if I enjoy a lot more success here, nothing will ever match the excitement of this first payout.

2. According to your profile you have been a member of the HubPages community for over 5 months, but you also said that you have real just gotten down to business and writing more Hubs in the past 2 months, which has resulted in your first payout. What made you step up your writing the past couple of months? Did something change that we should know about?

Well honestly, I spent most of the summer in the pool or at the beach!

3. The topics that you write about range from Asbestos to oyster sauce — how do you decide what ends up getting written and published from your HubPages account?

I have a wide range of interests – practically everything interest me. Sometimes I think about associated adclick value, but sometimes I just write for fun – you know, humorous hubs that might bring a smile to readers.

4. You have published over 200 Hubs, which is quite a feat in itself. How do you stay motivated to keep on creating content and what has kept you sticking around HubPages for these last couple of months?

I have to write – if I don’t my head will explode! I think writing has been a good substitute for my teaching skills since I have retired. Writing keeps my brain from turning to mush! lol

5. There are many Hubbers out there who are still looking for their first payout from Google. What types of advice, tips, insider information would you give them now that you’ve made it to your payout? Also, how would you go about learning how to write on HubPages if you just started today?

I’m probably not a good person to answer this query – I’m technologically challenged. If I were more computer savvy, I’m sure I would have reached payout sooner.

6. Now that you’re going to be getting an additional $100 a month now from Google, what are you planning on spending it on?

I’ll probably spend it on my grandchildren. I have seven!

7. Any last thoughts that you want to share with the rest of the HubPages community? This is your chance.

I’d tell hubbers not to give up. I was very disheartened to start with, seeing only a few pennies in my account. The viewers and adclick revenue seem to grow exponentially, however.

Thanks to habee for answering these questions and if you’d like to become her fan so that you can keep up with what she’s doing from here on out (I just did), add her now by clicking here. Oh, and if you would like to see what kind of amazing progress she has been making on HubPages these past couple of months, look no further than the graph of her daily Hub views, which you can see below. Not too shabby, eh?

(click here to see all of the other editions of The Payout Chronicles)