For Me, a good Squidoo Lens is...

When I critique a Squidoo lens, here are the elements I firstly look at:

1. The topic - I don't comment on lenses which topic has no interest as I don't want to give false advice
2. Keywords, keyword phrase and I would recommend to include you rmain keyword into your lens-link.
3. Personal, useful, and unique content - I often check for duplicate content with Copyscape
4. Pictures and/or graphics - one per module when possible
5. Interactivity between you (the lensmaster) and the reader (your visitors and/or other lensmasters)
6. Formatting of the texts - I'm basically a secretary so I really like well crafted texts, with perfect line breaks, paragraphs, lists etc.
7. Customized bio in each lens as well as a picture of your or, at least, your avatar or logo related to your lens topic
8. The lens theme: try to select a theme that matches your lens content

Basically, I'm a secretary and I think that if someone would like to do my job, they must do it properly. A lens must be perfectly formatted; which means that there shouldn't be missing periods (full stops), commas, or any other punctuation.

Make use of capital letters when needed, don't write full sentences in capital letters --> capital letters are like shouting and we're a quiet community. Make short and easily readable paragraphs. Use bulleted or numbered lists (no matter the kind of bullet or picture you use); this makes a list more appealing and, in case of recipes, easier to follow.

Let's start our Squidoo lens building tour with the basic modules; those any lens must include.

Intro Module

Along with a picture/graphic, write a short introduction text that will introduce your lens to your reader. This intro must include your main keyword both in it's title and the first line of content. 50 up to 100 words is enough.

Traffic Driving Suggestion:

Turn the default table of contents into the intro module "ON" as I personally think the "table of content" module doesn't look sexy in a lens. In addition, I would advise you to also activate the "Discovery Tool" from the intro module and add up to 3 of your other related lenses; which will appear in the right column of your lens along with three other lenses --> more traffic.

Text Module(s)

Before building a lens make decision on whether to make an "info" lens or a "shopping lens". An "info" lens would require more written content than a shopping one. I would personally say that for an "info" lens, you should add a minimum of 3 additional text modules. For a "shopping" one, one text module is enough - of course, you're welcome to add a short intro text into each of your sales modules, this is the kind of thing I really like whenever I browse a shopping lens.

Keep the texts short - instead of making long modules to read, break up your texts in several parts and create as many modules as feasible, this will give you the opportunity to add more keyword related titles. This also makes the lens easier to read.

Remember to add one picture - the bigger, the best - in or above each module as both Squidoo lensmasters and Squidoo readers LOVE and NEED pictures.

Featured Lenses Module

Squidoo is a community. I can't repeat it enough. So, another way to get into the community while driving traffic and/or ratings to your lens is featuring other lensmasters lenses related to your topic. Make sure to add a "featured lenses" module to your lens: the featured lensmasters will be honored to have their lens on yours as reference and will then come to your lens, read it and, in all probability, rate your lens.

You could even get more suggestions on how to make your lens stand out from the crowd and... finally having your lens featured on theirs!

Another way to use the featured lenses module is by adding one just above your "Guestbook" modulel. This will allow you to display your best ranking lenses or your other lenses related to the topic you're working on. Doing this will also get you a few additional visits to your other lenses.

Guestbook Module

A good lens must always include a guestbook. This is the best way to get comments and ratings. After all, when a lensmaster takes the time to read your lens, it's normal to have them add their thoughts ; moreover when they take the time to give your a few stars.

Tip: Pimp your guestbook by adding a short intro and a pic.

About Me Module

Right after the guestbook, you should always add an "About Me" module and choose whether you want to customize it or just make use of the Squidoo default one; which is the one I use. This helps your visitors learn more about you without having to move up to the top of your lens. In addition, whenever they click on your profile link, they can visit all your other lenses.

Ooops! Repetiton: Squidoo is a community. And community also means "communication", "interactivity". I thus suggest you to add some interactivity between you (= your lens) and your reader.

Duel Module - By adding a Duel Module, you will enable your visitors to add their point of view regarding the subject of your lens.

Poll Module - With a Poll Module, you'll invite them to vote for their favorite item, quote, character or whatever your lens is built on.

Prediction Module - You can add a "prediction" module which would get you a few funny comments - I got one that said "I predict that I will visit your lens".

Quiz Module - There's a brand new module on Squidoo that makes you able to create a Quiz... wonderful addition to Travel, History, How To, Movie, etc. lenses.

Besides the interactivity, those modules will also constantly get your lens fresh content. However, I would suggest you to set the modules for allowing anyone to post, remove all HTML and ask you to confirm before the comments being published. You also have to "Publish" your lens after having got any comment or external addition.

The Modules that help you Make Sales

You can turn your Squidoo lens into a income generator. It's allowed and even recommended. To do this, you have a bunch of different modules and widgets such as:

• Amazon, Amazon Spotlight, Amazon Plexo, Amazon Recommendations, Amazon Search, Amazon MP3
• eBay
• CafePress
• Zazzle
• Etsy
• ArtByUs Artist Module
• Donations
• ShopIt
• Lulu
• Orbitz
• Netflix

Just pay attention to the fact that the module is related to the subject of your lens.

For instance, don't add an "Orbitz" (travel) module to a lens related to Spiderman Comic Strips. Or don't add a "Netflix" (DVD location) module to a lens that is related to Tarot cards as it will display the top 100 best selling DVD's! Obviously, there are many more modules and widgets so, all in all, don't add a Weather module to a lens related to your Christmas dinner recipe.

Last but not least, whenever you would like to promote a product of your own or an affiliate links, prefer to use the Big Arrow Link module to do this. You can see an example to the right. This will add class to your lens and won't make it look like a spammy or junk one. Obviously, you can add your affiliate link a few times within your text through anchored links.

Remember that for external sites, the maximum number of links is 9 per similar link.

Picture Modules

Squidoo visitors and readers aren't like any other kind of Web browsers. They are exigent, and, while a short lens might interest them, a lens without picture is one that they won't like.

So, in order to please and make your lens sexy, you will want to add a bunch of pictures. This can be done through your text modules* as you can add one picture or graphic in each of them but this can also be done through particular modules.

Picture Modules

• Flickr Photo - however, most of their pictures are "all rights reserved" and it becomes harder to get the module display more than 5 pictures related to your keywords,
• Flickr Voting (Plexo) - with this module you can add a bunch of Flickr pictures and allow your visitors to vote for them as well as let them add their own favorite Flickr pics,
• Picture Gallery - upload several pictures and have them diplayed one after another on your lens,
• Polaroid - showcase a beautiful picture into a Polaroid photo frame,
• Text with BIG Picture - adds a big centered picture above your text,
• Slideshare - allows you to import PowerPoint presentations to your lens.

• YouTube vids - in this module you can add whether one big YouTube video or up to 9 "thumbnail" videos. I personally like the thumbnail ones as I can see a bunch of different related videos by topic,
• You Tube Voting (Plexo) - this module allows you to add as many videos as you want and have your visitors vote for their favorite one or add their own,
• Video - in this module you can add not only videos from YouTube but also from some other video sharing sites.

* Pictures in modules - Whenever you place your texts into borders, please don't upload the picture directly from the module but prefer photos from external sites such as Flickr or Photobucket or your own site or domain with an HTML code, so that you don't have the picture "eat" your border and it'll look a lot nicer and professional. Here's an example of code that you can use in your modules:

<img scr="link to your picture/graphic" alt="description of your pic/graphic" height="300" width="250" align="choose whether you want the pic aligned to the right or the left" border="0 or more if you want a border">

Don't forget to add the padding tag into your border code in order for your pic to not stick to the border.

One of the best and easiest ways to keep your Squidoo lenses constantly up to date is to add auto-updating modules.

While I mainly use my Blog RSS feed, you can choose the one that best fits your topic. Here are a few of them:

• Google Blog or News Search
• Rss add your blog
• Twitter Follow
• Home Town Stats
• BBC News
• Squidcool Blog
• And many more

For having been at your place - we all started somewhere - I know for a fact that it's really hard to build a good Squidoo lens without knowing what Squidoo is all about.

So, I would say, before going to SquidU Forum asking for a critique, you'd rather have a look at the top lenses in the category you created your own Squidoo lens and look how and what they're doing, this will get you some inspiration regarding the way you will craft your lens and the kind of modules your topic can include: some topics can accept more modules than some others.

Best of all, follow the advises above and you'll present a good lens to the eye of the kind lensmasters who will check your lens and give further advice.

Above all, make sure that you too visit and comment on other lensmasters lenses. This is the way a community works.

I wish you good luck in your lensmaking endeavours!

The author of this page is prosperity66.

Prosperity66 has been a member since February 24 2007. She is the proud mother of a teen age child, she love the European History with a passion and is also a Tarot cards expert as well as is crazy about the holiday season.

Prosperity66 got the Giant Squid status in January 2010 along with the SquidAngel status (but only for the first quarter of 2010). She volunteers for reviewing lenses in Wiwon Team (Fresh Squids), run by Michelle Willow, our in-house amazing Baby Squids group.

Prosperity66 donates their royalties to Polar Bears International.