Site or Squidoo lens

by 45 replies
57
Why do affiliate marketers bother creating sites and ranking them for keywords when they can create a squidoo lens or hubpage for that keyword and rank for it without major seo.
Just a question. Wanna get some insights on this.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #affilate #lens #site #squidoo
  • inb4alexa.
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Because Squidoo can take down your lens when they feel like it i.e. if the topic your lens is about is no longer allowed. Also, lens often go into un-featured status after a while meaning they are no longer indexed in the search engines until you add more content to your lens. With your own site, these things aren't a problem.

    Another reason why is that with your own site you can customize the look and structure more. With Squidoo, there are numerous ads in the sidebar and above the fold which can reduce the CTR to your affiliate links.
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  • Is there anything more i need to know.
    Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Alexa, we are missing you

      Time for some quick links......
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Banned
    First, they normally can't (the so-called SEO advantages of Squidoo lenses are hugely exaggerated - often by people promoting Squidoo-related services/WSO's/whatever, but sometimes just by the graduates of the Urban Myth School of Internet Marketing).

    Secondly, one doesn't own or control a Squidoo lens, and that's frequently a recipe for accidents ... or even disasters.

    If you read through this one thread slowly and carefully, and click on the links inside it, I think it might give you a "whole new perspective", as the saying goes: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...en-locked.html
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    • Hmm....

      I'm running a test on this theory at the moment.
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    • MMm I wonder where I fall into this list.

      I use squidoo regularly for my marketing efforts. I don´t offer any service, don´t plan to. I don´t know about the future... but this is how things are right now.

      The seo benefits... they are there. You can rank a lens much faster than most sites.

      Now... if I had to choose between putting the effort in my place or squidoo, I certainly choose my place. But squidoo is a great way to bring people to my place.


      I really don´t understand why there are so many "exclussive or"s about this subject.

      This IS true, but not the whole truth. The first time I was introduced to squidoo was in the production of conversation domination. With only one lady in my team, we did all the outsourcer guides of that membership. It was an interesting effort. Do you know where the whole system came from?

      The guys who invented it had had a couple of thousandth sites de-indexed. Six figures checks one month... next one, nada... gone.

      Those where registered and built sites, some beautiful, some even had useful content.

      They were gaming the system and got slapped.

      Where am I going here? Everything online has elements we do not control. Everything has pros and contraries.

      In my opinion, it is all about using the system in any way that feels right to get to know people. Real people to build relationships with.

      Squidoo does that? Great! Your own site does that? Better! Forums? Why not?

      It is about the people.

      Just my 2 cents...

      Sandra
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  • You need something that is totally yours! You can not depend on other websites, instead you can use them to rank your own site!
  • Because whatever you write will be Squidoo's property.
  • Build your sites and then do quick lenses to advertise and drive traffic for your sites. Creating a lens takes like 10 minutes since you already have all of your information, links, pictures and videos organized from making your site.

    I get a lot of traffic to my sites from quickly put up lenses.
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    • I agree with Deacon Blues - I have Squidoo lenses for the main purpose of driving traffic to my websites. Now it doesn't always help much - I have three websites and my lenses are only really driving successful traffic, (average of 700 + visitors per month), to one of them, although I used the same approach with all 3. So I think it can be a bit of hit or miss.

      But definitely do not use Squidoo instead of your own website! Just as a supplement
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  • pretty much agree with everyone else here, I had a hubpages account, as soon as I began to make a lil bread with out a warning I was banned. All because I linked to my squeeze page....r
  • I read the thread word for word.
    THANKS Alexa.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Squidoo can take your lens down and it is harder to make money with squidoo. I only have made about $3 and I was with squidoo for a year. Squidoo took down most of my lens. Plus your lens needs a certain rank to actually make money with squidoo.
  • Well, it might seem that it's easier to be a parasite on Squidoo or Hubpages or wherever, but most of these Web 2.0 sites end up getting penalised by Google.

    Hubpages has been hurt badly. See the following page on how Infobarrel has been hurt (about a year ago, people were touting Infobarrel as the alternative to Hubpages). It's only a matter of time before Squidoo gets penalised.

    Infobarrel Statistics - see how this site is performing

    The benefit of having your own site is that you control everything, the structure, the quality of the content, how it looks. You may write a brilliant piece on hubpages, but some other people may be posting dross which tanks the site and takes you down with it. You can waste a lot of time on web2.0 sites.
  • Can you point to a decent search term where Squidoo or Hubpages have a good ranking? I won't hold my breath..... Squidoo and Hubpages are the internet equivalent of writing unimportant crap on a napkin because you can't be bothered to get a piece of paper.
  • I was reading this thread a few minutes ago
    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...e-seconds.html
    You never relay on a site which is not owned by you.
  • Apart from everything that's already well so mentioned by some revered voices here, mainly on owning what you build...if I may add my two cents..you can't 'flip' a built up lens..unlike a well built up site or even a decently ranked domain which you can sell for a good price. Agreed the purpose here is to drive traffic to your then running offers and the shelf life may be transitory..but we are marketers, we can't leave money on the table, can we?
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    • Sure you can "flip" a lens. Lenses can be transferred from one lensmaster to another. You can very easily sell your lenses if you are active in the appropriate community.
  • Squidoo does allow you to download the content if they lock it.

    I read the TOS from Squidoo. It seems that Google has a LOT of control over what lenses go up and what go down. I read on their site that Google actually asks them to remove lenses that may not comply with their Adsense TOS.

    There is a reason that Squidoo ranks high.

    Thanks

    Jeremiah
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    • Oh... if I get it right, then this rules out ANY affiliate marketing...

      And what happens with Amazon and Ebay? They do coexist with google ads.
  • Squidoo is like a nice turkey and swiss sandwich. It is easy to make, most people like it and it smells good when it is first made. Let it sit too long though and it starts to smell and eventually gets thrown away.

    A website you own is like wine, it takes time to age but the longer it is out there the better google likes it and the more valuable it becomes.
  • There is a place for both. My preferred strategy is to build my own websites and target low competition products with them. I tend to rank very well right out of the gate more often than not. However, that's not to say I don't ever use Squidoo either. I do own many lenses across many niches and accounts. Although I use Squidoo mainly to test "rankability" for a given product, I do earn quite a bit from them as well.

    As with anything, it's always good to diversify. Something about eggs and a basket
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    • Do you really?

      What's the deal? Who actually owns the content published on Squidoo? Does anyone know?
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  • Many of the products I promote I have MULTIPLE google page 1 listings I focus mainly on my Authority sites but also will have another page 1 listing in a youtube video and I will also use Squidoo to grab yet a third listing this way you have multiple chances out of 10 to get a click.

    The focus is to be sure you are building your OWN ASSET and use the others as complimentary listing to grab additional traffic opportunities and clicks.

    Kickin it on Amazon

    Gaz Cooper
    Amz Training Academy
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • If you're thinking of building a business, you will invest in a domain because you're the owner and you get full control. You can plan your strategies and build your business to reach its full potential. Squidoo lenses are good for driving traffic to your own site (your business) as they do rank quite easily.

      Ultimately, I would focus on building my own business not someone else's.
  • I use Squidoo and do OK with it, I get what Alexa is saying and have a lot of respect for her as a marketer but she has got a real downer on Squidoo!

    I personally use a real mix of methods to make affiliate sales including Squidoo, Video Marketing, Authority Sites and smaller niche sites.

    As Gaz says

    'The focus is to be sure you are building your OWN ASSET and use the others as complimentary listing to grab additional traffic opportunities and clicks.'
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • If you need a small Amazon site - choose Squidoo.
    If you want to build a huge, authority site - don't Squidoo.

    On Squidoo, you have a high, but limited earning potential (I earn $300-$500 per month), but with a huge, non-Squidoo site you can earn much more. In addition, it's hard to sell Squidoo lenses.

    I really like Squidoo, but it has its limits.
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    • I'm not sure about that I've seen earning claims of over $15,000 a month from Squidoo and also seen Squidoo lenses for sale at $99 a Lens.

      Certainly agree that an Authority Site is the safest bet though.
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  • Simply because you do not OWN Squidoo lens. I agree, they rank really well BUT if you have a Squidoo lens and it was promoting an Amazon product and making $400 a week for you if they choose they could lock your lens and then you would be back at square one.

    Also if you had a site that was making $400 a week and you keep it, build it up etc... it can be worth good money when you sell it.
  • Squidoo not reliable, you have full control over your website but if you are newbie you can try to work ON squidoo: )
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    Site or Squidoo lens

    Why do affiliate marketers bother creating sites and ranking them for keywords when they can create a squidoo lens or hubpage for that keyword and rank for it without major seo. Just a question. Wanna get some insights on this.