Increasing Traffic on Squidoo: Keyword Competition

Most people who have experienced any sort of traffic success on their Squidoo lenses have done so by using at least a little bit of keyword research. There’s simply too much going on in the Internet to stumble on the perfect keyword phrase very often.

I personally like to use the Google Adwords Keyword Tool to perform my keyword research. You simply type in your keyword phrase, and the tool returns the number of people who are searching for that term on a monthly basis, along with a bunch of similar search terms and their respective search volumes. If you sign in to your Google account, you can view up to 800 generated keyword phrases; otherwise, the limit is 100.

Each person has his or her own criteria for how many searches he or she wants to find for a given phrase. Some people are fine with 80 views per month; some prefer to find phrases with 8000. It all depends on what your specific goals for the lens in question are.

This part is easy enough for me. It’s finding the competition on a specific keyword phrase that can get a little tricky. After all, if there are already a ton of websites optimized for your keyword phrase, you’re not likely to make it through to the coveted top ten search engine results. Think about it like food stands at a fair. There are four stands in a row, two of which are serving things you like to eat (funnel cakes and fried candy bars, for example) and tow of which are serving things you don’t like to eat (wilted lettuce and mayonnaise, for example). One of the stands serving foods you don’t like has a super-long line waiting to be served, and the other only has a few people waiting to be served, but it doesn’t really matter, because you don’t want to eat at either of them anyway. So let’s look at the other stands.

The funnel cake stand has a long line of patrons waiting to be served. They are unruly and restless, and the cook is serving slowly. You might not ever get to the front of the line. On the other hand, the fried candy bar stand only has a few patrons, and they look like they aren’t all that interested in the food. You’ll be at the front of the line in no time. Obviously, you’re going to choose that stand.

The point of all this is you want to choose a desirable keyword phrase that not many people have optimized for if you want your site to move up the search engine rankings quickly. This can get tricky, because you need to be intuitive. You can’t just use a bunch of generated numbers.

My favorite trick is to simply search for my desired term in Google. You can learn a lot based on the results you see there. If there are a bunch of well-respected websites at the top of the list (IGN and Gamestop for a gaming topic, for example), and they use the exact words you’re searching for, then you probably won’t have a ton of luck. If there is already a user-generated site (like Squidoo or Hubpages) on the front page of the search results, that’s a good sign. If you can optimize as well as or better than that site, you should do well.

Here’s a real life example: a few days ago, I published the lens Best Kinect Fighting Games. As you can see from this search, it’s already at the top of the Google results. You’ll see that the other items on the list mostly don’t use the search phrase, and that they mostly aren’t highly popular sites.

Hope this helps you to drive traffic to your Squidoo lenses! And if you’re looking for more tips, check out Tips to Increase Your Traffic on Squidoo.

Finding the Best Kinect Games

I’ve been playing with the new Kinect controller for the Xbox 360 lately, and I’ve got to wondering which are the best Kinect games that are currently available.

Of course, I’ve got my own opinions on which games are the best. Dance Central is a huge personal favorite. I love the music that’s included, and the first time I played I ended up with sore muscles because I just didn’t want to stop. Kinect Sports is also a lot of fun, especially when you’re playing against other people. What can I say? I’ve got a competitive streak.

I’ve also decided to ask around to find out what other people think are the best games. One site that I’ve created, Vote For The Best Kinect Games, answers the question of finding the best overall games for the Kinect by polling the public. If you’re interested in games that are specifically geared towards fighting, you can check out Best Kinect Fighting Games. There’s a poll there, too, so you can base your game-purchasing decisions on the opinions of others. After all, Xbox games are expensive, and if you’re going to make a purchase you want to make sure beforehand that you’ll be happy with it.

Still wondering if the Kinect is right for you? The short answer is, yes! Even if you have to go out and buy an Xbox so that you can have one. It’s that good. For the long answer, check out Should I Get a Kinect?

Homemade Rock Star Costumes

If you like to make your own costumes, a homemade rock star costume can be an easy and inexpensive way to dress up for Halloween or other special occasion.

A while ago, I wrote about making Viking costumes. Viking costumes are great, but they can involve a lot more time, effort, and materials than rock star costumes. It took me hours of work over several days (with people helping) to make four rock star costumes; the rock star costume was made last-minute a couple of hours before I left to celebrate Halloween.

Rock star costumes are great because you can usually make them using items you already own. For example, you likely already own a pair of tight jeans. (Even better if you own tight leather pants, but that’s a little rare nowadays!) And if you don’t own a shirt that’s quite rock star-y enough, you can easily find one at your local thrift store.

What really makes the rock star look is the hair, the makeup, and the accessories. Hair should be frizzed, fluffed, spiked, or gelled. The more product, the better. Don’t forget to finish off with a generous dose of hair spray! Just stay away from open flames. When applying makeup, put on what you’d normally wear, then double it. Temporary tattoos are a great addition to a rock star costume, and drum sticks or a toy microphone are just what you need to finish off the look.

For more information on rock star costumes, check out Homemade Rock Star Costume Ideas.

The Best Easy Egg Recipes

Eggs Ready To Cook

There are few things that I use more often than easy egg recipes. Eggs are easy to store, easy to cook with, versatile, tasty, and full of proteins and fats that keep your body fueled for a long time. And, if you’re worried about how eggs might affect heart disease, Harvard Health Publications states that a recent study showed no link between heart disease and eating eggs (source).

Recipes below!

Hard-Boiled Eggs Greek Style Recipe
Ingredients:

• Eggs (two per person)
• Water
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Ground sea salt
• Pepper
• Feta (optional)
• Kalamata olives (optional)

Directions:

1. Place desired number of whole eggs gently into a pot. Add water to cover.
2. Place on the stove, and set the burner to medium-high heat. Once the water boils, set the timer for ten minutes.
3. When the time is up, remove pot from burner and empty the water. Add cold water to cool eggs.
4. Peel eggs, place on plate, and cut each egg in half.
5. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Serve with feta cheese and Kalamata olives, if desired.

Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables Recipe

Ingredients:

• Mixed vegetables, such as kale, onions, bell peppers, and garlic
• Butter or olive oil
• Eggs (two per person)
• Milk
• Ground sea salt
• Pepper

Directions

1. Place pan on burner and set to medium-low heat. Add butter or olive oil to pan.
2. When oil is hot, add mixed vegetables and saute for a few minutes.
3. While vegetables are sauteing, whisk eggs, a splash of milk, salt, and pepper together in a bowl.
4. When vegetables are ready, add egg mixture and cook until eggs are done.
5. Remove from heat and serve.

For more easy egg recipes, check out Basic, this Basic, Easy Frittata Recipe and this Simple, Basic Omelette Recipe.

Use Guinness Gear For Your Decor

Lovely day for a Guinness, wouldn’t you say?

At least, the marketing department thought so in 1936 when they commissioned John Gilroy to create advertisements such as the iconic toucan with a glass of Guinness balanced on its nose standing on top of a weather vane!

John Gilroy created a number of memorable advertising posters featuring lions, birds, and seals and catchy slogans such as “Guinness Is Good For You!” throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s. The beer may be an acquired taste, but appreciation for the classic art in these posters is pretty much universal.

Luckily, it’s easy to buy reproductions of vintage Guinness poster advertisements and vintage Guinness tin signs. Whether you’re interested in decorating your very own in-house bar room, man cave, or pub, or you just want to add that little bit of Guinness flair to any old room in your house, you’re sure to find Guinness posters and tin signs that fit your tastes.

To learn more about decorating with Guinness gear, check out Vintage Guinness Posters and Guinness Tin Signs.

I Love Fantasy Author Tamora Pierce!

Tamora Pierce, fantasy author or such books as the Alanna series and Wild Magic, is one of my favorite authors of all time. I first fell in love with her when I was about ten years old. I found her books in the library, and I’ve never looked back since! Even better, I was lucky enough to meet her a few years back. That was an experience that I’ll never forget.

Tamora’s books are great for children, but they also have a high degree of re-readability for adults, especially some of the later, more complex ones. Tamora’s newest series, The Legend of Beka Cooper, is one of her best series yet. It’s set in the same Tortall universe as many of her other series (such as Protector of the Small and the Immortals), but has a somewhat darker tone, and deals with the kinds of serious issues that come up when a woman is the equivalent of a police officer in the roughest neighborhood of Corus, the capital city of Tortall.

If you love magic, adventure, swordfights, and especially books that empower female characters, then Tamora Pierce’s books are for you!

Cooking With Neeps

The first trick to cooking with neeps is figuring out what they are!

“Neep” is a generic Scottish term for a variety of different root vegetables, including rutabagas, turnips, and parsnips. Now, when it comes to root vegetables, most people don’t get much farther than regular, old potatoes and onions. You’re missing out if you don’t try out some of these beauties!

Basics of Cooking with Neeps. Cooking with neeps is fairly straightforward. Pretty much anything you can do with a potato – frying, roasting, mashing – you can do with a neep. The hardest part is preparing these root vegetables, because they tend to be very hard. When cutting them, make sure to be extra careful. You don’t want the knife to slip and potentially cause injuries!

The hardness of the vegetables is good for keeping them around for a while before using them, but it does also affect cooking times. Expect neeps to take a little longer in the oven or boiling on the stove than potatoes.

Neeps are pretty much always peeled before cooking.

Neeps Flavors and Textures. Another great thing about neeps is the variety of flavor options they provide. Turnips and rutabagas are fairly similar, except rutabagas tend to have a more yellowish flesh, are larger, and slightly sweeter. Parsnips look somewhat like whitish carrots, and have a fairly sweet flavor, especially after being roasted. Note that they may be a little more fibrous than the other two types of neeps. Try out each one individually to see which taste you prefer.

Storing Neeps. Ideally, you’d have a root cellar to store neeps almost indefinitely at the perfect temperature. Neeps can be kept at a cooler temperature than potatoes, so the second best option is to keep them in the refrigerator.

For recipes, check out Neeps Recipes: Parsnips, Rutabagas, and Turnips.

Homemade Viking Costumes

Homemade Viking Costumes

I love to make costumes, and my homemade viking costumes were some of the best I’ve ever made.

I think that I first got the idea of making homemade viking costumes from looking at an old, stained leather jacket in my closet. I knew that I couldn’t wear it as clothing any more, so I thought, Why not turn it into a costume? I cut off the sleeves, and that was the birth of my viking costume.

Of course, to make the costume truly epic, I had to make matching ones for my boyfriend, my sister, and her boyfriend. I purchased used leather and faux-fur jackets from the local thrift store, bought some brown fleece blankets that I turned into ponchos for the guys to go under their vests, picked up a couple of swords and axes from the local Halloween store, and voila! A horde of vikings was ready to pillage and plunder.

I did use a sewing machine to make arm and leg cuffs out of faux-fur from the local craft store, but if you don’t have access to a sewing machine, hot glue or hand-sewing will work just as well.

For more information, check out How To Make a Viking Costume: Homemade Viking Costumes.

Giant Plushie Microbes Make Great Gifts

Giant Plushie Microbes

Ever since I first heard about giant plushie microbes, I thought that whoever came up with the idea for these delightful stuffed animals was a genius!

Most stuffed animals represent something that we’re used to seeing in the real world, albeit usually in an even fluffier and cuter form. Giant plushie microbes are stuffed animals (to use the term loosely) that can’t actually be seen in real life. That’s because real microbes are way too tiny!

I’m sure that the creators of these giant plushie microbes used a lot of creative license when deciding exactly what each stuffed disease should look like. For example, microbes don’t have eyes in real life, because they’re way too small. Still I’m willing to accept the slight tweaks because these things are just so darn cute!

I think that the plushie microbes are great to give and receive as gifts. When else are you going to be able to say to your friends and family members “I gave you ebola!” without making them freak out? In addition, I think these could make great learning toys for explaining to young kids what bacteria are. Although you might want to emphasize the fact that bacteria aren’t as cute and harmless in real life (we don’t want kids to stop bathing because they’re worried about washing away all the microbes!)

Read more about Giant Plushie Microbes here!

Using Books To Fill Gift Baskets

Making gift baskets with books is a great way to produce homemade gifts that don’t take a lot of time, money, or special skills.

Not all of us can knit (me) or crochet (also me), or do any of the myriad other things that make for good homemade gifts. And even if you can do those things, you don’t always have the time that it takes, or else you’ve realized that you need to give a gift and it’s too late to start a big project.

Enter the themed gift basket! Gift baskets are a great way to put a lot of personality into a gift without spending hours slaving over yarn choices and sewing patterns. The baskets themselves are fairly easy to procure, either at thrift stores, flea markets, or craft supply boutiques. And as for the fillings, you can get those just about anywhere.

The hardest part of giving a homemade gift basket is trying to think of what to fill it with. That’s where books come in! Simply choose the book you want to give as a gift, then pick items that fit in with the theme. For example, if you want to create a gift basket around a Winnie-The-Pooh book, you can add a fancy jar of honey, a plush Pooh bear, and a Heffalump or two. Let your imagination be your guide!

A gift basket is also a great way to dress up a book gift.

For more information, check out Gift Baskets With Books: Great Book-Themed Presents