Chris Silver Smith is President of Argent Media, a search marketing agency specialized in search engine optimization, online reputation management, shopping search, and local SEO.

He previously worked as a strategist for both KeyRelevance and Netconcepts (since acquired by Covario), and he has provided optimization expertise to many Internet Retailer 500 and Fortune 500 companies.

Chris also serves on the board of advisors for Universal Business Listing and on the SEO advisory board for FindLaw, a Thomson Reuters business. Chris writes for the Local Search column at Search Engine Land, and blogs at Nodal Bits.

• New Google Maps UI Calls For Shifts In SEO Tactics
• New Google Maps Interface Launching At Google I/O Today?
• Conversational Marketing Benefits Local SEO
• 7 Reasons Why Local Businesses Should Still Buy PPC Ads
• Is Social Media Worthwhile For Local Businesses?
• How Google’s Lack Of (Re-)Consideration For Local Businesses Makes Life & Listings Difficult
• 13 Semantic Markup Tips For 2013: A Local SEO Checklist
• Should You Count Ratings Out In Google Local Rankings?
• Can Blogging Be Your Secret Weapon For Local SEO?
• Relocation, Relocation, Relocation – A “New” Local Ranking Tactic?
• 7 Tips For Crafting Local Business Updates In Facebook
• Invisible Businesses In Google’s Local Search – The Problem No One Sees
• The Hideous Site: An Allegory For Oddities In Local Search Results
• 5 “Local” Search Engines You Should Be Targeting
• Are Yellow Pages Toast? Four Years Later We Review Ad Value
• Microsoft adCenter Launches Location Extensions In Ads
• Are Check-Ins A Local Ranking Factor?
• 10 Basic Bing Local Optimization Tips
• Predictions For Local Search In 2012 – Year Of The Dragon
• How To Use Pinterest For Local SEO
• 9 Common Ways To Bork Your Local Rankings In Google
• 12 Tips For Using Press Releases In Local Online Marketing
• A Guide To Geocoding Images For Local SEO
• Are QR Codes Good For Local Marketing? A Contrarian View
• What NOT To Do On Local Business Websites
• 10 Unorthodox Ideas For Local Citations & Links
• Google Instant Provides A Hint For Local & Mobile Optimization
• For Local SEO, Lack Of Call Tracking Solution Spawns Cloaking
• A Local Search Marketing Tactic That’s One For The Books
• Advanced Development Should Be The Future For Yellow Pages
• Investigating Google Places Hypocrisy For Address-less Businesses
• The Decor My Eyes Fiasco & Local Reviews Tactics
• Local SEO Primer: How To Rank Higher In Google Place Search
• Blast Open The Doors Via Facebook’s Open Graph For Local SEO
• Google Announces New Reseller Program
• Live Blogging BIA/Kelsey’s DMS ’10 Conference – Day 3
• Live Blogging BIA/Kelsey’s DMS ’10 Conference – Day 2
• Live Blogging BIA/Kelsey’s DMS ’10 Conference – Day 1
• Who Will Own Local Data? Search Engines, Yellow Pages, Aggegators Or Social Media?
• Optimizing Facebook Status Updates For Local Marketing
• Google Local Search Experiment Will Give IYPs & SMBs Heartburn
• Double Your Traffic Using Optimal Category Names
• Setting The Table For Restaurant SEO: Menus
• Google’s Usability Fixation Reveals Local Ranking Factors
• Greenpeace: Google, Microsoft & Other Online Giants Need Greener Data Centers
• Is “Yellow Pages” Becoming An Obsolete Concept?
• Leveraging Your Employees For Local Search Rankings
• Six Odd Tactics For Getting Ads Into Google Maps
• A New Behemoth Emerges In Google Maps: Wikipedia
• Can Your Business Achieve Landmark Status In Google Maps?