Lens Promotion in Motion
Ranked #2,222 in Squidoo Community, #201,943 overall
I Need an Ocean of Motion in Lens Promotion
Is effective lens promotion a challenge? Need a PLAN for keeping traffic coming? How to create an effective plan in terms of a specific schedule of action for ebusiness promotion is the focus of this page, not the where so much as the HOW. Finding sources for lens promotion is not hard, yet the next challenge is to take those sources and put those pieces together to form an ever-growing ping-ping-ping of a plan of action that works for YOU! The secret to website promotion is ... that there IS no secret ... beyond a concise PLAN - a target of consistent steps that are taken within an organized format. This page will help you to create that target and focus there. Random acts of kindness are great, but random acts of web promotion won't get the results you want.
Contents at a Glance
A Need for FOCUS on Lens Promotion
Publishing online is just a beginning... it is the focus on promotion that gets the clicks.
Here I will only feature a few of the favorites sites I use for lens promotion. Choose your own, but only as many as you truly have time to work on consistently. Find more extensive lists for how to promote squidoo lenses when you are ready, just a few at a time so you aren't overwhelmed.
Your Promotion Plan Record Keeping
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Keep SOME kind on ongoing records.
Be smart and plan your promotion with an agenda of some kind. Random efforts won't achieve much in the way of results, consider some form of concrete PLAN. You can create your lens promotion record in an excel spreadsheet, using graph paper, or simply in a spiral notebook. What's important is that you HAVE a daily record - your target and a place to record where you have been that makes sense to YOU! Know that you will likely find the need to revise it each week anyway, so don't even THINK about perfection. Just list the lens names on one side, and promotion sources across the top. As you submit the lens to each source, record it with a tally mark. Keep it simple. Promotion Plan - NO One Size Fits All
Make your plan for lens promotion work for YOU, regardless of what others might be doing.
Missing Your Promotion Plan Target?
Then re-think it and simplify, focus on one change at a time.
Missing the target? Getting behind? Then your promotion plan is likely too complicated, maybe includes WAY too many variables. So simplify it by taking a step forward so you can get better focus. Scale down to fewer lenses and/or fewer sources of promotion per day until you are able to do them well, to at the very least hit the target consistently. Eventually you'll hit that bulls-eye! THEN, and only then - you can move the target. FOCUS is the magic word.
Filter out the noise.
Getting behind?
Then focus some more.
Life is complicated. Simplify.
Lens Promotion and Google
March 2011: New google algorithms cause a stir. Original content an absolute MUST!
Google initiated new algorithms recently, which have caused a big stir in website rankings. If you do a search for 'new google algorithms' you will find a ton of information about how these effect webpages. The gist of it has a lot to do with a slam on 'duplicate content' webpages by google. Webpages that contain a large amount of text or 'content' that also appears elsewhere on the internet will not be able to achieve high ranks on google's search engines. There are even some websites that include NO original content at all, but rather a series of links to other web pages and it seems that they are the main target for this algorithm change. This type of page is referred to as 'content farms' and will get a huge KICK from google and a nose dive in rankings.
***IMPORTANT*** Regardless of your other efforts to promote lenses, all simply MUST include a significant amount (around 80%) of the lensmaster's own original written text or the lens will never rank well in google. Avoid large amounts of text quoted from other websites (including Wikipedia), even if the text is accompanied by a cited cource. In fact, for this reason Squidoo is phasing out the Wikipedia module.
Consider these options to avoid the google algorithm hit to your lens rankings:
1) Include a short quote or some of your own words about the topic with a link for more information.
This is acceptable by google and won't hurt rankings, however it takes the reader AWAY from your page. If the web page is an affiliate, then you WANT the reader to do that. However if the link is simply going to Wikipedia or some other blog, then you likely just lost a visitor.
2) Review the article and then compose your own written report based on the selected information in your own words.
3) Edit any current lenses with a Wikipedia module on them. Consider writing your OWN article based on the information and replace that with the Wikipedia module.
***IMPORTANT*** Regardless of your other efforts to promote lenses, all simply MUST include a significant amount (around 80%) of the lensmaster's own original written text or the lens will never rank well in google. Avoid large amounts of text quoted from other websites (including Wikipedia), even if the text is accompanied by a cited cource. In fact, for this reason Squidoo is phasing out the Wikipedia module.
Consider these options to avoid the google algorithm hit to your lens rankings:
1) Include a short quote or some of your own words about the topic with a link for more information.
This is acceptable by google and won't hurt rankings, however it takes the reader AWAY from your page. If the web page is an affiliate, then you WANT the reader to do that. However if the link is simply going to Wikipedia or some other blog, then you likely just lost a visitor.
2) Review the article and then compose your own written report based on the selected information in your own words.
3) Edit any current lenses with a Wikipedia module on them. Consider writing your OWN article based on the information and replace that with the Wikipedia module.
Keywords and Lens Promotion
Keywords are the Holy Grail in Lens Promotion!
Keywords are really the foundation of it all. These searches reveal what people are actually looking for on the internet, not what we THINK they are searching. Never create another lens without first doing some keyword research first, since it could end up being a waste of time from the beginning. If there's no market in terms of demand for the keyword, then it won't matter how well you build the lens since traffic will be very hard to maintain.
For example, once recently I found a keyword with high demand and low supply that was related to my lens content, so I used it as the primary keyword. Within a couple of days, that lens ranked higher than ANY of my others, and I hadn't even done much in the way of promotion. Once indexed in google, that keyword itself WAS the initial promotion. Work smarter, nor harder. Always start with keyword research!
Here are some good free tools for keyword research:
For example, once recently I found a keyword with high demand and low supply that was related to my lens content, so I used it as the primary keyword. Within a couple of days, that lens ranked higher than ANY of my others, and I hadn't even done much in the way of promotion. Once indexed in google, that keyword itself WAS the initial promotion. Work smarter, nor harder. Always start with keyword research!
Here are some good free tools for keyword research:
- Google Analytics
- Excellent free tool for both content and search terms.
- Google Free Keyword Search Tool
- This keyword search tool is free and SO simple to use, no download required.
- Traffic Travis
- Another really good tool for keyword SEO, a free download.
Keyword Strategy
Strengthen this criticial skill of choosing keywords wisely.
Invest the time to learn all you can about choosing keywords! We might also think of this as a search term query. Whatever we might guess that people might place in a search box is only the beginning. Very often that guess is way off, and the actual search terms used are quite different.
For an excellent resource about using keywords, see this recent post over at SquidLog:
==> keyword research lens case study by AJ <==
View keyword strategies in action complete with screenshots, tips, and visual aids.
The lenses below are also excellent resources for learning more about searching and choosing keywords.
For an excellent resource about using keywords, see this recent post over at SquidLog:
==> keyword research lens case study by AJ <==
View keyword strategies in action complete with screenshots, tips, and visual aids.
The lenses below are also excellent resources for learning more about searching and choosing keywords.
Tags VS Keywords and SEO
Know the difference between tags and keywords on Squidoo and how to best use them both in order to maximize your lens promotion?
Tags only matter within Squidoo, therefore they are very different from keywords which apply to the entire internet. Your keywords will be picked up by google if placed well within titles and text. Tags may pick up some extra traffic within Squidoo, but keywords tend to be the draw for google traffic.
Many Squidoo lensmasters really do not understand the difference between tags and keywords. If you are still not sure, you might read this excellently written article below and the lightbulb may go ON as it did for me. Then apply what you've learned there and you are almost assured an increase in traffic to your lenses and much better SEO. The blog post was written by AJ and includes some input and links from Fluffanutta, two masters at Squidoo.
Many Squidoo lensmasters really do not understand the difference between tags and keywords. If you are still not sure, you might read this excellently written article below and the lightbulb may go ON as it did for me. Then apply what you've learned there and you are almost assured an increase in traffic to your lenses and much better SEO. The blog post was written by AJ and includes some input and links from Fluffanutta, two masters at Squidoo.
- Tags VS Keywords on Squidoo
- Squidlog blogpost by AJ about how tagwordss and keywords are different, and best ways to optimize both.
- Free Meta Tag Checker
- Pretty cool free tool helps you get those meta tags just right to make the google spiders and search engines happy when they crawl your lens or webpage.
POLL: Have a Favorite Keyword Research Tool?
Below are three favorite tools for keyword research that many marketers rave about.
Below are some of the most popular keyword research tools that one can purchase, software that some swear by as the best in tools for completing research that used to take hours. It seems that these have risen as the top 3. If you know of another keyword research tool, enter it below in the comments and it might get added to the poll.
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Find Keywords with JAAXI
By far the fastest and simplest to use of keyword research tools - Jaaxi.
After using several of the above research keyword tools, I found Jaaxi early in 2012 and no longer use anything else. Jaaxi is fast and SO much simpler than the other tools, far easier to use by a long shot. The others are complicated and slow in comparison, and I need tools that work simply and fast. Give Jaaxi a whirl if you're in search of an excellent keyword tool, you will LOVE it. Just click the banner below to browse and learn more.
Organizing Lenses for Promotion Records
Using Excel Spreadsheets
Probably the most detailed and efficient record-keeping plan for promoting lenses is to record your daily actions in an excel spreadsheet. If you are already familiar with the use of spreadsheets or decide you are ready to take this learning curve on, you might do very well with this type of strategy for both lens promotion and organization. If you decide to organize your lenses using excel spreadsheets, you'll find a lot of great tips and examples of that at the very well-designed lens below by tssfacts.
Lens Promotion from Seth Godin
Squidoo founder discusses marketing trends with wit and wisdom.
Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing out of Sync?
Popular marketing advice from Seth Godin, founder and king of Squidoo, who says "ya can't just apply marketing willy-nilly". Meatball Sundae lays out transformations in business marketing. Godwin says to just toss new marketing onto the top of obsolete business models is like putting whipped cream and a cherry onto meatballs to make a sundae.
Seth describes trends that are completely remaking what it means to be a marketer. And while these trends are transforming organizations that have the right approaches, they are crippling the organizations that are stuck with nothing but meatballs. Modern marketing trends with a flair of humor and entertaining analogies.
WHY Have a Lens Promotion Plan?
Find or create a promotion plan that works for YOU!
Maybe you started out with a little bit of website promotion here and there...mostly random, and then you realized that creating a lens and random promotion efforts weren't effective - you need a PLAN! ...a real and workable business PLAN of lens promotion. (MY friend Marney at Artella refers to a business plan as a Blissness Plan - I like that!)
You took the time to create the lens in the first place, had a good idea, created a webspace, yet now maybe the realization is hitting you that your page is flat out LOST in cyberspace. Promotion is about a series of consistent steps. Choose your own sources and your own time frame, but start an organized promotion plan and keep records.
Using Images & Photos on Squidoo
Consider becoming an All Poster affiliate and have access to tons of images that SELL!
Lensmasters are expected to either use their OWN images on Squidoo lenses or else credit the source of the photo. This is a Terms of Service (TOS) violation that many ignore, however there has been talk among HQ of enforcing this more in the future. I KNOW that everyone does it, not an acceptable excuse, so please think twice about images placed on Squidoo lenses.
Why not affiliate with a company that not only offers a huge selection of professional images across dozens of categories, but also allows you to sell an image that your visitor likes? All Posters does just that AND makes the process simple. Click below to learn more and consider All Posters as an affiliate partner.
Webmasters Make $$$
Why not affiliate with a company that not only offers a huge selection of professional images across dozens of categories, but also allows you to sell an image that your visitor likes? All Posters does just that AND makes the process simple. Click below to learn more and consider All Posters as an affiliate partner.
Webmasters Make $$$
SEO and Backlinks
If getting backlinks is not part of you plan, add it NOW!
You'll want to be promoting current lenses, but you can publish new ones at the same time. Get into the habit of promoting any new lens in at least 3 places before you consider it finished. You can always come back and do more promotion later, but you need some back links for EVERY lens, so do a few as soon as you hit publish.
Never Underestimate the Power of Backlinks
Backlinks or BUST!
Backlink or Bust? Smiles - yet that is pretty close to the truth. You simply MUST make the effort toward learning how to get quality backlinks if you want to increase traffic to Squidoo lenses. One place to learn a lot about that right here on Squidoo is the lens below, created by lensmaster LisaAuch.
Choosing Sources of Lens Promotion
You might start with the Squidoo Tools in the section below, then add on more from the second list of sources for promotion from outside Squidoo. They're all good, but just go slow and choose a few at a time til you have a comfort level there. It is not a good idea to enter a huge list of lenses to one source or directory in one day anyway, so choose only a few per day or whatever your time allows. Lens Promotion Sources Here at Squidoo
Vote your favorite source of promotion with a quick click.
These Squidoo directories are a good place to start with lens promotion. Select one or two, enter a lens there and record that entry in some kind of personal list or graph. See the record-keeping section for possible ways to do this.
Squidoo Lenses | The Kingdom of Squidoo
Lenses entered here can be rated up and you'll be more...3 points
SquidUp.org - Become The Top Squid
SquidUp is your Squidoo companion. Discover Hot Le more...3 points
SquiDirectory
A Best of Squidoo Directory. Featuring helpful inf more...2 points
The Isle of Squid
Get your lenses listed in the Isle of Squid direct more...1 point
Blog Ping for Squidoo Lenses
A ping tool especially optimized for Squidoo Lenses, more...1 point
Lensroll / Published Lenses
Bookmark, share and discover the best of Squidoo.1 point
Spotted Squids & How To Become One
Wanna get spotted? Then join the spotted squids.1 point
Squidoo Lens Promotion Tools
The Discovery Tool
The discovery tool helps boost traffic. Click edit from your intro module and then find the discovery tool at top. You may now enter up to SIX related lenses there that will then be featured to the right of the page. Use this tool ONLY for lenses about related topics, and you will likely receive a boost in traffic.If you do not already have lenses written within a specific niche or topic category, consider it. You can then 'link' them in the discovery tool and attract traffic to all related lenses.
Lens Promotion Outside of Squidoo
Vote for a Favorite or Add One. One of my favorites is SEO Software by Traffic Travis. Also click the banner below to visit LoveBlinks, created by a Squidoo lensmaster and a great resource for backlinks and more.
She Told Me
Backlinks get indexed quickly in google here, free more...3 points
StumbleUpon
You simple MUST learn to stumble. Favorite!2 points
Free SEO Software | The Best PPC & SEO Management Tool -Traffic Travis
Best Free SEO Software for all your SEO & PPC more...2 points
Yahoo! Answers - Home
Answer a question related to your topic at Yahoo A more...0 points
Backlink Directory - Squidoo Marketing
SquidDirectory - directory of backlink sources for more...0 points
Automate Your Web Promotion
Ping your lenses to many sites at once with this clever automation tool.
Automate as many tasks as possible, this is critical. Be alert for quality tools that will automate small tasks that generate actions daily. Here's one example of a free tool that will save a ton of time in promoting lenses. Watch this video recommended by a favorite mentor, Caroline Middlebrook, about IM Automator. This site offers a free service that will automate your lens submissions to many sites at once.
Important!
Keep your Sense of Humor ...
"She told me to stumble upon tagfoot, but I found that posterous so thought I might digg that delicious redgage but found myself twittering about a new blogpost."
--- Cross Creations :-)
--- Cross Creations :-)
An OCEAN of Lens Promotion!
Your DAILY Lens Promotion Focus Plan
Focus on Planned Action - Getting Started
Your Web Promotion Plan:1) First, set a block of time aside DAILY for nothing else but website promotion. 15 minutes minimum can work IF and only IF you do it DAILY and with a PLAN in mind. Set a timer if needed to stay focused.
2) Keep good records of your promotions. Make a list of those lenses you plan to promote this week (3-5) as well as the sites you will use for promotion, an excel spreadsheet might work well for this, but any kind of record is better than none. Graph paper works well for me, listing lenses on one side, promotion sources along top, then just a tally in the corresponding box.
3) FOCUS on one or two sources of promotion at a time ( ie. Redgage, Twitter, StumbleUpon, etc). Stay within that focus and take the time to learn the systems of each, in fact strive to learn at least one or two of them extremely well. No one can be a professional at them all, so remember that focus and avoiding being overwhelmed is paramount. DO NOT try to promote in too many places at one time, or to do so randomly.
Your Promotion Plan - Continued
Revise as Needed, Record Daily
4) Follow your own schedule of which sites to use each day to promote your pages, and then on other days...forget them! FOCUS on only your specific daily tasks, and keep it up week after week after week. Devise your schedule and plan based on your own priorities and experience. YOUR specific plan will differ from mine but must include steady progress and some sort of RECORDS of that progress.*Work in categories. Grab a category of a handful of pages on the same general topic, for example art, and work until you have entered all of those. They tend to get more attention that way anyway since they'll all be added to the same category or section of the site. For example, today I added my 5 holiday lenses to StumbleUpon, and it took only 10-15 minutes.
4) Each day when you work on promotion, record your actions in this log, especially if you have a large number of web pages. Set a timer if needed to help focus on nothing but promoting your pages during this time. Focus only on the sites you have chosen and follow through with getting your links OUT!
5) Revise your plan as needed, but proceed ONLY within your own PLAN that is actually doable with your own skill level and time available.
Blast Your Lens into MOTION with Promotion!
Have a Favorite Lens Promotion Source?
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CrossCreations Blog
Creative Commentary, Coaching and Internet Marketing
Like this Lens Promotion Lens?
If so, click it up. Thanks.
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
About this Squidoo Author
Rocket Mom + Giant Squid + Squidoo Angel
She joined the Rocket Moms and became a Squid Giant in 2009, then in 2010 she directed most of her effort on lens promotion rather than on creating new lenses. She has earned consistent Squidoo income since the end of 2009, and that income amount broke personal records in December of 2010.
Visit Squidoo Marketing
Visit Squidoo Marketing
What's in YOUR Ocean of Promotion?
Comments MUCH appreciated!
Let us know your ideas and best strategies for promotion of your lenses here. 
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GrammaLinda
May 20, 2012 @ 6:51 pm | delete
- Good information. Thanks. Blessings!
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iamtreehugger
Mar 27, 2012 @ 12:20 am | delete
- great resource
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Frank Walker
Mar 5, 2012 @ 12:44 am | delete
- SEOCampaign.ca is a reputed Canadian SEO company facilitating all the aforementioned services, including link building and reputation management . The firm has a dedicated team of web design professional with over eight years of experience in the industry. To know about the professionals or their services, you can visit www.seocampaign.ca and get the best SEO services that suit your needs perfectly.
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Cumberland
Mar 3, 2012 @ 4:57 pm | delete
- I found some very useful information here. Thank You!
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JohnWarley
Jan 16, 2012 @ 9:14 am | delete
- Good stuff--my first visit to this Lens but not my last.
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Index of Lens Promotion in Motion
- A Need for FOCUS on Lens Promotion
- Your Promotion Plan Record Keeping
- Promotion Plan - NO One Size Fits All
- Missing Your Promotion Plan Target?
- Lens Promotion and Google
- Keywords and Lens Promotion
- Keyword Strategy
- Tags VS Keywords and SEO
- POLL: Have a Favorite Keyword Research Tool?
- Find Keywords with JAAXI
- Organizing Lenses for Promotion Records
- Lens Promotion from Seth Godin
- WHY Have a Lens Promotion Plan?
- Using Images & Photos on Squidoo
- SEO and Backlinks
- Never Underestimate the Power of Backlinks
- Choosing Sources of Lens Promotion
- Lens Promotion Sources Here at Squidoo
- Squidoo Lens Promotion Tools
- Lens Promotion Outside of Squidoo
- Automate Your Web Promotion
- Keep your Sense of Humor ...
- An OCEAN of Lens Promotion!
- Your DAILY Lens Promotion Focus Plan
- Your Promotion Plan - Continued
- Blast Your Lens into MOTION with Promotion!
- Have a Favorite Lens Promotion Source?
- CrossCreations Blog
- Like this Lens Promotion Lens?
- About this Squidoo Author
- What's in YOUR Ocean of Promotion?
- What's the Twitter about Website Promotion Today?
- My Internet Marketing Toolbox
What's the Twitter about Website Promotion Today?
My Internet Marketing Toolbox
by crosscreations
Promotion plans + keywords + backlinks + content = KEYS to SEO success.
Need an ocean of lens promotion? SEO is the tsunami. Stick around and learn.
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