The Primary Tag is the first tag you get to define when creating your new lens, and it is an often misunderstood and very under utilised by many Lensmasters. Admittedly, it doesn't seem do a whole lot, but there are some important points to note:
- In some lens formats (e.g. Ever.com and SquidWho) the primary tag appears at the very top of the page, next to "Explore more:".
- Most lenses (maxxed) have a box in the side bar titles "Explore more...", containing links to the Category and Primary Tag of the lens, plus all the groups it belongs too.
- Another feature of the sidebar (which is not always present) is the tag list, which is usually headed by the Primary Tag (on un-maxxed lenses), and then the first 5 regular tags (in alphabetical order). The remaining tags are hidden, and search engines may ignore these ones.
- Every appearance of the Primary Tag on your lens adds weight to that key phrase on your lens.
In addition, I am working on a new project that will make these Primary Tags even more important! So, you need to make sure that your these tags are as optimal as possible.
Here are some tips:
1. Your Primary Tag wants to be the most important key phrase that you can think of. For example, if your lens is about a person or a product, stick to just their name.
2. Keep your tag to just 2 or 3 words, where possible. One word is not always specific enough (unless the subject is a strong brand like Pepsi), and more than 3 words can sometimes be too specific. Of course, it does depend on your subject matter.
3. Don't simply repeat your Lens title again (even though this is the default when building a lens). Your title should include as many keywords as you can sensibly fit (no keyword stuffing!), while your Primary Tag is about your key phrase.
4. Format your Primary Tag nicely - keep it Capitalised, spelt correctly (!) and don't include any special characters or quotes ("). Use spaces between words, not dashes or underscores.
5. Make sure you repeat your Primary Tag as a regular tag too. The tags appear as the Meta Keywords at the top of the page, and you don't want your key phrase to be missing from it.
6. Pick a Primary Tag which is popular, i.e. people will be likely to be searching for it and other lenses are might also have the same Primary Tag.
Here are some examples: Doctor Who :: Discworld :: Digital Camera Accessories :: Smart Phones
Bad examples: The Whole Lens Title Again :: Kee Frase Spelt Wong :: lowercasewithnospaces :: "Phrase in Quotes"
I hope that people remember these tips - I need to go and change a lot of my own Primary Tags having just looked at a few of them. And remember - I'm developing a project that'll bring these tags in to their own...
(This post was written by thefluffanutta, lensmaker extraordinaire and all-around great guy, and was originally published on SquidU.com, Squidoo's forum and lensmaster lounge. It's great advice, typical of thefluffanutta who is more than generous in sharing great advice as well as his creation, SQUIDUtils.com, Advanced Tools and Utilities for Expert Lensmasters, with the masses. Thank you, thefluffanutta, for permission to republish.)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
From Squidoo Nobody to Squidoo Somebody in 2 Easy Steps
While looking for lensmasters to invite to join my 2008 group this morning, I was surprised how many Squidoo nobodies I found. What made these lensmasters nobodies? Two things, each with an easy solution. Read on.
1. You're a Squidoo nobody if you don't have a Squidoo bio. It's simple enough to set up a default bio on your profile or from any of your lenses, so there's no excuse for active lensmasters to publish a lens with the default, "This is my bio. I'll edit it later." No, no, no. Take a minute and edit it now. Take credit for your work. Establish some credibility for yourself as you begin to establish your reputation within the Squidoo community. You can update your default bio any time or provide a more lens-specific bio for any single lens as you prefer. Including a picture is highly recommended, but even an interesting avatar is better than the default orange mugshot of nobody. It's no fun to be a nobody, so to become a Squidoo somebody start with a brief bio and add a picture, something that other lensmasters will recognize at a glance as they get to know you and your lenses on Squidoo.
2. You may be a Squidoo nobody if you don't allow other lensmasters to contact you. Who knows when someone will take an interest in one of your lenses and want to send you a personal comment. Maybe your long-lost, wealthy great-uncle will recognize you as the family member he's been trying to contact. Maybe someone will like your work well enough to offer you the propo$ition you've been waiting for. If you need to enable your "allow contact" option, go to the "My Profile" tab on your dashboard. You'll find the option with the e-mail preferences. While you're there, be sure you're signed up to receive the daily and weekly newsletters from Squidoo, which will help you keep up with the other Squidoo somebodies and their lenses.
Stop being a nobody. Go update your bio and your contact information right now. Somebody important may be trying to get in touch with you, so don't let a potential great opportunity slip away.
1. You're a Squidoo nobody if you don't have a Squidoo bio. It's simple enough to set up a default bio on your profile or from any of your lenses, so there's no excuse for active lensmasters to publish a lens with the default, "This is my bio. I'll edit it later." No, no, no. Take a minute and edit it now. Take credit for your work. Establish some credibility for yourself as you begin to establish your reputation within the Squidoo community. You can update your default bio any time or provide a more lens-specific bio for any single lens as you prefer. Including a picture is highly recommended, but even an interesting avatar is better than the default orange mugshot of nobody. It's no fun to be a nobody, so to become a Squidoo somebody start with a brief bio and add a picture, something that other lensmasters will recognize at a glance as they get to know you and your lenses on Squidoo.
2. You may be a Squidoo nobody if you don't allow other lensmasters to contact you. Who knows when someone will take an interest in one of your lenses and want to send you a personal comment. Maybe your long-lost, wealthy great-uncle will recognize you as the family member he's been trying to contact. Maybe someone will like your work well enough to offer you the propo$ition you've been waiting for. If you need to enable your "allow contact" option, go to the "My Profile" tab on your dashboard. You'll find the option with the e-mail preferences. While you're there, be sure you're signed up to receive the daily and weekly newsletters from Squidoo, which will help you keep up with the other Squidoo somebodies and their lenses.
Stop being a nobody. Go update your bio and your contact information right now. Somebody important may be trying to get in touch with you, so don't let a potential great opportunity slip away.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Tell Them What You're Going to Tell Them
Do you use the introduction module correctly when you make a Squidoo lens?
If you're not sure, consider this method. When designing your lens, take the approach of, "Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them." This works well in a training environment or for public speakers, and it works well for a Squidoo lens, too.
Use your introduction module as, indeed, an actual introduction to what the lens is about, whether you're presenting information or selling a specific product. Entice your readers with a hint of what's to come. Grab their interest right away or they may not read beyond that first module.
The body of the lens, then, consists of the "meat" of the topic. Present your topic or product and include supporting documentation, polls, Flickr pictures, YouTube videos, related books from Amazon.com and anything else that expounds on the main topic.
Then, summarize the topic toward the end, possibly by reiterating the high points or even by using the guestbook module to ask for input from your readers; i.e., "What do you think about this?"
By telling your readers what to expect, then delivering on the promise and sealing it all with a good summary, you'll be able to hold their attention all the way to the end of the lens. That's the type of lens that keeps readers coming back to you for more.
(Need some examples? This lens and this one are two that generally follow the "Tell them what you're going to tell them" model.)
If you're not sure, consider this method. When designing your lens, take the approach of, "Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them." This works well in a training environment or for public speakers, and it works well for a Squidoo lens, too.
Use your introduction module as, indeed, an actual introduction to what the lens is about, whether you're presenting information or selling a specific product. Entice your readers with a hint of what's to come. Grab their interest right away or they may not read beyond that first module.
The body of the lens, then, consists of the "meat" of the topic. Present your topic or product and include supporting documentation, polls, Flickr pictures, YouTube videos, related books from Amazon.com and anything else that expounds on the main topic.
Then, summarize the topic toward the end, possibly by reiterating the high points or even by using the guestbook module to ask for input from your readers; i.e., "What do you think about this?"
By telling your readers what to expect, then delivering on the promise and sealing it all with a good summary, you'll be able to hold their attention all the way to the end of the lens. That's the type of lens that keeps readers coming back to you for more.
(Need some examples? This lens and this one are two that generally follow the "Tell them what you're going to tell them" model.)
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