Tips for Squidoo Lensmasters - Issue 8: The Squidoo Slap

What is the "Squidoo Slap"?

Recent reports have proliferated around the internet via forums and blog posts alleging that Google has given Squidoo a slap.

Speculation is rife as to the reason/s why, but the result is far fewer lenses being highly ranked for their respective keywords.

It's because of the spam. Apparently.

At one forum someone had made a post. They misinterpreted the entire situation. They said that Squidoo was getting slapped for spamming. My response to them was simple.

Squidoo didn't spam. Spammers spammed Squidoo.

Spammers have run rife, and have used the tools at their disposal to make pages which are of poor quality, regurgitating duplicate content, filled with affiliate links, and gone overboard with the keyword stuffing.

Squidoo Inc are doing what they can to rectify the situation. It's not as if they wanted spammers. They've always encouraged quality content from their lensmasters. They want real people with real experiences to make real pages that are quality.

The only way we'll be able to deal with spammers is to shoot them on sight. Figuratively speaking of course.

Squidoo is attractive to spammers. For all the same reasons it's attractive to myself, MrLewisSmile, thefluffanutta, Margaret Schaut, et al. It's easy to use, it's attractive, it works.

We will ALWAYS have a problem with spammers.

Hopefully a system can be implemented that will speed up the process to sieve out the chaff.

First of all we need to be committed to ridding the site of spam lenses. And knowing the distinction between what is spam and that that is merely just poor quality.

I believe the Featured/WIP status will improve the displayed quality of lenses and the ones that are poor quality will be swept under the carpet. They're not the offenders. They're not the problem. In time those people can learn the ins and outs of Squidoo and go from being merely a lensmaker to being a lensmaster.

It's the blatant spam ones from possibly only a small group of perpetrators that are tarnishing the reputation of many.

Spam will always be an ongoing concern. It will be something that is managed and dealt with on a case by case basis. The Squidoo Slap itself, in my opinion, is only temporary. It's a pothole in the information superhighway for Squidoo. It will sort itself out as we weed out the rubbish and the community of Lensmasters continue to contribute quality content that is both original and unique.

-Glen



Glen F is a respected Lensmaster aka N376 who also likes to hang out at Gather and Hubpages.
Want to know more about Squidoo? Then stop by Why Squidoo? as your first port of call.
Already a Lensmaster? Not sure what to do next? Read: I'm a Lensmaster! What now?
If you're a Squidoo Lensmaster you can join Gather now so you can subscribe to my Squidoo Tips (these tips are only available at Gather).