Squidoo Lens Tutorial ~ Reviews and A Video
In the last squidoo lens tutorial we covered the first few modules after the intro. This tutorial will cover the next few modules.
So far we’ve covered:
The Squidoo intro module
1st text module
Visual Call to Action (most important thing module)
Poll module
So let’s get started with the next module.
The second Text Module:
The second text module of my product lenses I use for reviews. I like to start out with talking to people about how important it is to find out what other people who have actually USED the product think about it, and whether it’s worth purchasing or not.
To get reviews I grab them from Amazon ~ there are other sites you can use for reviews as well, check and see what comes up if you google your “product name review”. I usually use 3 reviews. I try to grab them off the last page of the 5 star reviews. (that’s why it’s nice to have a product with a LOT of reviews).
I like to make them stand out so I put a colored box around them. There are quite a few ways to do this, but my favorite way is outlined on this great advanced html lens at squidoo. Now don’t let the word advanced freak you out~~ Just scroll down and you’ll see the boxes. The code is just below them. Copy the code and paste it into your text module. Then go grab your review. In the code you’ll see “your text here” just replace those words with your review.
cool tip: Go to the 5 star page for your product on Amazon. You can get there by clicking the 5 stars in the review area of the page. Create a link for that page with your affiliate link embedded (just click the link to this page button at the top of the page, and you need to be an associate to do this trick). Once you have the link to the review page link to it below your reviews. For more product name reviews click here ~ or something like that. Once they hit amazon they are cookied to you. 
Make sure you upload another image of your product into the text module. You can pull this image from your computer, so all you had to do was click an image and save as to your computer.
YouTube Module:
Video is huge these days. If you can find a video of someone reviewing or using your product that is GREAT and you should use it on your lens. There is now a video and a Youtube module in Squidoo ~ I continue to use the youtube module ~ creature of habit.
To begin click the edit button next to the module. You want to fill in your title and a short description.
Make sure you add a text link to the product in your description. This is especially important because you will probably find the video has a url in it. You can (and this is kind of sneaky) use the url in the video as the text of your link. So instead of using your product keyword you can say something like stop by the url mentioned in the video for more information. Then link them to your product at amazon where the url is. So don’t really worry about the fact there is a url mentioned in the video. It is much easier to click on a clickable link than to go to another window or type in another url. If you provide the clickable link they will use it.
3 tips for the youtube module:
1. Always choose your own video
2. Always show the full size video
3. Use the “help me find a video” link at the bottom to find your video at youtube. Once you click that a new box window will open. You can put in your product/keyword and look at the videos to see if they are good. Once you find one you just need to click add to lens under the video you want.
Once you click the add this video button it will automatically show up in your lens. Now check the video description on youtube. If they have their url in the description and are really trying to pull people to their site you don’t want THAT on your lens. You can take it out by clicking on the display options button at the top of the module.
Once you’re in display options just click or unclick the things you don’t want to show up. If the green mark is there they will show up in your lens. Then hit save. You’re video will now show up in your lens.
IF for some resaon you find the display things show up even though you’ve unclicked them, go back and redo it. For some reason this part of the module is somewhat finicky and it can take a couple times to make it “stick” ?? I don’t know why, it just is.
Ok we’re almost done with our lens. There’s only a couple more modules to go. Go get your reviews and video up on your lens and then come back to finish it up.
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Jackie,
First of all, thank you so much for all of this help.
I’m still stuck on adding the additional 5 star reviews. I have an associates account but not sure what link I should provide or the code that I would use. Can you explain more on that? Thanks.
Have a super day
Jolene
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Yeah sure.
You just go to the five star review page. In the top grey stripe across the top just click the “link to this page” button. You only want to grab the actual url ~ like I showed in the creating a visual call to action video. Then you just use the same html you would use to create a text link. You just will link to the review page instead of the product page. Here’s a picture of what it looks like in code on the Ironman lens: http://screencast.com/t/uYK3FErlLGYo
HTH if not, ask more questions.
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Jackie,
Could you post the actual code used in the “The Most Important…”
I’m ok until there. When I add my code after following your video, all I’m getting is the Amazon Logo.
Bob
@Bob The code is actually posted in the link in the comment above yours.
As well as in the image of the module in this post.
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How is Squidoo working for you? Are you getting traffic to your lens?
the advanced html lens is under construction at this very minute, seems http://www.squidoo.com/css-background is another good one to learn from. you can use http://ckeditor.com/demo for a good free editor.
I had no problem getting to the advanced html lens just a second ago??
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It’s back up? : )
Hey Jackie and others,
I’ve been using the Big Picture with Text Module for the reviews. Everything Jackie talks about concerning putting in reviews works well in this Module.
Only difference is the picture is bigger and stands out more! (IMHO)
Thanks Jackie for all your help!
Frank
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Great idea Frank ~ that looks really good. I AM a creature of habit and squidoo adds module so often I sometimes miss good ones!! Thanks for sharing!
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Cool, Frank! Jackie, I click the link up above and keeps telling me kirkpaulrichard is still working on it (under construction)…but you are really talking about http://www.squidoo.com/advancedhtml by N376?
Yes, it is that one ~ and that’s the link that is above, and the one it takes me to when I click it.
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I know, I see it down in the bottom left…my new laptop works funny with anything other then internet explorer for my browser is what i’m starting to lean toward, lol. but i’ll be you know what if I’m going to use IE, lol.
Good Morning Jackie!
Just wondering what method you recommend to link your SCC Lenses together? I’ve seen people use different ways.
Blessings,
Frank
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Hi Jackie
I guess we are all getting addicted to Squidoo!
My question is, do you just copy/paste the review into the colored box?
Thanks again for all the info!
@Frank: I don’t necessarily link them all together ~ because the products can be so varied ~ I usually just use my RSS feed from the blog ~ you could use the featured lens module though if you have done lenses on other products you think would be of interest and are similar to the lens you are working on.
@Sue: from this post: “To get reviews I grab them from Amazon ~ there are other sites you can use for reviews as well, check and see what comes up if you google your “product name review”.”
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Hi Jackie,
Just found out the mix up on the advancehtml link no one can get on….
your paragragh has “advancehtml” as the hyperlink to “advancedhtml”
It should be “advancedhtml” and that will get you where you are going.
HTH,
have a great day building lenses, everyone!!!
Thank Sue ~ that’s been corrected ~ I thought they were clicking the link in the comment ~ which was working for me which is why I probably didn’t figure it out. Thanks for the heads up.
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Hi Jackie,
Concerning the choice of reviews you put on the lens, you say that you pick 3 of these from the last page of the 5 star reviews. Would you recommend against including reviews with lower ratings (even 1 star)? In my mind, readers would trust you more, if you show that you don’t hesitate to include negative reviews as well.
I’d love to hear what you have to say about this.
@Nicos You don’t show the star rating on your lens ~ so they won’t know if it’s a 5 star or not. I don’t pick something with a 1 rating, but I do usually try to find a review that mentions a small problem they had with the product.
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Jackie,
For you cool tip about adding the Amazon review, can you explain that one in a little further detail please? I tried following what was written on this post and I’m missing something somewhere. Thanks.
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Hi Jolene,
Did you read through the comments? I’ve tried to explain it a little further in a few of the comments. If you have a specific place you’re getting stuck let me know and I’ll try to get you through it.
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Sorry Jackie, I missed the original post to my question. I’ve got it now. Thank you so much. Have a great day.
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Hi Jackie, I have another quick question about the reviews that you include in your lens. If you just copy and paste them into your lens, would that by any chance trip the google “duplicate content” flag, hurting possibly my lens google ranking? Thanks!
Duplicate content is not really as big a deal as people make it out to be, and you’ve got all this other content that is completely different than the other page it was on. Don’t worry about it.
Jackie
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