Squidoo

Squidoo Intro: 1-2-3 Start!

About Squidoo

So what is this strange-sounding Squidoo thing? Squidoo is a very popular user-generated content website. According to Wikipedia "Squidoo is in the top 500 most visited sites in the world, and in the top 300 most viewed in the United States. Squidoo grew 91% in 2008, and had 900,000 handbuilt lenses as of February 1st, 2009."

That should say to anyone interested in getting their name/site more notice, then this is one site that we should pay attention to. Especially if you like writing blogs or articles. This is one way to boost the ranking of your own site(s) by writing the articles (or "lenses" as they are called on Squidoo) and having back-links to your own site(s) or shop(s).

Oh, and it is FREE. And you can make money. And/or you can donate to charity.

The site was founded by Seth Godin and you can read more about him and the site at your About Squidoo page.

Squidoo 1-2-3

So much to read? So much to learn? Where to start? So many potential distracting sidetracks?

That is how I normally feel when I need to learn a new technology, how to use a new site I have just signed up to, and so on. Well, this below should give you a more sequential 1-2-3 and get you started faster. My aim in compiling this short list is just to gather the core essentials - enough to comfortably jump in afterwards, knowing I will always have to be learning more along the way. But the most important need right now is to get started and still do it kind of "right".

But first, let me quote one of my favourite-est and most assuring quotes from Squidoo:

1) Read "The Joy of Squidoo" - free pdf book written by Seth Godin and Megan Casey. It is quick and easy to read, and fun. It is inspirational. Well worth the effort and as a first step.

2) Read "Calamari! The Official Squidoo How To" - another free pdf written by Megan Casey and Seth Godin.

This was written before "The Joy of Squidoo" but takes longer to read. It makes more sense (to me anyway) and is easier to read "The Joy" first and then "Calamari". Just don't get too side-tracked by all the great links in the book. Read it through and then come back for the links. Or just download it to read offline and at leisure .. with a steaming cuppa and sun smiling down at you!

3) Step by Step lensbuilding for a first time user - now this is a Squidoo lens. Written by Seth Godin. Also recommended in the "Calamari" book. Again, lots of stuff here so you might just want to take a quick look and come back for reference as you jump in and start on Squidoo.

Okay ... I am off to sign up now and will be back if I find more useful facts to condense :)

Some Squidoo Terminology

• lens - a Squidoo article written by a user (could be yours!)
• lensmaster - the writer of the lens
• plexo - Squidoo says, "Plexo is our name for a fancy technology that allows anyone visiting your lens to rank the links you’ve listed. It’s sort of like digg or Reddit, but you get to be in charge of the way people use it.