Many new lenses on Squidoo are indexed by Google very quickly, and usually without any 'help'. However, there are times a 'nudge' can make a big difference and speed up the process.
If you want to get a new lens indexed, the best way is to...
Blog About It.
Seriously. A Simple blog post can go a long way to getting your new Squidoo lens off the ground. If you have a blog that is already in Googles index, use that resource to help your Squidoo lenses, too.
When I make a new lens, I will wait about 24 hours for Google to find it on their own. Google is crawling within the Squidoo site a LOT, looking for new content to index.
If Google doesn't get my lens in the index within 24 hours, I will make a blog post about the topic of my lens and link to my lens. This works very well for me. If my lens is something I want to get in the index ASAP (product launch, etc), I will blog about it as soon as my lens is published.
Tips For Blogging About A Lens
1. Make a post about 250-300 words that is on the same topic as your lens. Google likes links to web pages that come FROM web pages on the same topic.
2. Do NOT use generic words such as "click here" or "my new lens" as the anchor text that links to your lens. (Anchor text is the words you click to go to a new web page.) Use relevant and targeted keywords as the anchor text. This matters and is important.
3. Try to get the link to your lens within the first sentence or two of your blog post. This will help ensure that this is one of the first things Google 'reads'. This also helps with content scraping that is done via RSS feeds. Even if the scraper only takes a summary version of your RSS feed, you can be sure they are at least helping to build links for you.
Q&A
Q. How Will I Know When/If Google Reads My Blog Post?
A. Tell Google to TELL you when they are indexing something on your blog! Really! You can go to Google Alerts and set up an alert for your Blog (or your name, or certain keywords, etc etc etc). If you choose 'As Soon As It Happens', Google will email you and tell you what they just indexed. Google alerts are a great little tool.
Q. What If I Don't HAVE A Blog?
A. Get one. There are many sites online that offer free blogs. Blogger.com is one of the best and the easiest to use. (hint: Blogger is owned by Google.) By simply following the simple set-up steps, you can have a blog up and running in no time. If you've never blogged before, try to over-come the intimidation that comes with the thought of taking on this task. Writing a blog post can be as easy as typing an email.
Q. Does My Blog Have To Be On The Same Topic As My Squidoo Lens?
A. No. While your POST about your lens needs to be on the same topic, your entire blog does NOT. Remember, Google indexes and ranks web PAGES, not web SITES. Think about EzineArticles.com - they have MANY web pages on MANY topics... How are they doing in the search engines? =)
Feel free to make a blog that is generic, such as - "My Cool Finds Online" or "Rockin' With Squidoo" or anything like that. Just make sure the post ABOUT your lens is targeting the same keywords as your lens is.
Also, keep in mind that Google will also index your blog post, too. If your lens AND your blog post about that lens both make Page 1 for a Google search of your keywords, you now have TWO of the TEN top spots covered. This is a very good thing!
Q. How Can I Tell If My Lens Is In The Google Index?
A. Search for the exact url (web address) of your lens. Copy the lens address from the browser window while at your lens. Then, go to Google and paste that address into the Google search field. After clicking 'search', if you see your lens as a search return, your lens is in the index.
How To Help A New Lens Get Indexed
If you want to get a new lens indexed, the best way is to...
Blog About It.
Seriously. A Simple blog post can go a long way to getting your new Squidoo lens off the ground. If you have a blog that is already in Googles index, use that resource to help your Squidoo lenses, too.
When I make a new lens, I will wait about 24 hours for Google to find it on their own. Google is crawling within the Squidoo site a LOT, looking for new content to index.
If Google doesn't get my lens in the index within 24 hours, I will make a blog post about the topic of my lens and link to my lens. This works very well for me. If my lens is something I want to get in the index ASAP (product launch, etc), I will blog about it as soon as my lens is published.
Tips For Blogging About A Lens
1. Make a post about 250-300 words that is on the same topic as your lens. Google likes links to web pages that come FROM web pages on the same topic.
2. Do NOT use generic words such as "click here" or "my new lens" as the anchor text that links to your lens. (Anchor text is the words you click to go to a new web page.) Use relevant and targeted keywords as the anchor text. This matters and is important.
3. Try to get the link to your lens within the first sentence or two of your blog post. This will help ensure that this is one of the first things Google 'reads'. This also helps with content scraping that is done via RSS feeds. Even if the scraper only takes a summary version of your RSS feed, you can be sure they are at least helping to build links for you.
Q&A
Q. How Will I Know When/If Google Reads My Blog Post?
A. Tell Google to TELL you when they are indexing something on your blog! Really! You can go to Google Alerts and set up an alert for your Blog (or your name, or certain keywords, etc etc etc). If you choose 'As Soon As It Happens', Google will email you and tell you what they just indexed. Google alerts are a great little tool.
Q. What If I Don't HAVE A Blog?
A. Get one. There are many sites online that offer free blogs. Blogger.com is one of the best and the easiest to use. (hint: Blogger is owned by Google.) By simply following the simple set-up steps, you can have a blog up and running in no time. If you've never blogged before, try to over-come the intimidation that comes with the thought of taking on this task. Writing a blog post can be as easy as typing an email.
Q. Does My Blog Have To Be On The Same Topic As My Squidoo Lens?
A. No. While your POST about your lens needs to be on the same topic, your entire blog does NOT. Remember, Google indexes and ranks web PAGES, not web SITES. Think about EzineArticles.com - they have MANY web pages on MANY topics... How are they doing in the search engines? =)
Feel free to make a blog that is generic, such as - "My Cool Finds Online" or "Rockin' With Squidoo" or anything like that. Just make sure the post ABOUT your lens is targeting the same keywords as your lens is.
Also, keep in mind that Google will also index your blog post, too. If your lens AND your blog post about that lens both make Page 1 for a Google search of your keywords, you now have TWO of the TEN top spots covered. This is a very good thing!
Q. How Can I Tell If My Lens Is In The Google Index?
A. Search for the exact url (web address) of your lens. Copy the lens address from the browser window while at your lens. Then, go to Google and paste that address into the Google search field. After clicking 'search', if you see your lens as a search return, your lens is in the index.
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