Will My Traffic Be Lost to the Ever Evolving Squidoo

My 3-year anniversary is coming up on Squidoo, I joined on July 4, 2008. This is an easy date to remember, since Americans celebrate Independence Day on that particular day in July.

Squidoo has evolved more than any social network that I know.

When I first joined, Squidoo had groups. It took me about a year to discover this. I joined every group that I could, hopping to bring more traffic to my lenses (articles). I even listed these groups on my lenses for backlinking. Those groups have dissolved since then.

Moving modules on Squidoo was a little difficult to do. A vast improvement has been made since that time.

Many other changes that I liked and didn't like. One of the latest, which we have now been given a little more time to fix is the page breaks. I believe firmly in the KILL system. Keep It Long and Lengthy. I found these page breaks very helpful to some of my lenses.

I have fixed a number of my lenses on the page break thing. This one took me more than week to finish and I wanted to publish my new lenses all at the same time.

Why?

Because they all tied into one another with my Internet Addiction lens, which I broke down to 5 additional lenses. Theses are the lenses plus the new and improved Internet Addiction lens. Please, please visit and add to the plexos.

Are You an Internet Addict?
Blogging and RSS Addiction
Addiction of Facebook and Other Social Networking
Websites and Internet Addiction
Shopping Online Addiction
YouTube Addiction

Now I am wondering if all this work is worth it. Hardly anyone so far has been to these new lenses. The Squidteam has made it harder yet to get traffic. Custom bios, fan club and Squidcast were taken away a few days ago.

What is a Squidooer to do?




Note: At the moment this lens still has page breaks on it. I still don't know what to do with it. Sandyspider on Squidoo.

Squidoo Will Get Rid of the Page Break Module

Getting an email yesterday for Giant Squids, it broke my heart and turned it blue. Why is it that every time I like something it is taken away?

More than a year ago, Squidoo introduced the Page Break module for the Giant Squids to try out. Since I am one of those lensmasters who tend to write very long lenses, this was ideal. I started with my ever-growing lensography and broke it down into pages. Since then I have done a number of lenses with page breaks. My latest one with my Squid Angel of Zazzle lens, with the idea for this one to have the main information of being a Squid Angel and what I would be looking for. Then the following pages would be those who I blessed for certain months.

Now Squidoo is doing away with the Page Break module. In the information given, we have a week to change our lenses or create new lenses. That really doesn't give much time.

The Squid team stated that nothing would be lost on these lenses. The page breaks would be turned into text modules. Of course, where I have throughout links to the other pages won't make any sense and will have to be taken out.

Last night I decided to start making new lenses, starting with the one I thought would be the easiest. My Squid Angel of Zazzle has two additional page breaks for the months of Feb./March and April/May. I created a new lens for Feb. and March blessings. If it was going as easy as transferring the information from one lens to another, that would be great. However, it is not, modules need to be recreated, though the information can be copied into those modules. After two wasted hours with my new lens and foreseeing many more hours of work involved, I deleted the new lens.

I think I will just let them be for now and fix them or break them off into other lenses if need be down the road. It is not like these lenses are getting heavy traffic as is anyway.

These are some of the lenses. With over 260 lenses, if is hard to find all of them. Read them before they are changed. Give me suggestions on how to break these up into smaller lenses too.

nternet addiction disorder (IAD) is excessive computer use that interferes with daily life. It becomes a compulsive behavior that completely dominates the addict's life. Internet addicts make the Internet a priority more important than family, relationships, health and work. Just like gambling, excessive gaming, a growing sexual addiction or compulsive shopping. Read more, take the test and add to the plexos at: Are You an Internet Addict?

The print on demand shop, Zazzle has been an addiction for me since 2009. Living in the snow belt of Wisconsin where the weather can be harsh, can warp the mind! That is why my designs look a little twisted. I started my Zazzle site when we were having a record-breaking snowfall for the winter of 2008-2009. I envisioned this snowflake with a wicked face. It is how I felt about the weather. Read more on the product lines in this article of Sandyspider Gifts Zazzle Showcase

Have you seen a spider crawling around? Perhaps a creature that is a little unusual, offbeat or twisted. How about one with a gray body and a human face? If so, then you have seen a sandyspider; a strange but virtuous spider. She will not tangle you up in her web of deception. Nor spin you around and around with strands of her fine threaded silk. Even if it is only to help feed her little ones. No! There is no reason to be afraid. This spider won't even bite...MUCH! See most on my lenses featured here on the worlds longest article. Sandyspider on Squidoo

Blessed by many angels since being part of this wonderful Squidoo community back in July 4, 2008 and I have often thought what it would be like to be a Squid Angel. The confirmation came on Feb, 12, 2011. Now I am ideally an Angel for: the neighborhood of Internet > Ecommerce Tips > Zazzle Sellers and Tips.

If you have Zazzle lenses that really didn't have a place to fit, now you do. See the lenses for the months of Feb., March, April and May that have been blessed. Also read what it takes for me to find your Zazzle lens. Squid Angel of Zazzle

If you have stumbled on here and don't know what Squidoo is, it is a Social Network where you can write about almost anything and get paid royalty. It is free to join and extremely addictive. Don't take my word for it!
Join Squidoo here!


Squidoo books to help you get started:

Seek and You Shall Find Seekyt

Seekyt is a backlinking, revenue sharing, social network site. It is (I believe) less than a year old and is already doing well in Google search engines.

The article editor is rather plain and you will not find all the widgets that other social networks have. But it is a growing site with friendly members and admin. As long as you can wite a quality article with at least 400 original words and no spam, this is the place for you.

I find that it is easiest to write out my article with photos on word first then add it to the editor. I explain how to do this in one of my articles. Once you get the hang of it, you can produce some attractive looking articles.

Seekyt offers Adsense (70%) and Amazon sharing revenue. I still have not been able to get many followers yet, but I am sure that will come in time. Moreover, you are not writing for the members of the site that you are on. You are writing for a much larger audience on the internet.

Unfortunately, you have to be a member to leave a comment. After corresponding with admin, he did have it opened for everyone at one time. But a lot of spam came in. This is something that he is working on.

Here is a list of articles that I have on Seekyt. You can join off any of these article links too.
Sunshine Cheesecake
History of the Easter Bunny and Gifts
Design Your Own Keds Shoes on Zazzle
How I Add Screenshots and Photo Images on Seekyt
Picture Collage Maker Pro Review

Squidoo Clean up Month and New Lenses

March is clean up week on Squidoo. The Squid Team is encouraging everyone to go through their older, lower ranked lenses and clean them up to what they have learned on how to write better lenses.

Plus, just like another social network that I know of, the Squid Team will be on the look out a little more so for spam take and substandard lenses. I believe my lenses are safe. But I have to admit that out of my 250 plus lenses, more than half of these can be fixed up or broken up into smaller lenses. I tend to overdo and overkill, not knowing when to stop. This even applies to my latest lenses. Well, some dogs are hard to train!

I have cleaned up several lenses, but these below had major overhauls and probably took more time to clean up then it was to write the first time around. In addition, the last two are new lenses, which I also cleaned up. You will see some long lenses here. I am not good at using the KISS System.

All comments, bookmarking, sharing and giving thumbs up are welcome on these lenses. One of my goals this year is to get a LOTD. Only you can make this happen. (Note: If you are not a Squidoo member, you can still comment and give a thumbs up.)

Gifts for All Occasions
The print on demand shop, Zazzle has been an addiction for me since 2009. Living in the snow belt of Wisconsin where the weather can be harsh, can warp the mind! That is why my designs look a little twisted. I started my Zazzle site when we were having a record-breaking snowfall for the winter of 2008-2009. I envisioned this snowflake with a wicked face. It is how I felt about the weather. Read more and find some great custom gifts on Sandyspider Gifts Zazzle Showcase

What is Internet Addiction Disorder?
Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is excessive computer use that interferes with daily life. It becomes a compulsive behavior that completely dominates the addict's life. Internet addicts make the Internet a priority more important than family, relationships, health and work. Just like gambling, excessive gaming, a growing sexual addiction or compulsive shopping. Read more, take the addiction test and add your links to this page on
Are You an Internet Addict?

Chocolate Gift Ideas
This is a collection of my Chocoholics Unite! product line on Zazzle and Sandy Mertens on Amazon. Additonal chocolate on Zazzle is found in Chocolate with Sandyspider. Anyone who appreciates the taste of this luxurious treat, will enjoy seeing these creamy, rich, mouth watering products. But be careful! The major side effect of viewing this Zazzle shop is weight gain. Share some love and give the gift of chocolate found in this article Chocoholics Unite Gallery of Gifts

These are the two newer lenses but have already been cleaned up since first published.

Bi-Winning, Rock Star and Tiger Blood Apparel
The online print on demand world of Zazzle and CafePress has gone wild with Charlie Sheen inspired quotes. Amazon and other shopping sites have gotten in on the bandwagon. He was fired from "Two and a Half Men". It is sad to say goodbye to this show that first aired in 2002. Nevertheless, no one can take Sheen's place. See some wild Charlie Sheen t-shirts from his own quotes and some of mine on Inspired Charlie Sheen T-Shirts

For the Love of Green
Green is a nice tranquil color, but reference to green does not always mean the color green. When we think of green, we see money, emeralds, living green, hippies, using recyclable bags, St Patrick's Day, green beer, green animals and feeling at peace. See all the green products on
Green Gifts and Articles

If you are a Squidoo Member,these and any of my other lenses can be nominated by you for a Purple Star and LOTD. If you are not a member you are still welcome to add you comment in the guestbook and give it a like up. Squidoo is free, fun and a wonderful place to write. If interested you can
Join Here!

Smells Like HubPages

I published this article on Qondio on March 16, 2011. After fixing 24 of my hubs in order for them to not be deleted by the editors according to the new rules for articles. The warning was that there were to many Amazon products on these hubs. The new rule is one Amazon or eBay product per 50 words. As in the brag as much as you want with your Zazzle products on Squidoo, the Amazon and eBay products seemed unlimited on HubPages. Well this is not the case any more! These are all fixed (took all day), except one which is a recipe hub and will be a new recipe lens on Squidoo soon. You can leave a comment and rate this on Qondio Here!

Bellow is the article I published.

Smells Like HubPages

By Sandy Mertens

New rules on Hubpages have made me love Squidoo even more!
Having never really understood HubPages and their point system, I have asked for help with some of the masters there. I followed their advice with getting more involved with the forums, groups, contest, commenting voting up hubs, keywords, adding more content, staying active on HubPages and promoting as much as I can. My score remains in the low 80s.

For a very short time, my hubscore was in the low 90s. If your score is not 100 or near that, no one will find you from the main page.

I can't help but feel that HubPages is a good old boys club, if you are not in it, too bad for you.

I know people with a few hubs and a high score on their main page. These people are not as active on HubPages either.

Scoring does not mean you don't have well written content. I have seen many hubs from popular hubbers with near perfect scores that were short and substandard. Yet the score on their hub was high. Now I am not trying to take apart any particular hubber. There are many talented writers there. However, the scoring does not add up. I have been following one hubber who happens to be a doctor. She writes about all different medical problems in terms a layperson can understand. Her hubs are always well written and informative. At the time that I am writing this, her score is 1. That is right! A single digest number score. Maybe she hasn't participated as much as I have or added as many pretty pictures in her hub. But does she deserve a 1 in her main profile page?

New rules added to HubPages will make it harder to enjoy this social network site.

1. All duplicate content hubs will be eliminated from their site. Fair enough, I believe in originality and not duplicate content. Out of my 80 hubs, one is label duplicate. It is a recipe hub. The article links the editors sent me where not even close to my recipe. There were similarities, but all recipes will have this. I love this recipe and I am sure the people on Squidoo will too!

2. There is now a limit to how many Amazon and eBay products that one can have listed in your hubs. These also reflex on the word content verses products in your hub. Nothing wrong with that unless your article is about those products and Squidoo recently enforced a limit to Amazon and eBay products as well. But Squidoo is more flexible if your main purpose is to have a product lens. In fact, selling Amazon products is encouraged.

I have many gift hubs that now have this warning. If I don't fix it by March 25, 2011, these hubs of mine may not be in existence.

Not a new change but something you should know, HubPages only allowed two links to an outside site, unless you were able to RSS it. While Squidoo, it is nine. If you are a Zazzler it is hard to promote your shop on HubPages. On Squidoo the link limit does not apply to Zazzle products. You can promote and brag away.

It looks like a lot of overhauling on HubPages or moving my hubs to friendlier places.

Here are some Kindle and paperback books on Hubpages, Squidoo and social networking.

Inspired Charlie Sheen T-Shirts and RocketMom

These are my two latest articles on Squidoo. The first one is my latest on funny t-shirts from one funny actor who may be having a meltdown.

The online print on demand world of Zazzle and CafePress has gone wild with Charlie Sheen inspired quotes. Amazon and other shopping sites have gotten in on the bandwagon. He was fired Two and a Half Men. It is sad to say goodbye to this show that first aired in 2002. Nevertheless, no one can take Sheen's place. See the funny t-shirts inspired by Sheen on Inspired Charlie Sheen T-Shirts.

Second article is a compilation lens about the articles written for for Session 12 of RocketMoms. This is also a main lens that will used for future lensographies of my RocketMom lens.

The first time I saw a RocketMoms lens was from lensmaster OhMe. How did she get that? It looked so different and unique than all the other type of lens templates.

Through her, I discovered RocketMoms and joined with the Second Session. Since then I have participated in all sessions except a couple during the summer of 2010. Read more about this on RocketMom Sandyspider.

New Squid Angel of Zazzle

On Feb. 12, 2011 I became a Squid Angel. My neighborhood being in Internet > Ecommerce Tips > Zazzle Sellers and Tips.

I am one busy person and taking on such a task confirms the fact that I am crazy after all. However, I decided to take on as many as I can each day. Not every single lens with Zazzle has to have me visit it all in one day. For anyone who knows me, this is a hard challenge for myself to not overdo. I tend to go full force online.

Flying around on Squidoo, I have seen many fantastic Zazzle lenses still in a different topic category than the above mention topics. This is new with the topic and subtopic that recently has been added. I am thinking that not too many people are aware of it yet or feel their lens is better suited elsewhere.

I have blessed many so far in the Zazzle Seller and Tips area for subtopics, however when I see a great Zazzle Tip lens or Zazzle lens elsewhere, this Angel will be there to bless the lens. I have even few outside of my neighborhood for a blessing here and there.

As I take it, this neighborhood that I am blessing is Zazzle lenses and Zazzle tip lenses. So for everyone who is reading this, please check to see if your lens is a good fit and make the changes in your lens setting. This way, I can find you.

You never know when a "Squid Angel of Zazzle" will be hovering over your masterpiece lens.

My Angel lens has been divided into page breaks. The second page shows the lenses that I have blessed for the months of Feb. and March. Right now, the lenses are shown as featured lenses, but I will probably have a combination of both (featured lenses and plexos) in order for the page not to get too long.

Zazzle and Squidoo go hand in hand. The best site to brag endlessly about your Zazzle. Join Squidoo for free and start bragging today.

Read more about this on Squid Angel of Zazzle

(Note: If you would like to be a guest writer for any of my blogs, send me a message.)

Rid the Clutter from My Life

Getting rid of the clutter in my life is one of my New Years resolution goals. I am a pack rat. It is hard to separate the junk from what I should keep. The same goes for my online work.

November 2007 I started my first blog called Embrace the Hill. Then I bought my first Domain with the same name. Not really sure where I was going with it. Did I like the name?

Who knows what my mind was thinking. The blog is now about getting older and the funny side of it. The name has been changed a bit along with the URL. You can find it by clicking on the spider lady found here where it states about me or above.

The Domain with the same name sat for nearly a year before I figured out what to do with it. 2008 was an election year. Many of us have become dissatisfied with the government. All in fun, I created an alternate party called the Canine National Party. So now, the website has gone to the dogs with Buddy and Ringo.

Neither blog nor website has gotten much traffic. I haven't worked on either of them for the longest time. Should I get rid of these and are they cluttering up my life?

This same holds true for all my blogs, websites, and social activity. This blog is a collage of clutter.

Needing to have a blog for all my writing and social activity, but do I need another blog? I could change the name on this one, but then I would change the URL and change it all over the internet. Life of a pack rat produces a whole load of clutter droppings.

Below are my latest ten articles on Squidoo, including two goal setting lenses. Click on the links to read about unique gifts, goals for 2010 and the Green Bay Packers.
Things Coaster Would Say
Things a Keychain Would Say
Setting Goals with Color
Acheiveing My Goals with Color Therapy
http://www.squidoo.com/vintage-valentine-ladies-cherub-desk-clocks
Unique Valentine Desk Clocks
Unique Valentine Tile Pen Holders
2010 NFC Champions Green Bay Packers Collectibles
Things a T-shirt Would Say
Things a Shoe Would Say

RocketMom Session 3 Graduate

Oct. 12, 2009 is the RocketMoms graduation day for Session 3. Unfortunately I missed out on Session 1, but was lucky enough to be invited for Session 2. RocketMoms is a social network club from Squidoo. This club has the smartest, brightest and most creative women. I am proud to be part of it.

Rocketmoms is an invite-only club. To qualify you have to be a mother, step-mother or grandma and a Squidoo lensmaster.

Each session contains several weeks of intense lessons. They have us grow into better writers, lensmasters and learn how to make money online.

When I agreed to continue on with Session 3, I decided to be a part-timer. But since I don't really do anything part-time, I finished all 8 of the assignments. Working with the RocketMoms has helped me achieve my Giant 100 Club statics.

Session 4 will begin Oct. 26, 2009 on how to make money on our Holiday lenses. I can't wait.

Squdoo Badges and What They Mean

My badges so far:

In July 2009 I became a Giant Squid. Along with being a Giant Squid and beyond comes the stars. Squidoo lens Squidbadges explains this badge and stars as follows:

"Giant" badge: Giant Squids are distinguished by their exceptional skill for making top-notch lenses, and lots of them. Whenever you land on a Giant Squid's lens, you know the person behind it is passionate about the topic and is hard at work making the lens worthy of your time and attention. Giant Squids have 50 or more really great lenses, and they get quite a few perks for all their hard work. This is just one. Learn more about what it takes to be a Giant.

Gold stars: This shows that a particular page is a certified gold star lens, which means it's the best of its kind on Squidoo (or shows some serious potential for getting there.) When your lens gets a gold star, it also automatically gets a little LensRank boost. Not bad. For now, only Giant Squids can get gold stars on their lenses. But turn that frown upside down: All lensmasters are welcome to join the Giant Squid challenge and earn their way in!

Purple stars: They're heeeere. Bow down to the purple star. Only a few purple stars are given out each week, to exceptional NEW lenses created by Giant Squids. Read all the goods and news about purple stars.

To my surprise...my recipe lens Garden Fresh Tomato Recipes earned a purple star.

I wonder if my first recipe lens Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup would of taken a purple star if I had been a Giant Squid at the time that it was published. It is a recipe that I have had created from my head and finally written it down. We also created a video on how to make the soup. I think it is worth a LOTD.

The last three badges are as follows:

December 2008, I won 3rd place in the "Home for the Holidays Contest" with Christmas Tree History and More.

June 2009, I wrote my 50th lens with My Dog Turned 50.

June 5, 2009, I took on the Rocket Mom challenge. Eight week course to work among the smartest women on the web, working together to make Squidoo lenses.