Squidlog.net

As many of you know, I have been dabbling with Hubpages in the last 6 months, and in that time period, I have learned some valuable lessons that I am going to apply to my Squidoo lenses going forward, and looking back on my older lenses as I refresh and revise them.

For those of you that do not have a Hubpages account, Hubpages is an article writing site, however, it is much more streamlined and pared down compared to Squidoo. Because Hubpages is more basic, however, the author is required to really hone their craft to do well.

Writing on Hubpages, reminded me that I had been sidetracked by all the bells and whistles on Squidoo, and had sometimes let that get in the way of writing a strong keyword rich, traffic stopping article that would look good to Google and other search engines.

So since I find myself in this position, I thought these lessons might apply to some of you as well, and I will share them with you.

1. An article gets better Google traffic if it is at least 800 words.
2. Pictures are great but they do not take the place of text.
3. Most readers come to your article in search of information. If there is too much other stuff in the way, they will not stay.
4. Items you sell on your article need to be directly related to the topic of the article for successful selling.
5. If you are selling an item, and that is your purpose, then take every opportunity to sell that item. Don’t beat around the bush.
6. There is nothing wrong with trying to make money. We all need to eat.

For those of us on Squidoo that have gotten excited about all the great new modules and features, but have forgotten to write enough text to attract readers and Google (and I include myself in this group), go back to your lenses and make sure that you have at least 800 words of keyword rich text to go with everything else.

Lenses that are all pictures are beautiful but they won’t attract Google, and they won’t attract a lot of readers. Also pictures need to have their alternative text filled in to get any attention on Google.

And there is no reason to feel ashamed that you want to earn money with your lenses. I am not against charities. As a matter of fact, I think giving to worthwhile charities is great. But in order for us to help others, we also need to make enough money to help ourselves. Wanting to earn a living wage online is not a bad thing, and it can be done. And I mean a living wage, one that we can actually live on.

Sometimes I think that some people in the Squidoo community do not realize that many of us are trying to earn a living online, to pay for basic needs like food. In my case, I am working to support a local gallery. And that is a worthwhile goal.

What I am suggesting is that we all go back to the basics in 2010. Don’t worry so much about the color of your text, and the look of your lens. Spend your time working on making a keyword rich, focused lens that will catch the eye of Google, and bring you the right kind of traffic, people who want to read what you are writing about, and buy what you are selling.

The rest is fluff, and will not earn you money. Even if you are doing it for your favorite charity.

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I know some people actually ask is it really worth it to become a giant squid? My answer to that question would be yes. I know that there are some lensmaster whom really do not care to be one even if they have the required 50+ lenses.

I love being a giant squid. We get a lot of perks if you look at it. Some have been announced and some have not. Am I going to tell you all the perks we get from being a giant? No I am not. You have to be a giant squid to really see the benefits that we get.

What I really love is the opportunities that I am able to take part of just because I am a giant squid. Giant Summer School is a prime example of something that is great about being a giant squid. Even though we are giants does not mean we know everything. In fact, many of us are still learning. I think that there will always be room to learn more. The internet and Squidoo is constantly changing, so we have to learn what works and what does not.

For the lensmasters who are trying or applying for this upcoming round – don’t give up. You will get there. If you don’t make that fifty or more lenses this round, there is always next round to make it. For you guys who didn’t make the cut – keep trying. You will get there. There are many giants that didn’t make it the first time around. Don’t let that discourage you. You will get there. I’ve been there, done that. Don’t give up.

Be a Giant Squid!

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1. Burn your thesaurus. Don’t use a fancy-schmancy word when a simple one will do. You might know pulchritudinous means “physically beautiful,” but someone else might think you’re talking about a disease.

2. Trim the fat. Being too wordy makes your writing hard to read. You don’t need to be Hemmingway, but cutting unnecessary words and sentences improves your writing.

3. Read a lot. Get a feel for different writing styles. Study your favorite writers. What is it about their writing that appeals to you? This helps you develop your writing voice.

4. Write from your own experience. It’s easier, it’s more personal, and you’ll have more credibility. You don’t have to work very hard to convince people that you know your stuff–because you already do!

5. Be conversational. Nobody likes stiff, formal writing. That’s for encyclopedias and dissertations. Try to write as if you were composing a letter to a friend.

6. Have fun. Enthusiasm is catching. You’ll get attention if you write about things you truly enjoy.

7. Write every day. The only way to improve is to keep practicing. Doesn’t matter if you do it by blogging, building Squidoo lenses, writing book reviews, or writing in your journal… just so long as you’re doing it. Thinking about writing and reading books about writing isn’t the same as actually writing.

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I hope you’ll bare with me and except my advise on using the write words. The affect of using the wrong words on your lens can create alot of confusion. It makes your writing look unprofessional, bazaar, and cheep. You loose credibility. It’s a sin most fowl!

Are you cringing yet? I sure am. Writing the above paragraph just caused my inner editor to curl up in a fetal position and bawl.

Using the wrong word is a common mistake on Squidoo and the internet in general. You can’t rely on spell check to save you from this pitfall, unfortunately. Most spell check programs aren’t sophisticated enough to tell you that “fowl” is the wrong word to use when describing a bad odor coming from your cat’s litter box. (Then again, it might be the correct word if your cat gorged himself on chicken recently.)

If you keep using the wrong word your professionalism and credibility goes down a few notches.

It’s not a big deal if it happens occasionally. But if you keep using the wrong word, like always writing “accept” when you really mean “except”, your professionalism and credibility goes down a few notches. It can also make your writing unintentionally hilarious to people who notice your mistakes. (“‘BARE with you’? I’ll keep my clothes on, thank you very much!”)

Need to brush up on the difference between “affect” and “effect”? Not sure if “desert” refers to a hot sandy place or a piece of pie? Here’s a list of commonly misused words to help you out.

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(Chef-Editor’s Note: This is a much-appreciated guest post by lensmaster clouda9)

Hard to imagine that it will be two years on May 10th that I joined Squidoo! Started with the thought of building one lens and now I am at 60+ and counting. Yes I am squiddicted! And if you are like many of us nutty folks {tongue in cheek} on here…you will be too.

I believe these ideas will help give some perspective and provide you with some focus. My share of things I’ve learned along the way:

• I had little or no knowledge of HTML. Gather information from lenses that offer help and or from files on the Internet.  Resources: Visit The Answer Deck and check out my fave on the Internet, Tizag Tutorials.
• I’d learn something and then forget where I found it. You can bookmark it in your browser or start a notepad file on your computer and label it Squidoo. Add all the tips and tricks you discover along the way so you have it to refer back to (plus it makes for easy copy/paste). This is a snapshot of my NotePad that I refer to often as I build a lens.
• Search for subjects on Squidoo that you love and leave your feedback on guest books, via the e-mail link or Contact Me button. If you think you have another way to offer the information…go ahead and build your lens about it. That is the beauty of Squidoo…lots of people contributing, it may just be your twist that gets noticed.
• Sound advice – learned it from my mom: if you cannot say something nice or constructive, don’t say it at all…move on. Imagine how you would feel to get negative vibes from someone.
• Connect to the SquidU forum, there are lots of people talking there! It is, at least, a must that you introduce yourself on the forum.

In closing, my hope is that you forever enjoy your journey here. If it becomes a chore or all you see are dollar signs, Squidoo may not be for you. Accept that, move on, search and discover for another niche.

~Peace
Correen
aka: clouda9

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