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Any SEO questions left?

From the lens SEO Tips and Tricks.

This guestbook is ONLY for questions. Other comments can be made in the 'reader feedback' module below. Your 'congratulations on becoming a squidoo mentor' comments WILL be deleted, though that does not mean they're not appreciated.

  • AcornHaven Feb 29, 2012 @ 2:12 pm | delete
    Very good Information. Thank you for the effort of putting it up.
  • danoo7777 Feb 20, 2012 @ 10:58 pm | delete
    Interesting stuff!
  • Nimsrules Jan 21, 2012 @ 1:09 pm | delete
    One of the best SEO guidance lens I've come across.
  • zelic-eu Jan 19, 2012 @ 6:10 am | delete
    very glad and thankful for this lense =) great tips ... well done
  • mennella Dec 26, 2011 @ 4:57 pm | delete
    very helpful and clear, great job!
  • markettrol Nov 7, 2011 @ 9:35 pm | delete
    Great Lens.....I have some work to do....thanks for the help.....I will be back for more info as I go....
  • sabinci Oct 15, 2011 @ 5:37 pm | delete
    this lens is realy great and gave me something to think about... i need to learn more about squidoo since im quite new here
  • NaveenKapur Oct 14, 2011 @ 5:01 am | delete
    Excellent Post. There is no better description than this for using squidoo as one of your primary sources of digital marketing.
    As for the Panda Update - EmpowerLiberty - This article clearly defines rules of wiritng and using squidoo, which off course means google loves your content and network.
  • EmpowerLiberty Aug 25, 2011 @ 12:47 pm | delete
    It seems that with Google's Panda update that SEO is more difficult. Does article marketing still work?
  • seo_optimisation Nov 17, 2011 @ 11:09 pm | delete
    Yes, article still works, and will continue to work. This of course assumes that your articles aren't junk to begin with. Individually written and submitted articles still produce valuable backlinks, and this isn't likely to change any time soon. It is certainly better to have your articles on more trusted article sites like Ezine articles rather than on new ones or ones that have all sorts of junk on them. The bottom line with Panda is that the Google PR is still a great rule of thumb. If a site has some PR, a backlink from it somehwere is a good thing.
  • Psycho-Gamer Jul 21, 2011 @ 1:15 pm | delete
    I needed this lens so bad...and i love it even more...what a wonderful resource on seo and marketing .....well done kim
    and thank u very much
  • TIRMassageStone Jun 28, 2011 @ 3:50 pm | delete
    This is why we use squidoo!
  • virtualassistantorg Mar 23, 2011 @ 3:55 am | delete
    SEO is the way we make a website search engine friendly. Proper SEO is not just about link building or generating backlinks for your site. It also includes on-site optimization wherein you measure the keyword density, optimize the meta-title, meta-description, meta-keywords ...etc.
  • visualNZ Mar 29, 2010 @ 3:05 am | delete
    Excellent lens, a lot to take in so I will be a regular visiter to it... 5 stars
  • SEORankExpert Mar 8, 2010 @ 9:04 am | delete
    This is a great lens and I gave you 5 stars.

    The hardest thing about SEO for me at least is getting backlinks. This is really a full time job if you ask me, but now I have outsourced link building to Link Dominators, and it is well worth the money.
  • KIRK FORNEY AS ANYTHING4LESSONLINE Dec 4, 2009 @ 8:21 pm | delete
    What is your take on blogging and social media for increasing blog or website traffic?
  • spirituality Dec 6, 2009 @ 6:56 am | delete
    As I said under 'link to your content' - do blog about your lenses. As for blogging about your blog... that can become a bit circular. I'd advise making a lens about the topics you've blogged about and then linking to the blog - and link back from the blog to the lens.
  • shankapotomus Nov 24, 2009 @ 9:19 pm | delete
    How much weight should one put on their lensmaster bio?
  • spirituality Nov 25, 2009 @ 1:16 am | delete
    Honestly I often forget to edit the lensmaster bio. The standard one should have the info you would like to show on most of your lenses. In my case that's about me and my main niche: spirituality. I do think that's very important: for visitors as well as search engines.

    For individual lenses outside your main niche it's an extra opportunity to create unique content targeted at your niche. So explain why you made that page, why you love that topic, what your personal relationship with it is.

    How important is it? As important as the rest of the content of your lens. Less important than the title and tags. But content, title and tags are really the threesome any lens needs.
  • ChapelHillFiddler Nov 24, 2009 @ 8:14 am | delete
    Is there a url which will return the entire list of lenses using a given tag? thanks -
  • spirituality Nov 24, 2009 @ 10:07 am | delete
    No. For more on tags see my page about tags.
  • OneFootPutt Nov 24, 2009 @ 1:21 pm | delete
    I think there is, and you have it in your tags page... http://www.squidoo.com/tags/ Not sure why you said no.
  • spirituality Nov 24, 2009 @ 2:13 pm | delete
    ChapelHillFiddler asked for pages on which ALL the lenses using that tag are listed. On tag pages one only sees the top 20 and a link to the next 20 etc.
  • ChapelHillFiddler Nov 24, 2009 @ 3:00 pm | delete
    Wow this new "notify me when new comments are added" is great! Blogs should have this. Anyway, spirituality is right. I would like to be able to make an rss feed of a tag so I'd see (1) all that are currently extant and (2) when new lenses with that tag are added.
  • OneFootPutt Nov 24, 2009 @ 3:03 pm | delete
    Got it. I think you've said this many times, you should concentrate on being on the 1st page. I use the additional pages to see how far down the list my lens is located. Thanks again for the great advice.
  • JaguarJulie Nov 23, 2009 @ 8:44 am | delete
    Katinka, do you recommend any books [not ebooks] for SEO help and SEO marketing tips? I know I see a lot of ebooks and regular books through Amazon -- but wonder if it is necessary to buy those books or can we garner all the helpful information we need from online resources such as your lenses and blogs? Congratulations on your accomplishments!
  • spirituality Nov 23, 2009 @ 9:50 am | delete
    I've never bought a book about this in my life. In general I do think the main points have stayed the same through the last 4 or 5 years though. I keep up with 5 SEO blogs right now. That's it. I used to keep up with more, but I would get the same information several times.

    Here's the blog names: SEO book, Search Engine Land, Search Engine Round Table, Official Google Webmaster Blog and Jim Boykin of We Build Pages Link Building Blog.

    I'll set up an RSS module for all of them at the bottom here. And I'll see about a physical book for you. If an ebook were an option, it'd definitely be Aaron Walls SEO Book. He has a marketeers perspective on SEO, which would work well for you I think.
  • spirituality Nov 23, 2009 @ 9:52 am | delete
    Oh, that was easy: one of the bloggers I still follow has a book out just recently. I'll be posting it up here.
  • Ener-G Nov 20, 2009 @ 7:10 am | delete
    How or where do you find out what tags other lenses are using?

    And is there a list some where of the best squid directories?

    Also, your stats are pretty amazing...I think information about how much traffic you receive would be really helpful to a SEO newbie (me!).
  • spirituality Nov 20, 2009 @ 7:36 am | delete
    Just look at the tag pages. On the right hand corner there's a tag cloud: click on those and you get to a new tag page. Each tag page includes the number of lenses using that tag (aka listed on the tag page).

    As for the stats: I'll have to think about that. Perpaps on my blog or something.
  • Kapalbility Nov 20, 2009 @ 2:38 am | delete
    Hi, Katinka! Do you recommend reciprocal linking?
  • spirituality Nov 20, 2009 @ 2:50 am | delete
    Yes, when it's on topic.

    That said: in general I lensroll and link to what fits my topic - and only take into account whether that lensmaster or blogger is likely to link back to me, or has in the past, a bit.

    In general it works better, online, to be on the generous side. People are more likely to link to you if you've been generous linking out. Even if it's not to them personally.

    If your content has ONLY reciprocal links, that's not a quality sign for google. But if your content has reciprocal links mixed in with other links: that's normal and those links do help you rank.
  • arncyn Nov 19, 2009 @ 4:12 am | delete
    Very useful information here as always, Katinka! I have yet to make a lensography myself. I have a question though - when I make a lensography, can I link to others' lenses on the same topic or should my lensography consist just of lenses I made?
  • spirituality Nov 19, 2009 @ 4:28 am | delete
    Personally I don't do that too often. On my 'about me' lensography I do link out to some of my favorite lensmasters, as well as lenses by people who really support squidoo a LOT. I have one or two topical lensographies made for featuring lenses by others - either on a topic I think is important or to thank them. My summerschool lensography also features lenses by others, for instance.

    Most of my lensographies though are purely about what I've put online about that topic. Given that within my main niche I have my own loyal audience, that makes sense: they're looking for stuff that bears my stamp of quality. And on those lenses: no, I do not link out to other people's lenses.

    I'd make it about telling the story of the niche you're making a lensography about. Is the story enriched by featuring other people's lenses or have you made enough for a great lens? If the first: go ahead and feature them. If the second: leave it only your own stuff.
  • arncyn Nov 20, 2009 @ 7:49 am | delete
    Thanks for the great advice! Will certainly keep that in mind. (:
  • OneFootPutt Nov 18, 2009 @ 9:14 pm | delete
    What great advice...I have a question regarding tags. If I can rank equally on the tag page of a generic tag and a more specific tag, which one should be my primary tag?

    For example, cars vs chevy cars

    When I can be on both pages, I do that, however, if I could only pick one, which would be more favorable with the search engines?
  • spirituality Nov 19, 2009 @ 1:45 am | delete
    I would pick the tag that's used by more lenses. If they're used by an equal amount of lenses, go with the specific one: chevy cars.
  • Ramkitten Nov 18, 2009 @ 10:10 am | delete
    Very, very helpful lens! I have a question about your comment that we should submit our first 50 lenses or so to directories. Is there a problem with submitting all of them (though not all at once, of course) to directories, even if we have more than 50? I created a spreadsheet for myself and have been adding two lenses per day to various directories, but I have over 100 lenses now. (I also went through the directories and checked off all those I'd added in the past. I was getting REALLY confused as to which I'd added where, but my spreadsheet is all caught up now.)
  • spirituality Nov 18, 2009 @ 11:08 am | delete
    No, there isn't a problem with submitting more - it's just that the more you enter, the less difference it makes. It's good to have a baseline of links from directories to start off with - but they're not high quality links at any stage. At a certain point it's really not worth the effort any more. Blogging, promoting your blogs, getting the word out about your most linkable lenses and blogposts - all that's MORE important.

    Sounds like you're done with them. :) Isn't that a relief?

    BTW - there is NO problem adding them all at once. Let them handle the load. That's what they're there for.
  • ChapelHillFiddler Nov 18, 2009 @ 6:20 am | delete
    This is a great collection of ideas, thanks. I've been struggling with this for months but despair that my interests are so peculiar seo won't help me. I do have one thought, though, which is that if nobody ever uses a new tag, how can we break in a new area? I made three lenses on deer fences and am going to do a fourth. So then it won't be an orphan tag any more?
  • spirituality Nov 18, 2009 @ 6:58 am | delete
    Didn't I say that? Yes indeed when you own a niche - that is, have several lenses in it - by all means create new tag for them. I do so all the time.

    In fact, I have a text document devoted to tags I can use that won't be orphans, but can be used on any lens because last time I checked there were less than 20 lenses using them.
  • Treasures-By-Brenda Nov 17, 2009 @ 2:28 pm | delete
    Congratulations on becoming our SEO mentor. We are blessed to have you! We'll no doubt put you to work and YES, I'll always have a question, no matter how hard you try!

    Question: A lenosgraphy doesn't have to be called a lensography, does it?

    Great lens, I've blessed it, too.
  • spirituality Nov 18, 2009 @ 1:07 am | delete
    No Brenda, lensography's do NOT have to be called lensographies. In fact - niche lensographies should NOT have the word used lensography prominently in them. For instance: I turned my general lens on Buddhism into a lensography of all my Buddhist lenses - which just means it's a general lens on Buddhism. So I used keywords in the title which had to do with Buddhism. It's a solid second tier lens now: because I used keywords in the titles which had, within the Buddhism niche, hardly any competition and yet fit the content of the lensography. And Buddhism is a competitive niche.

    The word 'lensography' only means something for people on squidoo. So a good SEO will only use the word on pages that don't stand a chance at ranking outside squidoo.

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SquidooKimberly

I'm Kimberly, your Community Organizer on Squidoo. These official lenses will help you be more successful on your favorite internet service - Squidoo!... more »

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