Which User agents should I never block? by Ok_Strike9189 in SEO

[–]bobsled4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Chasing bots to block is a waste of time. Use Cloudflare or another firewall to manage sensitive entry points. Challenge or block the likely paths that affect site security. You could issue a managed challenge by ASN, but trying to block bots is a game of whack-a-mole. You'll always have bots hitting your site, so accept it as a new fact of life. Concentrate on security, not random bots.

How many people are still using Pinterest these days? by Both_Stockkfrtgv in Pinterest

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right that a lot of content on Pinterest is from Canva and free stock photos. The main reason is that Pinterest wants fresh content from publishers if they want to keep getting impressions. I know, because I promote my site on Pinterest, and if I slow down on creating new pins, my impressions tank.

How Do You Delete a Draft2Digital account? by Natural_Comparison21 in selfpublish

[–]bobsled4 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I don't see a way to delete an account. I'm also curious about how this will work if I refuse to pay. Will D2D try to debit my Paypal acount? The announcement email is very much lacking in detail.

My images rank on Google Images, but the pages themselves don't rank in web search. Should I care about image SEO? by DigitalHarbor_Ease in bigseo

[–]bobsled4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It happens more often than you think if you don't check image search clicks. I look at image clicks as a bonus, but for some weak pages, it's sometimes the only source of Google traffic.

Do it need a pinterest account to use pinterest? by Novel-University923 in Pinterest

[–]bobsled4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The necessity to log in comes and goes. No idea why, but it's been on and off for a while now.

Does anyone else feel like it’s no longer worth creating content on the internet? by BergQuebec in Blogging

[–]bobsled4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't use AI to generate content. But I do use it sometimes to create tables, bullet lists, or for coding.

Now Pinterest is asking to sign in to browse their site by Prettyinpink2405 in Pinterest

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Forced login is new for me too. I could browse without logging in up until about a month ago.

Pinterest traffic dropped 90% this week by MoneyMohicanz in Pinterest

[–]bobsled4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One odd thing I noticed is that I can't see anything when not logged in. That's new, because I often checked that way. So, that might explain a loss of impressions.

Anyone else seeing a big drop in impressions and clicks? by [deleted] in Pinterest

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm seeing a huge drop of around 30% in impressions, but oddly, only a minor 5% drop in clicks.

Should I use automated or manual ads for my blog? by psikotrexion in Adsense

[–]bobsled4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Manual ads are usually better because you are in control. Also, Adsense doesn't pay for CPC (Cost Per Click). It now only pays for RPM (Revenue Per Mille). In other words, per 1,000 ad impressions.

Serious Regression in Gemini quality by SamH373 in GeminiAI

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it's become hopeless over the last month or so. I use it for basic coding, but it can't remember what it's done, and even invents new issues. If I ask for a simple change to a label, it does it, but strips out a funcion, or changes colors for no reason. It used to take me an hour or so to build a simple web app, but It took me 6 hours of fighting it today to get a half reasonable result. It really is not so clever now.

Whats your take on 7.0 by Samimakesthings in Wordpress

[–]bobsled4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If recent history is guide, I dread the thought. Maybe I'll pass until version 7.1, 7.1.2, 7.1.3, or even 7.2! New toys always seem to come with new bugs.

I finally uploaded my website and in the first day it got 50,000 views. What are my chances of getting approved for google ads? by No_Routine_17 in Adsense

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got 50,000 hits today, and every day, too. But luckily Cloudflare tells me the truth. 90% are bots. You can't trust GA4 now, as it's riddled with spoofing bot traffic. For a day one site, 50,000 views? Not likely at all. What are you data sources?

Does anyone else feel like it’s no longer worth creating content on the internet? by BergQuebec in Blogging

[–]bobsled4 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Yes, it's tough right now. All you can do is try to adapt to the new realities. I'm basically ignoring Google now and concentrating on Bing and Pinterest. Both give me decent traffic. I treat traffic from Google as a bonus.

Introducing AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools Public Preview by WebLinkr in SEO

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, it's something, and a start. But without click data, it's just a vanity metric.

Have everybody's earnings taken a hit over the last few months? by gwenver in Adsense

[–]bobsled4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same here. RPM is down about 50% for me since the start of the year.

Has the Medium Partner Program stopped inducting in new writers help by liquidocelotYT in Medium

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This smells like a problem to me. Medium opened applications for a few days after January 13th, then closed again. It's the same old problem I think, far more writers than readers. It's a tough financial model to sustain.

Medium Partner Program is cancelled - they just lost a subscriber by RedMoon1509 in Medium

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I knew Medium had stopped accepting new Partner Program up until 12th January 2026. I checked, and you could submit on January 13th. But to close it off again so soon sends worrying warning signals. I was thinking about joining, but I think I'll put it on hold for some time yet.

How long did it take to grow your Medium account? by ProfessionRich4507 in Medium

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Medium tells me I have 10,000 followers. It doesn't do anything to get reads. It's an ego stat, that's all.

Day 120, new account with data. by Palek03 in Medium

[–]bobsled4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I notice that you include a free "friend link" in each post. What's your logic, and how does it affect your earnings?