Introduction, Contents and Discovery Tool
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 NOT count.
Any questions about the introduction module?
[Please read the rest of the lens before asking your question.]
Swisstoons wrote...
[in reply to spirituality
Thank you very much! I appreciate your help.
Posted June 10, 2009
spirituality wrote...
in reply to Swisstoons IF the photobucket pictures are open source, you can save them on your own pc, and then upload them in the introduction module. Otherwise you might search wikipedia for your subject - all pictures there are open source. Same thing: upload (aka save) to your own pc and then upload them to the introduction module.
Posted June 05, 2009
Swisstoons wrote...
I've recently discovered Photobucket and have used three or four of their pics on a couple of my lenses by inserting them into text modules. I'm constructing a new lens and would like to put one of Photobucket's photos into my intro module, but can't do it as intro photos have to be on my hard drive. Is there a solution for this problem? I don't have any pics of my own on the subject of this under-construction lens. In fact, this is preventing me from following through on MANY ideas I have for lenses. Thanks.
Posted June 05, 2009
TopStyleTravel wrote...
Great information, 5 stars. Good pictures and explanations. This lens helped me remember how to edit 'Explore Related Pages'. Thanks
Posted April 09, 2009
spirituality wrote...
in reply to MonkeyGum You already have a profile photo.
Perhaps you mean a picture in the introduction module? You can do that right in the introduction module itself where it says 'lens photo' you can click on 'upload photo'.
Posted December 03, 2008
MonkeyGum wrote...
How do I add a profile photo? I've followed the instructions that seem to suggest that I should be able to do it from my dashboard, then 'edit your bio'. There isn't any option in there about uploading photos. Any ideas?
Posted December 02, 2008
spirituality wrote...
in reply to Dean777 Check out the pictures below this Q&A.
Posted November 30, 2008
spirituality wrote...
I get that sometimes as well. Try making the picture smaller. It need not be wider than 250px anyhow.
Posted November 30, 2008
Introduction: Intro-text and picture
Use a picture and text
Make sure you put enough text here, because if you don't your readers will be led out of your lens before you know it with the new stuff discussed below.
Get a picture in the introduction module
It's a good idea to upload a picture, because that picture will show up all over squidoo and make your lens look more attractive.
What you do is click on 'upload photo'. This will appear when you have the introduction module in editing mode.
The picture can sometimes refuse to upload. If that's the case, try making it smaller (maximum 500px wide).
The widest pictures to show up in the introduction module are 250px wide anyhow. So you might as well make it that small.
Table of Contents
First let me show you how the default screen looks with the table of content option turned off:
The same screen looks like this once you click on on:
Make sure you click on most of your modules here. But if you have several that have the same title, only have the first in the table of content.
aka don't try this at home :)
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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...
Discovery tool
It's a bit hard to keep up, but the discovery tool is back. It moved from the center of the screen to the side bar. It's a scrolling list of 6 related lenses - three of which you can add yourself in the introduction module. The others are determined by the tags you used on your lens - so pick tags that you've used on related lenses, as well as tags being used by other people who have lenses related to yours.Right now (October 2009) the links are in an i-frame. This means that while ordinary visitors can see them, the links do NOT count for search engines.
[Source for the screenshot and the information here: Squidutils]
How to... move the 'Contents at a glance' stuff down on the screen
The solution is pretty simple actually:
make sure you have a few paragraphs in your introduction module
The introduction module gets shown before the blue rectangle which has 'contents at a glance' and 'explore related pages'. So more text (and perhaps pictures) there, means they get moved down.
Alternatively - this is where squidoo may someday put a stop to this - you can:
use a very tall picture in the introduction module
I would not advise this beyond reason, because it just puts in more white on your page and while it DOES move the blue contents at a glance feature down - it also makes your lens look kind of empty if you overdo it.
Still, you can see it at work on this lens. My picture in my introduction module is taller than the text is, creating some white space and moving the light-blue in between stuff down.
Again: if this is misused often, squidoo could just decide to cut off pictures beyond a certain hight - still, for now it would work to move things down.
The end result: the new squidoo look as of August 2009
'content at a glance' is where your 'table of contents' ends up. In some cases the table of content module also ends up on this spot. I'm not sure what triggers that, but it's probably when you haven't added any text to the module.
So what do you think of this new Introductory module?
What do you think of the new introductory module
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byToo many features, I'm going crazy.
EliteSkin says:
How do you make the uploaded photo in the introductory module a link?
Posted November 01, 2009
spirituality says:
Yes, in the introduction module you can see what that module will look like before you hit publish. Just hit 'save'.
As for affiliate links: try to make them first in an ordinary text/write module. That should be easier. As long as they're actually links, not amazon i-frames for instance, you should be able to use them.
Posted October 30, 2009
baka04 says:
A a newbie not to sure how this all works. Can you preview what your lens will look like before you hit the publish button? It seems like my affiliate links will not link up. This was little more helpful. It seems that there is so much information that ones is easily distracted.
Posted October 29, 2009
JoyMiles says:
I have just completed one lens and not sure I like the looks of it with the title of table of contents and discovery tool and nothing to back it up??
Posted August 06, 2009
4today says:
I have to confess, I am totally confused about how to get started. I did create a lens, but how to work is confusing. I am having a difficult time with the ins and outs.
Posted December 29, 2008
Love the new options
RichMonk says:
Thanks for telling me how to turn off the Explore Related Pages. I'm new to Squidoo and appreciate the help.
Posted May 26, 2009
shipbob says:
I an sure after using it I will appreciate the idea,I am behind this point in ubderstanding now.
Posted April 24, 2009
NikSnowRoo says:
It helped me out - & the good Lord KNOWS that I need help!
Thanks!!
Posted February 22, 2009
kiwisoutback says:
I like the discovery feature on the module, and I'll be taking better advantage of it now based on your tips.
Posted January 14, 2009
Rudy_Horvath says:
I do say that all the new options are great and will be even better once I get a handle on all that it can do.
Posted November 28, 2008
mdvaldosta says:
It's a great way to start a lens, and I really like the control of adding a few of my own related lenses.
Posted November 04, 2008
DirksHomeBiz says:
I only gigured out now how it works
and it seems to be good, thank you.
Posted September 28, 2008
hesika says:
It's a good idea, what I did not used so far... Now I would like to try it out. Thank you
Posted September 25, 2008
hhdavid65 says:
I'm reading this before I make my first lens. You answered most of my questions.
Posted September 10, 2008
How to make your introduction module interesting - add your tips
As the squidoo tips often emphasize: the introduction is what people see first. It is also what gets shown on other places throughout squidoo.
So use it well. Here are tips - and please add your own.
Give it a title
Every module should have a title - but on the intr more...12 points
Use a nice picture to 'describe' your lens
Get to your picture-editor and create something un more...7 points
Briefly use all 5 W's
Who, What, When, Where, Why...so that readers can more...2 points
make descriptive titles
dont make too long titles. just make it short yet more...1 point
Use an Allposters Poster for the lens pic
It can be done! Copy the poster to your PC and the more...1 point
FAQ on the Introduction module
Can you put HTML links in your introduction module?
Yes you can.
And if you don't know how - here's your code:
<a href="http://www.yourWEBSITE.org/">what you want on your link</a>
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Did I explain the Introduction module well?
If you liked this lens, please vote for it with the stars on the top of the page.
Wednesday_Elf wrote...
I'm glad to see the Contents at a Glance box - it was there when I first began to Squidoo, then disappeared. Not sure I understand what's new yet - does it show up when you begin a new lens? So much to learn..... but challenging! Thanks for the info.
Posted October 17, 2009
SoyCandleLover-Maker wrote...
Nicely done! Thanks for the heads up in the forum. 5 stars Fav. :D
Posted October 17, 2009
spirituality wrote...
in reply to beachbikinibody You should always list a few related lenses - or at least your lensography in either a linklist module, a link plexo or a featured lenses module. Or just using HTML links. That has been my advice from day one - see my lens about SEO.
You're right though: now it's even more important than it was before. So if you hadn't already - do interlink related lenses, do make a lensography, do link to your lensography on all your lenses. Or - if like me you end up making several lensographies: link to the ones most related to the lens.
Posted June 14, 2009
beachbikinibody wrote...
in reply to spirituality Thank you for checking your own lenses for the missing Discovery Tool.
Would you think the alternative to use in place of the Discovery Tool might be to list your own related lenses using the Link List Module?
Posted June 14, 2009
spirituality wrote...
in reply to beachbikinibody You're right. It's gone. I'm assuming it's no longer there because squidoo HQ decided to get rid of it.
Posted June 13, 2009
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