I'm trying not to get too excited about lensrank, but I couldn't help notice that my lens The Golden Compass Movie has reached #171.
It's been climbing steadily over the last 2 months, but it had a lucky break from day one as it was listed as one of the alternative films/books to look out for on the Lens of the Day post. Then uber lensmaster Relache, kindly added it to her 100 Best Movie Lenses.
I've been promoting it quite heavily. It's in my signature on Squidu. It's been lensrolled on many of my other lenses. I've posted it on forums. Most important though, people seem to like it and therefore they've rated it.
The recent boost came after I updated it with some more information taken from a related lens that I created as a complementary topic. I'm expecting that further updates will come thick and fast in the run-up to the December release so I'm going to be busy with this one. Good job I love the subject!
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Monday, 24 September 2007
Promoting Your Business on Squidoo
Funnily enough, I only discovered that I could make money from Squidoo once I'd been on the site for a week or so. The main reason that I came here first of all was because it allowed me to promote our online gift site - no strings attached.
Our business traffic-driving lens is still slow in some ways and can be developed a lot further, but in the last 2 months it has revealed the following benefits:
The CTR from this lens to our site is currently 7%, but I'm sure that this can be improved. I plan to work on this over the next month and post the results in late October.
One of the main benefits of Squidoo for businesses is that a lens can be used as a middleman in places where a direct link cannot be posted. It can also be used to boost keyword searches in areas where your actual site might not be as strong. It's certainly been the case for us so far.
Our business traffic-driving lens is still slow in some ways and can be developed a lot further, but in the last 2 months it has revealed the following benefits:
- Another link to both our site and blog feed
- Keyword search data
- Clickout data (we posted images of gifts we sell and we can see the most popular hits)
The CTR from this lens to our site is currently 7%, but I'm sure that this can be improved. I plan to work on this over the next month and post the results in late October.
One of the main benefits of Squidoo for businesses is that a lens can be used as a middleman in places where a direct link cannot be posted. It can also be used to boost keyword searches in areas where your actual site might not be as strong. It's certainly been the case for us so far.
Saturday, 22 September 2007
What the hell is Squidoo?
Good question. Not as many people know about Squidoo as they should.
To me that is surprising. Who wouldn't want to get involved with a webhost that allows you to build your own webpages for free, helps you to promote them on the internet (sometimes spectacularly) and also pays you for your troubles?!
As one of the converted, I've been preaching the virtues of Squidoo to puzzled faces for over two months now and this still continues to surprise me. Is it the bizarre name? Certainly the terms are an acquired taste, although it's amazing how quickly you start to use them on a daily basis. Or could it be the complexity of that first list of blank modules? (Looks scary, but is logical, I promise).
Either way, it's definitely time that Squidoo had it's golden age. If you fancy getting started then click
. Once you earn $15, we both earn $5. Referrals always sound corny, but if you don't go via this route then you lose the 5$ too!
Hint - if you make 20 good lenses, you should make around $15 after your first 2 months.
To me that is surprising. Who wouldn't want to get involved with a webhost that allows you to build your own webpages for free, helps you to promote them on the internet (sometimes spectacularly) and also pays you for your troubles?!
As one of the converted, I've been preaching the virtues of Squidoo to puzzled faces for over two months now and this still continues to surprise me. Is it the bizarre name? Certainly the terms are an acquired taste, although it's amazing how quickly you start to use them on a daily basis. Or could it be the complexity of that first list of blank modules? (Looks scary, but is logical, I promise).
Either way, it's definitely time that Squidoo had it's golden age. If you fancy getting started then click
. Once you earn $15, we both earn $5. Referrals always sound corny, but if you don't go via this route then you lose the 5$ too! Hint - if you make 20 good lenses, you should make around $15 after your first 2 months.
Monday, 17 September 2007
5 Essential Squidoo Tips
The first 2 months on Squidoo has been pretty intense and I'm still very much a newbie, but I have picked up a few key tips which I would like to share with you here:
1) Pick the right keywords. When registering your Squidoo lens url try to choose words that result in under 2000 results on Google. If you go for a really popular keyword, your page will get lost in the sheer volume of better-established websites.
2) Personalise. Some lensmasters might disagree with this, but my lenses definitely do better if I write from a personal perspective.
3) Update Regularly. Check your keyword tags on the Stats/Traffic page and save appropriate versions to your lens. If you hit the 40 tag limit, then weed accordingly.
4) Use big images. I haven't done this as much as I should, but other lensmasters seem to love this feature. This lens shows you how to do it.
5) Get Backlinks. Good sites to use are Lensroll, Stumbleupon, Digg. It makes sense to bookmark your lens as well. I recommend Only Wire. If you have the time, then consider writing an article for Ezine Articles and linking it to the relevant lens.
1) Pick the right keywords. When registering your Squidoo lens url try to choose words that result in under 2000 results on Google. If you go for a really popular keyword, your page will get lost in the sheer volume of better-established websites.
2) Personalise. Some lensmasters might disagree with this, but my lenses definitely do better if I write from a personal perspective.
3) Update Regularly. Check your keyword tags on the Stats/Traffic page and save appropriate versions to your lens. If you hit the 40 tag limit, then weed accordingly.
4) Use big images. I haven't done this as much as I should, but other lensmasters seem to love this feature. This lens shows you how to do it.
5) Get Backlinks. Good sites to use are Lensroll, Stumbleupon, Digg. It makes sense to bookmark your lens as well. I recommend Only Wire. If you have the time, then consider writing an article for Ezine Articles and linking it to the relevant lens.
Sunday, 16 September 2007
25 Squidoo Lenses and Counting!
Today I passed the quarterway mark on my lens-building mission. I now have 26 lenses under Meloramus - the newest being:
Japanese Fugu
A Guide to the Alethiometer
So far, after 2 months on Squidoo, I have made a grand total of US$2.82 in pure affiliate income (US$1.98 going to charity). My biggest non-charity payout has been $0.59.
My aim is to build at least another 10 lenses by the end of the month. Ideally 14 to make a round 40.
Japanese Fugu
A Guide to the Alethiometer
So far, after 2 months on Squidoo, I have made a grand total of US$2.82 in pure affiliate income (US$1.98 going to charity). My biggest non-charity payout has been $0.59.
My aim is to build at least another 10 lenses by the end of the month. Ideally 14 to make a round 40.
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Everyday Weekender
On my travels I came across this fun blog that celebrates the weekend. There are articles on how to finance a holiday cottage and also lots of delicious recipes for great weekend food.
What's more, if you review his blog, he’ll link to it and help increase your page rank!
What's more, if you review his blog, he’ll link to it and help increase your page rank!
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Digg for traffic
One of the icons on the lens sidebar shows the symbol for Digg. Digg is a website where you can post unique news and let people vote it as interesting or bury it (or let it lie).
I assumed that it meant that lensmasters were supposed to vote their own news onto Digg, but this is not so. You can post your own lenses, but this button is actually intended for people viewing your lens. If you look at many different internet sites, you will find that the Digg option is included on every page. I can understand why.
Digg, if used well, is a pretty powerful tool. It generates a good backlink and can spread the right story like wildfire. But it has to be the right kind of story. I have heard of lensmasters digging every single lens regardless of the subject. However, if you take just a small amount of time out, you'll notice that the majority of digg-users want to read about certain subjects:
Internet
Science
Cult TV/Movies
Wacky News items
Software Developments
Sensible Business Resource (not just pure marketing)
I've dugg about 5 of my 24 lenses so far. The latest being my UK Property News Aggregator. It doesn't sell anything and only offers unbiased information. It will be interesting to see how it fares out there. In the meantime, I plan to join in the fun and add a digg chiclet to this site so please feel free to digg anything you like.
Saturday, 8 September 2007
Squidoo Homepage Facelift
The Squidoo homepage has had major surgery this weekend.
What was before a patchwork of different elements has now been condensed down into a minimal design. There are six boxes containing sample lens running across the screen at eyeline showcasing different Squidoo subjects followed by a seventh box which drops as you view. It is blank containing the words 'Build Your Own'.
This is Web 2.0 design at it's best. The team have made the prospect of lensbuilding as easy as abc. Kimberley Dawn Wells, Squidoo's Community Organizer, posting on Squidu gave an indication that this is the only the start of things to come, "Keep your eyes open. You're in for a whole bunch of real treats."
What was before a patchwork of different elements has now been condensed down into a minimal design. There are six boxes containing sample lens running across the screen at eyeline showcasing different Squidoo subjects followed by a seventh box which drops as you view. It is blank containing the words 'Build Your Own'.
This is Web 2.0 design at it's best. The team have made the prospect of lensbuilding as easy as abc. Kimberley Dawn Wells, Squidoo's Community Organizer, posting on Squidu gave an indication that this is the only the start of things to come, "Keep your eyes open. You're in for a whole bunch of real treats."
Friday, 7 September 2007
First Payout
Well - today proves that you can earn money whilst enjoying yourself!
I had mentally set myself a goal of reaching a payout of US$5 for my first 10 lenses, but I actually achieved US$7.38! Not bad for a newbie without any lenses in the top 100. I think that this also included affiliate sales, but I can't be sure.
Now my aim is to improve my existing lens traffic and build new lenses. I have been pretty prolific recently. Some of my recent creations have included:
How to Make the Perfect Cream Tea
Tintagel
The Fonz
Ewan McGregor
Eclectic, I know, but all great fun to make!
I had mentally set myself a goal of reaching a payout of US$5 for my first 10 lenses, but I actually achieved US$7.38! Not bad for a newbie without any lenses in the top 100. I think that this also included affiliate sales, but I can't be sure.
Now my aim is to improve my existing lens traffic and build new lenses. I have been pretty prolific recently. Some of my recent creations have included:
How to Make the Perfect Cream Tea
Tintagel
The Fonz
Ewan McGregor
Eclectic, I know, but all great fun to make!
Sunday, 2 September 2007
Melography
To celebrate the creation of my 20th lens, I created a Melography. This is a collection of virtually all the lenses that I have made so far. It's highly satisfying to see the results of my hardwork in one place and probably reveals quite a bit about me in the process!
On average, I calculated that it takes approximately 3 hours to build a decent lens (although some have taken a few days) which means that these have totalled at 2.5 day's worth of highly enjoyable squidooing so far.
My favourite lens is probably a toss-up between the Golden Compass Movie and Alexander Girard, although I am hopeful that the best is still to come...
On average, I calculated that it takes approximately 3 hours to build a decent lens (although some have taken a few days) which means that these have totalled at 2.5 day's worth of highly enjoyable squidooing so far.
My favourite lens is probably a toss-up between the Golden Compass Movie and Alexander Girard, although I am hopeful that the best is still to come...
Squidu
Squidu is the forum devoted to Squidoo and it's an essential tool for learning tricks of the trade and finding out about the general buzz. Some lensmasters make constant visits to the site, but others such as myself dip in and out occasionally.
This is the place where you can request reviews from other lensmasters. I try to use this sparingly though - maybe requesting critiques once or twice a month maximum. It can be great for constructive criticism, but if you overstay your welcome, then you might risk a blackball. Also, do remember that this is a forum which is populated with old-timers as well as newbies. Spamming is (and should be) frowned upon, as is excessive use of capital letters!!
This is the place where you can request reviews from other lensmasters. I try to use this sparingly though - maybe requesting critiques once or twice a month maximum. It can be great for constructive criticism, but if you overstay your welcome, then you might risk a blackball. Also, do remember that this is a forum which is populated with old-timers as well as newbies. Spamming is (and should be) frowned upon, as is excessive use of capital letters!!
Saturday, 1 September 2007
Using the Flickr Module Successfully
One thing that I've noticed very quickly on Squidoo is how much people seem to enjoy clicking on the flickr module. I try to insert one into almost every lens now for several reasons:
If you don't already have an account with flickr you can set one up here.
- Visual Impact - the images look fantastic and can offer some much needed colour to your lens. Always select the option to personally choose the images from flickr - that way you can select the best. You don't have to use your own photos - you can choose from the entire site
- Clickouts - for the viewer to fully appreciate the images, they need to clickout of your lens. On any other site this would be a problem, but on Squidoo clickouts are positive as they show that people are engaging with your site. It is assumed that clickouts can contribute towards lensrank.
- Links - if you do use your own flickr photos then you could add a link back to the lens in the image description. That way, if someone views your image on flickr, you can direct them to your page
If you don't already have an account with flickr you can set one up here.
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