Making Live Links 101

Let’s step back and review some basics for making Squidoo lenses. A big question I get is how to make live links (or hyperlinks, or clickable links, to anchor text links, or HTML links, or words that click to a page, etc etc etc). No matter how you ask it – I’m about to answer it!

Links are the heart and soul of the internet. All web pages are interlinked SOMEHOW. Links are the secret to getting found, being in the index of search engines, and improving the search engine ranking of your Squidoo lens. Being able to create links on your web page that link to other pages, and creating links OFF your web page that link BACK to your page, is very, very important.

Making Squidoo Lenses – The Basics

This post is inspired by two things. First, as I fell asleep last night I was thinking that I might want to review more of the online marketing basic information. Every day there are more and more folks coming online to try and earn money. I think this is fantastic! Thing is, I think my blog may have some posts that skip the basics and go straight to assuming that readers already KNOW the basics. (tell me I am not the only one that has online business thoughts like this as they are falling asleep… please? lol)

The second thing, and a definite sign that I DO need to review internet marketing basics, is an email I received this morning. First a disclaimer – there are a TON of emails in my inbox that need my attention. Life here has been whack-o crazy and full of events and activities that are keeping me from the computer. Heck, my own SISTER resorted to using the contact me form on this very blog to try and get my attention! Now, THAT is sad! You know you are too busy when your own family has to use the contact form on your blog to get communication with you… ugh!

So, my apologies to those that are patiently waiting! And also, a nice ‘thank you’ to Sam. Sam sent me an email (also via the contact form…lol) that let me know that my thoughts last night were right on track with what my readers need. My readers – especially those new to PotPieGirl.com – need the basics.

Here is the great email from Sam –

Hello PotPieGirl, you do a great job, but for us newbie’s there’s one
problem. Meaning, that you assume we know enough to follow you. On some I can,
but much I can’t. For example I don’t know how to brainstorm keywords. I can’t
even figure out how to make a url link live in my articles in squidoo. Do
you have articles that slow down and explain exactly step by step how to do all
these little things most people know how to do? Your teaching is excellent, I
just need to know how to do some of the things in between, if you know what
I mean..
Thanks very much for setting a newbie straight.
Sam

Thanks, Sam! Great email! You confirmed what I was thinking.

How to Make Live Links on a Squidoo Lens

This question is asked often and in MANY different ways – How to make a link, How to make a clickable link, How to make a live link, How to make words a link on a web page, How to make hyperlinks, etc etc etc.

First, I will tell you, then I will give you a cool little free tool that will make the code to create live links.

For me to turn the word PotPieGirl into a link like this PotPieGirl on a Squidoo page, I would use this code:

<a href=”https://www.potpiegirl.com”>PotPieGirl</a>

Basically – <a href=”the webpage you want to link to”>The words you want ‘clickable'</a>

It took me FOREVER to remember this piece of code when I first started. I actually had the code written out and TAPED to my monitor so I could have it each time I needed it. This is no lie… it really just would NOT sink in to my memory.

Free Online Tool For Easy Hyperlinks

Wish this was around when I was starting, but this free tool will make your links for you. Simply type in the address you want to link to (target url), the words you want as the anchor text (display text, ie, the clickable words) and click ‘construct link’. This little tool will give you both the HTML code for your link that you can copy and paste on your Squidoo lens, and the BBcode (this type of code is usually used in forums). You need the HTML code for your Squidoo pages.

Try EasyHyperlinks.com

The extra nice thing about this tool is that it also adds a ‘title’ attribute to your HTML code. What this means is that the words in the code that are found in the title= place are words that will show when you, or your readers, hold their mouse over the link.

For example, if I use this HTML code:

<a href=”https://www.potpiegirl.com” title=”PotPieGirl is SO cool”>PotPieGirl</a>

It will say “PotPieGirl is SO cool” when you hold your mouse over the link like this:

PotPieGirl

Got it?