Our recent reader poll of 14 books either focused on, or with significant content dedicated to, Search Engine Optimization has concluded with 174 votes. And the winner by one vote and 27% of the total votes is….
Art of SEO (Theory in Practice) by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Rand Fishkin and Jessie C. Stricchiola.
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Published by [...]
After a much deserved blogging vacation last week, I thought I’d start this final week of 2009 with wishes of appreciation for the readers of TopRank’s Online Marketing Blog and the fantastic team of writers we have. It was 6 years ago today, that TopRank started an agency blog as a way to publicly [...]
Do you want to enjoy wealth sometime in your life? Do you want to make huge amounts of money, do wan
Recently I have been getting fantastic followers and it’s all due to Twitters own new feature 
To begin, this post is not a black hat tutorial teaching how to build spam-scraper-copyright-infringing websites. Rather we’ll highlight simple white hat techniques to successfully republish and rank “duplicate” content, all the while creating new value for users. Please don’t use these methods for evil.
In my opinion the tactic outlined herein is one of the [...]
Chris Boggs is the Director of Search Engine Optimization at Rosetta, an interactive design agency. He’s also the Associate Editor of the SearchEngineWatch forums, has served on the SEMPO Board of Directors since 2006 and is well respected amongst search thought leaders.
I had a chance to score a couple of moments of [...]
The concept of “Follow Friday” started with one simple tweet. Eleven months later the viral tradition continues to dominate trending topics at the end of every work week.
It’s great to give and receive ego-stroking shout-outs, but Twitter’s 140 character constraints often prevent us from explaining why a person is follow-worthy. Let’s take a little look-see [...]
When it comes to businesses leveraging the social web to communicate with customers and improve brand awareness, there’s some good news and there’s some bad news.
The good news: 86% of professionals have adopted social media in some way, according to a recent survey by Mzinga and Babson Executive Education.
The bad news: A whopping 84% of [...]
eMarketer is one of the most cited resources for internet marketing trends, so when I received some tasty predictions for 2010, I thought they were too useful to keep to myself. These insights include future monetization models, the effect of transparency on advertising, social and search, mobile, social commerce, public relations, social advertising, Twitter, [...]
Small Biz Guide to Search Marketing Advertise Newsletters About Contact Site Map Search Engine Marketing Internet Marketing Courses Internet Search Engines Search Marketing Certification Search Engine News Search Engine Guide Jennifer Laycock The Upcoming Battle of the Social Media Industry Search Engine Guide Blog The Upcoming Battle of the Social Media Industry December 16, 2009 Comments 3 Jennifer Laycock Articles Earlier this week I made a post about why companies need to add a social media strategy budget to their 2010 marketing plans . The first reason on my list was the ability social media gives a company to listen to their customers . Listening to the unfiltered thoughts , complaints and praises of customers via social media carries a huge benefit for the companies who know how to leverage it . That said , it's also one of the most terrifying aspects of social media for many brands . Fear of what will be said is still one of the biggest reasons companies are afraid to dip their toes into the social media waters . Last week Zane Safrit pointed to an interesting article over at Business Week that examines corporate fear of social media . negativity Zane hit the nail on the
The next in our series of interviews with Minnesota based, social media savvy marketing and public relations professionals is Greg Swan, Digital Account Group Manager at Weber Shandwick Digital.
Greg manages and executes interactive public relations programs for Weber Shandwick clients across consumer, technology and public affairs industries. As the social media team lead, Greg oversees the [...]
Jonathan Allen, Search Marketing Specialist at Incisive Media, Director of Search Engine Watch and Co-Founder of Moblog:tech was kind enough to share a few moments of his time with us on day 3 of SES Chicago 2009. Check out the coverage below.
In the interview, Jonathan discusses his background in SEO and some of the topics [...]
I was begged the other day on Twitter to stop writing and Tweeting about a certain online retailer a
With all the hubub about personalized and real time search and the potential impact on the SEO work that can influence search visibility, the question about relevance comes to mind when considering books about search engine optimization. Search engines like Google change often (38 new search products in 70 days) so one could argue that [...]
Small Biz Guide to Search Marketing Advertise Newsletters About Contact Site Map Search Engine Marketing Internet Marketing Courses Internet Search Engines Search Marketing Certification Search Engine News Search Engine Guide Jennifer Laycock Four ok twelve Reasons to Build a Social Media Strategy for 2010 Search Engine Guide Blog Four ok twelve Reasons to Build a Social Media Strategy for 2010 December 14, 2009 Comments 10 Jennifer Laycock Articles As a small business social media strategist , I'm very happy to see so many companies finally beginning to recognize the need to invest some of the marketing dollars into social media . I'm ever more happy to see how many of them are willing and able to dedicate some internal staff to the matter . On the other hand , I'm finding that many of these companies have absolutely no idea WHY they need a social media strategy . They just feel the pressure to get involved and hope something will come from . it Unfortunately , that's no way to build a strategy . What good does it do to invest time and money into a blog , Facebook , Twitter , YouTube or any other number of social media outlets if you have no goals , no measurement and quite
For many companies, an ideal world involving Search Engine Optimization would be simple, quick and a one-time task to check off a list. An organization would create a website, optimize its content for target keywords and promote the site. Soon, the website would acquire a strong number of inbound links and start ranking for those [...]
So you’ve paid close attention to the SES Chicago 2009 coverage of PPC sessions, you’ve cleaned up your SEO and monitored analytics. OK, but how about the session dealing with the piece at the core of your website’s performance? We’re talking about information architecture here, and without it potential customers visiting your site will [...]
Online Marketing Blog continues sharing Minnesota-based social media expertise with the next installment of our MiNterview series.
Connie Bensen is a key voice amongst online Community Managers. Her blog is recognized as a leading resource for cultivating online communities and providing best practices for this emerging role. She also provides mentorship and inspires individuals to [...]
Here we are near the end of 2009 and at the last Search Engine Strategies conference of the year. While many conferences are down in attendance, SES Chicago actually beat last year’s numbers by about 100, according to Matt McGowan, VP, Publisher & Head of US at Incisive Media, the company that owns SES.
There [...]
Dan Zarrella, a self-described “social media marketing & viral marketing scientist” lives at the intersection of social marketing and web development. He’s known for conducting experiments with Twitter, compiling data behind the social web, creating interesting web applications and blogging. And now, he has released a book.
Dan’s book is called “The Social Media Marketing Book” [...]
Engaging in social media requires a focused marketing strategy and genuine engagement. Whether you are selling goods, acquiring leads or providing a service read this before you build or expand your company's social medial profiles.
We invite SES Chicago attendees to join us today at 12:45PM. I’ll have the pleasure of moderating the Facebook Rockstars RoundTable: Marketing For the Other Internet session. 350 million fanatically engaged users in one place means understanding Facebook’s no-search-engines-allowed community walled garden system of “organic” and paid visibility is now essential. Shell-shocked brand managers unite! [...]
[This post continues aimClear's ongoing coverage of Search Engine Strategies Chicago 2009.] Your company’s Facebook account is an entirely different animal than your mom’s. Companies have a lot more at stake when it comes to social media. Research, strategy development and a clear plan for measurement are a crucial prerequisites to engaging customers in online [...]
How the text is written has a huge impact on search positions and conversions. It's not just about sticking keywords in copy. It's not about keyword density. It's about writing content that connects with readers.
However, you can make money from your website when properly advised & optimized by your web analytics, as Jim Sterne so correctly pointed out at SES Chicago 2009. Many of us have access to some sort of analytics for web properties we’re involved with, but how many of us really use the data effectively? More [...]
A post about using AdWords Geo Targeting to improve your quality score. By using searchers location below your AdWords ad you can increase CTR dramatically and by proxy, increase your quality score.
Moderated by Simon Heseltine, Senior Marketing Manager for AOL with panelists including: Eli Goodman from comScore, Justin Merickel of Efficient Frontier and Doug McMillen from Microsoft Advertising.
First up is Justin Merickel from Efficient Frontier, which runs about $180m in PPC through their platform. Justin talked about two main trends:
The changing SERP. Data comes front and [...]
Today is December 4th, and that means there’s just one month to go until Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day hits stores! The upcoming book, authored by Web Ad.vantage CEO Hollis Thomases and published by Wiley, will be released on January 4th, 2010.
Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day is written for serious marketing professionals. The [...]
[Note from Lee: A few weeks ago, Michelle wrote a great post on Retail SEO tips and this week, I've asked her to tackle B2B SEO and general search marketing tips, since one-size SEO does not fit all programs. Enjoy!]
Search marketing should be a top priority for organizations in any industry. But B2B search marketing [...]
, . Home ADSDAQ About Us Subscribe via Email Your : email Connect With Us On Twitter On Facebook On Flickr On YouTube Popular Posts WPP , Omnicom , IPG Publicis Agency Demand Platforms : Art vs . Science in a Real-Time World Web 2.0 NET vs . LAMP Part 2 : Development Costs Ad Club ContextWeb Event Will be a Sell Out News : Real-Time Bidding API from ContextWebâ s ADSDAQ Exchange Web 2.0 NET vs . LAMP Part 1 : Blurring the Line Omnicom's Spiegel in Interview Prior to July 14th Panel MediaCom's Broderick Articulates GroupM WPP View in Lead-Up to July 14th Panel Swine Flu and the Contextual Marketing Opportunity Web 2.0 NET vs . LAMP Part 3 : Managed Code Top ways to optimize your websiteâ s advertising revenue potential Posts by Month 2009 December November October September August July June May April March February January 2008 December November October September August July June May April March February January 2007 December November October September August July June May April March February January An Internet Advertising Blog Current Articles RSS Feed ContextWeb , Inc . ADSDAQ Exchange To Speak at UBSâ s 37th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference Posted by Ken
Minnesota is home to a tremendous amount of digital marketing and social media talent. The local Social Media Breakfast events are notorious for “selling out” in minutes and attracting upwards of 300 – 350 attendees. There are over 1,200 members of the group’s SMBMSP social network. The founder of this group is none other than Rick [...]
With the holidays fast approaching, retailers are on the web in full force using social media to promote new products, drive sales, and alert customers to the hottest deals. The Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping spree brought with it some aggressive social media tactics. Which retailers took an original approach? Were the big brands all doing [...]
Next week is the final search marketing conference of the year for me and most others in the SEM industry: Search Engine Strategies Chicago is a MidWest focused event that will offer keynotes from the likes of Jeff Jarvis, Author of What WouldGoogle Do? and a multitude of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced breakout sessions covering SEO, [...]
From time to time I like to post a case study as an example of the implementation of all the good advice we’ve been giving the past 6 years. Tips and how to’s are great, but stories of implementation are like a picture being worth a 1,000 words.
The following is a basic case study [...]
Absence makes the heart grow fonder and we know online marketers already like the BIGLIST of online marketing blogs reviews. This new update that is decidedly focused on search engine optimization should start your week off right.
While we have a good looking group this week, the Search Agents was the winner for the best looking [...]
Quality inbound links are an essential element of web site marketing and search engine optimization programs to increase traffic and online sales. The greater the number of relevant and authoritative links to a web page, the greater the potential for higher search engine rankings and qualified traffic.
A recent survey from SEOmoz illustrates just how important [...]
Google is a master of innovation in the search space and while they seem to subscribe to Guy Kawasaki’s “release early and release often” new product philosophy, the attention to changing the Google search page is near-holy. Minuscule design changes at even the pixel level are cautious and carefully considered. And rare.
Apparently, Google is testing a redesign [...]In this post I examine the recent changes Google has made to it's paid search offering, the loss of some visibility in certain types of organic search results and the motive behind the recent ditching of many types of paid search affiliates that have grown Google to the beast it is today.
With Thanksgiving almost within reach, it’s hard to think of anything but turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and warm homemade rolls. Actually, for me, my mind is on my aunt’s chocolate pie and my grandmother’s macaroni and cheese.
But regardless of the type of food item occupying your thoughts right now, Thanksgiving is a time to [...]
Previously, I explored the intersection of social media and PR and explained why it is so important communications professionals leverage digital channels. In that post I touched on the following key points:
Authenticity/personality – the world and web crave it
It scales – popular brands just get more popular
Long-term storytelling – build a permission asset
Leverage – [...]A post with examples of how AdWords can be used as an incredibly effective SEO tool in many ways. From accurate keyword research data to media buying and testing creatives. 
, Home ADSDAQ About Us Subscribe via Email Your : email Connect With Us On Twitter On Facebook On Flickr On YouTube Popular Posts WPP , Omnicom , IPG Publicis Agency Demand Platforms : Art vs . Science in a Real-Time World Web 2.0 NET vs . LAMP Part 2 : Development Costs Ad Club ContextWeb Event Will be a Sell Out News : Real-Time Bidding API from ContextWebâ s ADSDAQ Exchange Web 2.0 NET vs . LAMP Part 1 : Blurring the Line Omnicom's Spiegel in Interview Prior to July 14th Panel MediaCom's Broderick Articulates GroupM WPP View in Lead-Up to July 14th Panel Swine Flu and the Contextual Marketing Opportunity Web 2.0 NET vs . LAMP Part 3 : Managed Code Top ways to optimize your websiteâ s advertising revenue potential Posts by Month 2009 December November October September August July June May April March February January 2008 December November October September August July June May April March February January 2007 December November October September August July June May April March February January An Internet Advertising Blog Current Articles RSS Feed ContextWeb , Inc ADSDAQ Exchange CEO To Speak At New York Entrepreneur Week Posted by Ken Lauher on Wed , Nov 18, 2009 02:57 PMA post discussing the increasing trend towards website redesign as a prerequisite to any effective SEO campaign. Arnold discusses factors such as how having a current poor conversion rate can render an effective targeted traffic increase irrelevant.