Let's Create Some Great Content For Your Squidoo Lens!
Good content is one of the most important things you can do for your Squidoo lens. The content is what keeps people reading and checking out what's happening on your Squidoo page.
Content is also what the search engines crawl through when they're deciding what your lens is about, and whether it's relevant to searches. If you don't have enough content, the search engines will move on.
We've put together a great resource to help you create awesome content filled Squidoo lenses that will keep people reading, and coming back for more.
If you have a question about your Squidoo content, and you don't find the answer on this lens, feel free to add your question in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
Image via: Squid Graphics by TagsForKids
Contents at a Glance
- 12 Tips To Help You Write Great Lens Content
- About Me: How Do I Know About Web Content?
- Here Are A Few Great Lens Resources To Help You With Content
12 Tips To Help You Write Great Lens Content
- Write about what you know. If you don't know about something, and you're interested in creating a lens on it, take the time to learn about it first.
- Share your passions. When someone is passionate about something it comes through in their writing. In most of my favorite Squidoo Lenses I can tell the Lensmaster was passionate about their subject.
- Spell Check is your friend. Make sure you spell check your content before you hit that publish button.
- Edit your work. If you have a difficult time editing your own work, have a friend take a look. I like to walk away from my writing, then come back and edit again later.
- When you're writing lens content break it up into small paragraphs, and add some images or graphics in between to break up long sections of text. When people are reading online they tend to have a short attention span for large chunks of text. Break it up to keep readers entertained and reading on.
- Lists and bullet points are a great way to break up your content. Speaking from experience people love lists!
- You can also highlight and underline important points to catch the reader's attention.
- Add headlines and sub headlines to make important points.
- Be concise, don't ramble.
- Use an active voice, especially if you want to call the reader to action.
- Write in a conversational voice, let your content flow like you're talking.
- Use positive language whenever possible. No one likes a Negative Nelly.
About Me: How Do I Know About Web Content?
I'm a full time blogger and online writer. I write for a couple online media companies, a couple local companies, and create content for my own websites. I spend much of my day creating and writing web content, when I'm not creating my own images, and setting up and building my own blogs, Squidoo lenses, and web pages.
I love to write about topics I'm passionate about, and about what I know. I think that's one of the keys to creating great content. Write about what you know. If you're not interested in learning about something, you won't be interesting when you write about it either.
Lensmaster Barkely has been a member since January 9 2007, has rated 1,789 lenses, favorited 150, and has created 218 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "The Best Cookies Ever". See all my lenses
Here Are A Few Great Lens Resources To Help You With Content
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How To Create A Quality Lens
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The word "quality" has come up a lot lately on Squidoo, particularly when it comes to the Giant Squid Program. In order to be accepted you need 50 quality lenses, but what constitutes a "quality" lens? Here's what I think defines quality and how you...
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The Introduction Module in Squidoo
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The introduction module in squidoo has an inbuilt table of content. Do use it! And do upload a picture as an intro image - not having one will stop people from featuring your lens on theirs. And no - just using HTML to put a picture in there does NO...
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SEO for squidoo - getting found in google: search engine optimization
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SEO - search engine optimization - has many different facets. This lens goes over the main ones - especially how they effect making successful lenses on squidoo. An elaborate version of this lens, with details about blogging, twitter and more, can...
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10 Great Online Resources To Help You Create Awesome Lens Content
- Dictionary.com~ An online dictionary kicked up a notch, with synonyms, definitions, a translator and more to help you find the right words for your lens content.
- The Elements of Style~ An online version of an old favorite. Explains the rules of English style and concentrates attention on the rules of usage and principles of composition that are commonly misused.
- Thesaurus.com~ When you just can't find the right words to express what's in your head.
- RefDesk~ Tons of fun interesting facts and other stuff you can add to your content.
- Encyclopedia Britannica~Everything you ever wanted to know about everything at your fingertips.
- GrammarBook~ Helpful writing rules from grammar to punctuation.
- Content Strategy~ Tips for writing online content.
- Handbook Of Journalism~ If you want your lens content to look professional, you need to be professional and know the rules (of course you don't always have to follow them).
- WordWeb~ Free reference dictionary and thesaurus software.
- Website Tips~ Tips for writing for the web.
Do You Have a Resource For Creating Great Content? Please Share
All links are moderated before being added, please only add helpful relevant links to help others create great content.
Think Outside The (Text) Box
You don't have to rely on the text module to add great content to your lens. There are several other modules you can use to add relevant content to your Squidoo Lens. Some even encourage others to add great text to your lens. Check out some of these great lenses to help you get started.-
HeyMonkeyBrain: Where Smart People Go to Argue
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HeyMonkeyBrain.com is one of Squidoo's newest projects. It's a lightweight little debate site that packs a serious punch. Mashable has a great writeup about it, and there are some neat conversations happening over on Digg. This is your place to fi...
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Amazon Module Basics
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Squidoo's Amazon module can be used in a lot of ways. It can, obviously, feature books, toys, games, etc. You can also modify the look with html, hyperlinks, and graphics. Read on to see what features are available with examples.&nb...
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Guestbooks and You
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Guestbooks are great tools for your lens. They let you get great feedback from readers, ask questions, run conversations, ask for help, collect links, and any other fun thing you'd like them to do. If you're looking for some help managing the settin...
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48 Ways to Use the Poll Module
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People love interaction, especially here on Squidoo. Readers want to respond to what they're feeling with their own thoughts, and the poll module can be a great way for them to communicate with just the click of a mouse. Make interaction simple for t...
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Introducing Plexo
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We've made a major change to Squidoo. Now, each and every lens can include the all-powerful, all-knowing, omniscient Plexo feature. Plexo is like Digg or Reddit, but with the long tail added in for good measure. Here's a Q&A: Q: What's Plexo? A: Plex...
5 Ideas For Content Types For Your Squidoo Lens
Think about your favorite magazines and the content that keeps you reading and subscribing. What are your favorite types of content to read? Chances are others like that type of content too. Here are 5 great types of content to hook readers in and keep them reading.- Lists~ People love lists, like top 10 lists, or a list of your favorite recipes.
- How To's~ Teach someone how to make your grandma's favorite brownies, or how to fix their headboards. People like to learn how to do things.
- Product reviews~ If you have something you really like, chances are others will like it too.
- Quick Tips and Tricks~ Kind of like how to's but shorter. Bundle a few interesting tips or tricks together to create a lens. Share your knowledge on a subject.
- Interviews~ Score an interview with someone of interest, or an expert in your favorite topic. That would make excellent content for your lens.
Helpful Content Writing Resource Books
Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works (Interactive Technologies)
Amazon Price: $27.79 (as of 12/19/2009) 
Content Rich: Writing Your Way to Wealth on the Web
Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 12/19/2009)
Killer Web Content: Make the Sale, Deliver the Service, Build the Brand
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/19/2009)
Web Content Rx: A Quick and Handy Guide for Writers, Webmasters, Ebayers, and Business People
Amazon Price: $13.49 (as of 12/19/2009)
Have A Question, or Some Helpful Advice On Lens Content?
Feel Free To Chime In Here
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Reply
- dagsmith dagsmith Oct 20, 2009 @ 6:35 pm
- Great lens! I am sure this will help many lensmasters. 6 star blessing!
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- Spook Spook Oct 20, 2009 @ 2:32 am
- Excellent resource will be back later am in a mad dash.
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- LindaJM LindaJM Oct 20, 2009 @ 2:31 am
- I'm so glad to see this resource... this will really help. Thanks! (Blessed and Appreciated!)
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- stargazer00 stargazer00 Oct 20, 2009 @ 1:28 am
- Lots of great content here!
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- Tipi Tipi Oct 19, 2009 @ 6:29 pm
- Awesome resource that I'm going to bookmark for future use.
Worthy of a blessing! :)
Susie
P.S. My security word is 'megalens'
by Barkely
Barkely (Linette) enjoys sharing the things she loves with the world through Squidoo! Check out Lensography here at Squidoo for more information.
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