Have you been looking for a simple start-up guide on how to Squidoo in a few easy steps? Here’s a good blueprint for creating lenses that have the potential to help you position yourself as the go-to expert for your niche:

First, register for a free Squidoo account. This just requires you to enter your name and email address, and then pick a username and password before you agree to the terms of service for the site.

Then you’ll get to learn how to Squidoo by building your first lens! You can use the new Squidoo Quick Builder page to help you do this where you have one screen to register your new lens rather than four separate screens.

It’s located at squidoo.com/build/quick, where you’ll enter your lens title, choose a URL, pick a category, let others know how it should be rated (G, R, or X), and add a tag or more. A good tip on how to Squidoo properly is to not use Quickpick to choose some modules from this screen because then you have to go in and reorder them anyway, so save that step for later. Enter your captcha code and click the Done button!

Try to get the keyword(s) into your URL and the title and make sure your tags are all relevant to your niche topic. Because of Squidoo’s new nofollow rule on tag pages, you don’t need to enter all 40 tags now - just use as many as you want in your content and it will serve you better in your quest to rank high in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

The next step in learning how to Squidoo is to build the layout of your lens! Start by clicking on Add Modules at the top. Here are some important modules that work well on lenses (and remember that all modules will have a built in introduction Text module):

1. Text/Write - for all of the valuable content you plan on providing. You can hyperlink to your domain and add code to insert a banner ad here.

2. Amazon and eBay - for those who want to sell tangibles from their lens. The description area can be hyperlinked to your domain, too)

3. Guestbook - A very important part of the web 2.0 experience, a guestbook allows others to let you know how you’re doing as well as what they need from you in the way of more information. This is another module where you can hyperlink in the description area.

4. Poll - Ask a question and post several answer choices for your audience. You can hyperlink these choices so that before or after their participation in your poll, they can link out to one of your sites.

5. RSS Feed - If you have a blog on your domain, insert a feed for more traffic to it! It will post excerpts of your latest entries and update on a regular basis.

6. YouTube Videos - if you’re employing video marketing techniques, then you’ll want to showcase your videos right on your lens using the one video per module rule so that visitors never have to click out and leave your lens to view it!

7. Twitter - a Twitter module is perfect for marketing involved in social networking whose Tweets are followed by many people.

8. Blackbox, StickyNote, Talk Bubble, or The Most Important Thing - all modules that allow you to make one link or message stand out on your lens.

After you add the modules that you want, click the preview lens layout button and order them any way you want, with the guest book at the bottom so they can sign it after seeing all of your hard work.

Then click the Save button and it will take you back to your lens, where you can begin editing each module. After you edit it, make sure you save it and publish the lens after you’re done.

If you want to learn how to Squidoo and make a really good lens, you’ll also want to add images! You can find a free stock photo site or use iStockPhoto and buy the smallest $1 versions available that relate to your niche. You’ll need one for your introduction and one for each text module you include on your lens.

After publishing, join some groups on Squidoo so your new lens gets exposure! Then visit Squidoo and ask for a SquidAngel to visit your lens to bless it or ding it. If you’ve done a good job, the blessing will help your lens rise in the ranks!

Tiffany Dow -  work-at-home mom who launched a career as a ghostwriter and eventually morphed into fulltime marketer, expertise is in the web 2.0 world of peer-to-peer marketing.