Squidoo Categories: A Complete List

Squidoo has folders and subfolders just like your computer, 3 levels deep. The top level consists of 25 broad Topics such as Internet or Pets & Animals.

Where to Find Squidoo Topics Pages

Each topic gets its own Topic page, linked to from (a) the front page of Squidoo, (b) "Topics" found under the Helps & Tips menu at the top of Squidoo pages (c) all lenses, which have links to their topics pages above the lens and in the sidebar, and (d) the sidebar of the Top 100 Lenses page.

Subtopics (Sometimes called Subcategories)

Each of the 25 Topics pages links to many subtopics pages, for example, "Crafts" in "Arts & Design" or "Europe" in "Travel & Places". Most subtopics have one further level, a sub-subtopic, like "Leatherworking" under "Crafts" in "Arts & Design."

Things to note:

• Subtopics are not always in alphabetical order. The subtopic you want may be hidden behind "more »".
  
• The "see more" link to the Top 100 list shows the best ONE HUNDRED lenses in each category.
  
• Some Topic pages have a "Leading lensmasters in this Topic" list at the bottom, including a link to our profile, lens list, and top lens in the category, all good for SEO.
  
• SquidAds, a prize in the Squidoo Monsters game, target one of the 25 main Topics and may appear on any topcis/subtopics page within that Topic.
  
• Search engines DO see all subtopics links, even those hidden by "more »". They also see the 5 + 5 lenses on this page, the SquidAd, and the link to the Top 100 list.

When you create a lens, Squidoo has a "wizard" that asks you questions to help set up the lens, including topics.

Sometimes, when you create a lens from a Co-Brand like SquidLit, Squidoo doesn't ask; it picks a topic for you. It doesn't fill in subtopics.

You may check, change, or set the topic and subtopics of a lens in the Lens Workshop. Click on Lens Settings in the sidebar and use the pulldown menus.

Each lens can only have one Topic, one subtopic, and one sub-subtopic.

You may have noticed that your main lens topic shows up under "Related Topics" in the sidebar, followed by your lens tags. So...wait. What's the difference between Squidoo Topics and Tags?

Squidoo Topics

Squidoo Topics are folders hard-coded within the Squidoo directory, linked to from the front page of Squidoo and many places on Squidoo. Each topic and subtopic has a special Topics Page with the features I discussed above. Your lenses will appear on a subtopic page if (a) the lens is brand-new, (b) it has a good lensrank, or (c), you've picked it for a SquidAd.

Squidoo Tags

Squidoo Tags are picked by you, the user. Each tag in the sidebar of your Squidoo lens links to a tags page (here's an example) showing other lenses sharing that tag. Tags also determine what lenses appear in the Discovery Box on lenses: your lens will be featured on other lenses sharing its tags, and vice versa. So it's to your benefit to use the same tags as other Squidoo lenses. Get Squidutil's Free Workshop Add-On; it color-codes tags in your Lens Workshop sidebar to show you which are used by other lenses.

Search engines use many factors to decide what pages to list when someone searches for a phrase. One factor they use is to see how relevant the pages are that link to your page. So if you have a link from a topics or tag page with lots of text about "meercats," for example, your lens is liable to turn up if someone searches Google for "meercats"!

The more RELEVANT topics pages, tags pages, and other links point to your lens, the more chances you have to boost its ranking in search engines. If your page turns up on the front page of Google, you'll get more search traffic!

The topics directory works like Squidoo's spinal chord. Lots of links point to it (every single squidoo lens points to its topic, subtopic, and sub-subtopic page), which should make it more significant to search engines. But each topics page in the directory then points back to a select few lenses. Those lucky lenses get an SEO boost, because they've got a strong backlink from a relevant page.

It's not easy to get a lens in one of the top five lenses for a competitive subtopic. But some subtopics don't have many new lenses being created, so you have a chance to get a new lens in the "latest lenses" list for a while. Also, if you have any kind of skill in getting traffic and making good lenses, it shouldn't be too hard to land on a sub-subtopic top 100 list. And THAT puts your lens in a good spot to be seen by search engines, even if casual visitors to Squidoo never drill down that far.

It's Not Just Search Engines; It's Also People

Some visitors browse Squidoo by topics or tags. Not many, mind you -- even my lens in the top 5 of Travel & Places only gets a few visitors from the Topics page. But soon, Squidoo will be rolling out new features to make Topics pages more enticing. (You can help by Facebook Liking them.)

When trying to boost traffic, always remember that you are targeting two audiences: search engines, which are looking for words and text ("keywords") that are related to your topic, and people, who are looking for fascinating, well-written pages that answer their questions or cover their interests.

How can you use Squidoo topics to attract BOTH these audiences?

First, categorize your lenses! Check the Lens Settings in your sidebar to make sure each lens has a topic and subtopic, and, if possible a sub-subtopic.

Second, improve your lens LISTING! Your lens appears on topics pages, tag pages, and search engine pages among many other links. Why should people click on YOUR link? Make it stand out with:

• An eye-catching lens logo, the graphic in the Introduction Module. Here's where to find free, legal web graphics. Remember that the lens graphic will be shrunk.
• A snappy, SPECIFIC lens title. "Soar like an eagle" sounds nice, but it's too generic, and search engines will think you're talking about eagles. "Remote Control Helicopters: Wings for Your Mind" sounds exciting and tells people and search engines exactly what your lens is about.
• An effective "teaser" at the beginning of your introduction module. Tags pages, SquidAds, and search engines all show the first 125 to 200 characters of your lens introduction. This is your chance to hook visitors with persuasive, attractive, proof-read writing that tells them what your lens will cover. Here's a free online character counter tool to help, and here's a tutorial on how to write a great lens introduction.

Third, improve your lensrank! We don't know all the factors that go into lensrank (or someone would cheat), but they include lens traffic, clickouts on links on your lens, sales, frequency of updates, and community ratings. Here are many tips on improving lensrank.

Finally, scout the competition! You want your lens to appear on topics and subtopics pages that are relevant, so don't pick some random category just because it looks empty. However, your lens usually fits more than one subtopic. If you want to squeeze out every ounce of advantage from subtopics pages, look for ones where the lensranks of the top 5 lenses aren't as strong, and/or the turnover of new lenses is slow. Your new lens will stay longer in the "latest lens" list, and has a better chance of making it into the top 5.

Pages with lots of links relevant to a topic are better for SEO than pages with random links. So what do you do if you see a lens in the wrong category?

SquidooHQ says that they're not going to enforce or worry about miscategorized lenses; they have better things to do with their time.

If you want to be helpful, use the lensmaster's Contact Me link on their bio to let them know a better subcategory for their lens. You could even point them to this lens to explain why it might help!

Photo Credit: ilco on Stock X.chng

Use the 'Find" function under the "Edit" menu on your browser to search through my list of all topics and subtopics.

But sometimes, there just isn't a good fit. You may have to leave the sub-subtopic off. Or you may have to pick a "related" subtopic where people searching for one thing might also be interested in the other.

If you really think there's a subtopic that SquidooHQ missed, suggest it using the subtopics nomination form.

At certain levels of Squidpoints, Squidoo gives us the opportunity to run a free SquidAd for one month for one of our lenses.

The ad appears on the Topic page the lens belongs to, and/or any of the subtopics pages for that Topic. You can't limit the ad to just one subcategory. It automatically appears on all of the subtopics within your lens topic. If there are any other SquidAds running in that topic (and there usually are), Squidoo displays one of them at random.

The SquidAd helps you in two ways.

First, it's visible to people browsing the Squidoo directory. Second, each time search engines crawl Squidoo topics or subtopics pages, they see one SquidAd -- at random -- for that Topic. For those of you who know SEO, the SquidAd is a DoFollow link.

To get the most benefit from your SquidAd, I suggest:

• Pick 3-4 lenses you might want to run a SquidAd for (I suggest one just above a tier cutoff; the traffic may help hold it there.)
• Consider also which ones are your "showcase" lenses, the ones which you're proud of, which will build your reputation and may tempt people to visit more of your pages.
• Once you've settled on a handful of candidates, note their Topics.
• View each Topic and reload several times to see how many different SquidAds turn up.
• Check to see how many subtopics are IN that topic. These are the places your SquidAd might show up.
• Choose the lens with the fewest competing SquidAds and most subtopics pages.
• IMPORTANT: Improve the listing as I showed you above. SquidAds display 125 characters of the lens introduction, so here's that character count tool again to help.

SquidAds don't attract too many clicks, but this gives you the best chance of attracting visitors to them and getting the SquidAd link seen by search engines.

While working on this lens, I discovered a LOT of subcategories where there weren't a full five "latest lenses". At the moment, ANY lens published in those subtopics will be seen by search engines!

For example, as of 2/9/11, there are no Veteran's Day lenses at all, and very few Labor Day.

This won't always be true. Now is the time to be that early bird and find the opportunities no one else has discovered.

So! Please rate this page if you've found it useful, then start browsing the