I have accidentally started a new niche of Squidoo lenses: recipes for lemons.

I really do try to expand niches so taking my own advice given here in Nail that Niche way back in March of this year. Unfortunately, I have a bit of a butterfly mind and always want to write something new or different.

I am determined to turn over a new leaf and expand on topics I have written lenses about already and, if I start on a new subject, to first of all have ideas for other lenses in the niche to complement it.

It was funny how I started on this niche. I’ve mentioned Get Cracking With Bonnie and Robin before and how I find their daily suggestions for Squidoo lenses helpful and, sometimes, challenging – not a challenge I always rise to either!

On July 11 they suggested ‘Get Cooking’ as the topic. I wanted to find something a bit different to write about – not just another main course, cake or dessert but also something that might catch people’s interest. I came up with Make Lemon Curd, a delicious, traditional, sweet spread for bread, cakes or desserts. At the same time, I was reminded of how many excellent recipes I have for lemons and so I saw the possiblity of a niche.

The Lemon Curd page seems to have been reasonably successful in the short term (who knows how it will go over months or years?)  mainly because many Americans who left a comment hadn’t heard of it. Several thought it sounded easy and good enough to try as a way of using up a surplus of lemons in those places where they grow naturally.

This good reception encouraged me to make more pages with recipes for lemons. So far I have published Make a Glazed Lemon Cake and Make Lemon Drinks with links connecting all three lenses. I have another lemon recipes lens half finished and I hope to complete it today or tomorrow and I have plans for another two at least, perhaps more.

It seems to me that the way to make a niche of complementary pages successfully is by starting out with more lenses in mind even while you are writing the first one. Fingers crossed that my lemon niche does well.