Yep, back in the saddle. Dissertation is keeping me busy! However, I’ve hit a few modest SEO tips in the course of updating and making some new lenses.
First up: CLONE YOUR VISITOR.
This is an idea I’m trying, not yet proven, but it makes sense to me.
Situation: A series of lenses, a sequence of lenses that are all linked up, like different pages of an article.
Query: Which of them should you give the best keyword phrase to for the URL/title?
In the past, I’ve given it to the first page, the gateway lens, so to speak. But that’s linear thinking.
What if I use the keyword with the highest traffic potential on one of the secondary lens, with a link in the introduction module saying, “Welcome to part 2 of my 3-part series on X. If you’re just tuning in, here’s [link]part 1[/link]”
Why?
Squidoo lensrank is boosted by clicks. If you can entice the visitor to click, you’ve guaranteed yourself a click. Also, you’ve just turned one hit into two, one for each lens. [EDIT: Apparently passing traffic between lenses doesn’t count. Squidoo is wise to the tricks we do. But the “double hit” theory holds true.]
Drawbacks:
1. It’s all well and good to use the best-optimized keyword in the URL of lens #2 … who types those anymore? But to optimize it, you also have to include the keyword in the lens title. It may make more sense to have the primary/gateway lens have that title.
On the other hand, it may make more sense to have the popular keyword in the primary/gateway title. You know, the keyword you couldn’t use because too many other pages have optimized for it? Well, this way you can use it, too.
2. Bigger risk: as soon as you are asking visitors to do something— click a link, navigate to a new page, read an advertisement before getting to the content they were really looking for— you test visitor patience. It’s hard enough keeping them on your page. If they don’t see what they want in a hurry, they’ll hit the back button and look elsewhere. So that link to Page 1 needs to look shiny and enticing. The introduction for page 2 needs to be clear, well-written, compelling — to demonstrate you know what you’re doing — and show that yes, what they want really is only a click away.
So I’m not 100% about this method. I have created two pages linked together in this fashion and will be watching to see how many people landing on page 2 click the link for page 1.
