Hubpages vs Squidoo

UPDATE: Squidoo is dead, long live HubPages!

This hub will stay up as a piece of interesting history about two sites that help create a diverse community of online content creators.

Go for a walk down memory lane and read this hub.

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If you're a Hubber you may have heard of Squidoo.

What is the fuss all about?

This hub is a close look at Squidoo, how it works and what's in it for you, looking from the viewpoint of a Hub Author.

Squidoo is different. Looks different. Works differently. But that doesn't make it any less of a web 2.0 vehicle.

And while there are a lot of differences there are also a lot of similarities.

We'll look at Squidoo with Hubpages as our reference point. So you can quickly come up to speed by comparing and understanding the differences.

If you're a Hubber and you haven't heard of Squidoo, then prepare to be surprised!

A brief overview...

At HubPages you are an Author.

At Squidoo you are a Lensmaster.

HubPages doesn't allow adult content (ie: porn).

Squidoo allows adult content. Though it is allocated its own category and only viewable if you've got your account setting set to show X rated lenses. All visitors must sign up to Squidoo before being able to view them.

Squidoo had an official forum: SquidU.com.

HubPages has a forum too. Though once was not as established or with as many active members that certainly has changed in the last 6 months.

At HubPages they call modules Capsules.

At Squidoo they call capsules Modules.

HubPages is quicker to add 'capsules' then Squidoo is with 'modules'. As well as rearranging them. (At Squidoo you need to open up a different page).

HubPages doesn't allow for extra HTML (currently).

Squidoo allows html. If you're handy with the Hyper Text Mark-up Language then you'll enjoy adding text styles and formatting on the fly. If you're not familiar with HTML you'll be surprised how easy HTML is (www.squidoo.com/basichtml).

It's quicker to fill content into a lens.

Though when I say this it's because I do most of my work offline. I prepare my 'lenses' and 'hubs' in Notepad documents and then copy and paste the content. Though paradoxally that means it is a little slower for me to add things like bold to my HubPages. Because I have to use the bold tool. Whereas with Squidoo I just add the HTML for bold while I'm typing . So perhaps for a newb it's easier therefore quicker, but for someone experienced it will slow you down somewhat.

The same goes for hyperlinks. No raw HTML means you have to stop and create the hyperlink using the tools. Some may see this as an advantage. But for me, not so much.

There's no character limit for a Text Capsule. Squidoo limits the Text/Write Module to 2500 characters. Which I don't think is necessarily a bad thing. It forces the Lensmaster to think. And plan. Though to be honest if it were 3000 characters it would be better.

The same restraints do not apply at HubPages. Though I think it may be to the Hub Authors detriment. It will cause them create larger slabs of text. A text capsule has no limit as to the length (word count or character count) of the text.

The write/text module has 10,000 character limit (it used to be just 2,500).

There is no character limit for Capsules (except for the Summary, which is 500 characters).

Lenses need at least 3 modules to be counted as developed for it to properly publish.

Hubs need only one capsule (though it's not recommended).

HubPages guestbooks have no limit for visitors.

Squidoo guestbooks have 300 character limit.

HubPages starts you with a text capsule, photo capsule and comments capsule.

Squidoo gives four options

• I want to get the word out about CHOSEN TOPIC (easiest option)
• I'm gonna sell CHOSEN TOPIC stuff and earn $$, for me or for charity (money maker!)
• I want to make a list of my favorite things about CHOSEN TOPIC (most popular)
• I just want to do my own thing.

I usually go with "I just want to do my own thing". As I'd just have to rearrange what the other templates give me anyway. You start with just the Introduction Module. Click on Add Modules to add more.

Assuming you are in edit mode...

With HubPages there is a palette on right called "Add More Stuff". Just click on the ones you want and it will add them in the order in which you click.

Two down from that is a palette called "Capsule Ordering". You can "Drag and Drop" to organize the order. Double Click to make say the Photo Capsule half size and you can drop it onto a Text Capsule which will give you an image beside text or the wrap around effect. The same for Amazon and a few other Capsules. Be sure to click on Reorder Now to execute the changes.

You can also use the green arrows on the actual capsules to rearrange the order.

With Squidoo you need to (assuming you are in edit mode) click on the Add Modules button. You're taken to a page for which you are absolutely spoilt for choice. And for the uninitiated this can be daunting.

To explain what each of the modules do (there are many more options than what's here at HubPages) would be far too detailed to mention here. Perhaps this is a lesson you can do later. Go to Squidoo Modules (www.squidoo.com/module) for a run down and demonstration on what each can do.

Probably the most fun module that Squidoo has that HubPages doesn't have a corresponding Capsule, is the Poll Module. But otherwise HubPages seemingly limited selection has all I need to adequately communicate my thoughts, ideas and articles.

There is a limit of 40 tags on Squidoo.

(Currently) there is no such limit at HubPages.

If you know how to use tags at HubPages then the same applies to Squidoo.

You'd pick your URL much the same way as you do at HubPages, though while HubPages doesn't use the www, Squidoo does.

Also Squidoo doesn't have a directory name between the domain and your chosen article name.

This is a generic idea of what each looks like:

http://hubpages.com/hub/article

http://www.squidoo.com/article

At HubPages people can give you a "thumbs up" or a "thumbs down".

At Squidoo visitors (registered visitors) can give you a score out of five stars. Whether one star out of five means it's an average lens or if 3 out of 5 means it's average is not known. As a one star rating can have a positive effect on Lensrank. If you feel a lens is, in your opinion, sub-standard it's best to not rate at all. Lest you give it a boost.

HubPages has HubScore. A point system out of 100. 1 being the lowest and 100 being the highest.

Squidoo has Lensrank. A ranking system out of... however many lenses are in the system. 1 being the highest. And the lowest being somewhere near 250,000 (or however many lenses there currently are in the database). Being in the Top 100 is highly valued. In the top 1000 means you're doing something right. In the top 10,000 is nothing to be sneezed at. Making it into the top 100,000 is easy if you make half an effort to publish a lens with four modules.

HubScore is updated every 10 minutes.

Lensrank updates only once a day.

Squidoo shows the traffic for the last 7 days on the "Dashboard". It used to get hard after a couple of weeks to know exactly how much you're pulling in per day for visitor numbers. Thankfully a few months ago Squidoo HQ unveiled "Stats 2.0". Now the stastistics are far more detailed and you can see how much traffic you got today, yesterday, for the week just gone and for the whole month. As well as the life of the lens.

HubPages used to tell you stats for the last 4 hrs, 24 hrs, 7 days, 30 days and the life of the Hub in "My Account". Now it shows it for 1 day (the current day), 7 days, 30 days and the life of the Hub. But you can connect your Google Analytics account to your HubPages account. The stats available through that is world class.

HubPages has a referral system. If someone signs up for a HubPages account via your referral link, you get 10% of their pageviews for the life of their hubs.

For referring a person to Squidoo you get a one off $5 payment. Which is credited to your account once that person has made $15 themselves (As a means of avoiding fraud).

There's an extra incentive for people to sign up via your Squidoo link is that the referred person also gets a $5 bonus.

Which is the better system? It depends entirely on the person signing up whether or not they have the talent and ability to earn $15 at Squidoo (which isn't that hard) or get plenty of traffic so your 10% Ad pageviews gets enough click-thrus.

Squidoo will probably deliver your bonus quicker. Whereas HubPages can be more beneficial in the long run.

However HubPages referral system also rewards you for the traffic you send to other peoples hubs. If you refer other peoples Hubs you get a cut of the pageviews. 9% or 12% depending on whether there's already a signup referrer involved (who is getting a 10% cut of the pageviews). This cut comes again from HubPages Inc's share of the pageviews. So it's a win/win situation when you promote or link to a fellow Hub Authors page. Their article gets exposure and you get a reward for sending them traffic. (Read more)

Squidoo has no such system.

HubPages uses your Adsense account. They manage your Adsense account. Which might be disconcerting to some. But we know they're legit. What it does mean is the reporting of the $ is instant (provided of course you have traffic).

Squidoo has Adsense but it is their account. And they share the revenue according to Payrank (www.squidoo.com/payrank).

So it takes 2 calendar months for the Squidoo payments to kick in to find out how much you've earned from Adsense revenue. Which, in my opinion, is lower then what you'd get from a system like HubPages for a similarly performing Hub (in terms of promotion, SEO and traffic).

The comparison of Amazon is even. While you share 50% of a commission with Squidoo you may receive the same in revenue because Squidoo earns a higher percentage due to being a premium Associate. With Squidoo you'll be getting 50% of EVERY sale, rather then the chance of making a sale which you may never see (if HubPages Inc or a referrer get the pageview and therefore the sale). It's a gamble, but not an unreasonable one.

With Squidoo you don't have to worry about having your own Adsense Publisher account, Ebay account and Amazon Associates account.

All funds from Squidoo gets paid into your Paypal account. So you'll at least need one of those. But until you do the money will accrue (rollover) until you set your Paypal details.

Avoid publishing same (identical) material in both your Squidoo and HubPages accounts.

Should I have accounts at both Squidoo and HubPages?

By all means go for it.

Should I run my articles and pages consecutively on both sites? Can I make a Hubpage and a Lens on the same topic?

You know what they say about not putting all your eggs in one basket? Avoid putting the same egg in two baskets.

Don't republish all your HubPages content over at Squidoo. And vice versa.

However if you write two articles, though different, on the same subject then by all means do.

When you get the page impression the Adsense click or Ebay or Amazon purchase it is all yours.

Immediate income reporting. Though you have to wait for the likes of Google and others to pay out. But you do see an almost up to the minute

Live report of page impressions, click thrus and earnings.

The referral system continues for the life of the new member. Though a one off $5 payment may come quicker and be more then what you'd get for the months and months of it would take for 10% of pageviews to equate to $5 worth of click thrus. Long term though HubPages keeps rewarding. However be mindful that not all referred sign ups are going to convert into prolific publishers. Indeed they may be talented writers but might be hopeless at SEO and web promotion.

There is an incentive and reward to promote other peoples pages.

While HubPages has less hubs on average each of those hubs are getting 8x the traffic that the average lens is getting. Source.

Bigger community.

Far more lenses on lensmaking than hubs on hubmaking

More active forum (this has since changed, they're about even now).

Using your Paypal account to receive payments can be less hassle then arranging for an Adsense Publisher account, Ebay affiliate account and Amazon Associate account.

Do both. Even if you do one more than the other.

And if you're not already signed up to HubPages, you can do so through this link.

Or you can find out more about HubPages here.

• Why Squidoo? (www.squidoo.com/why)
• I'm a Lensmaster! What now? (www.squidoo.com/what)

* Most squidoo.com links in this article aren't hyperlinks because it would have caused this hub to be automatically flagged for being over-promotional. So copy and paste them to see the information, it's worth it.