Feb 5, 2013 at 8:59am ET by Barry Schwartz

A new Dilbert cartoon once again takes a jab at SEOs and what they do or can do. The latest comic reads: Woman: Asok, your meeting stole an hour of my life. Woman: According to international law, I may now claim you as my indentured servant. Man: Wow. That.... Actually is a law. Woman: (Thinking) Or I'm really good at SEO. It is a play on you cannot always believe what you read on the Internet and that SEOs can create content that ranks well on the Internet that may be completely inaccurate. Postscript: Today, yet another cartoon on SEOs was released. Here is a snippe [...]

Infographic: The Death Of SEO, Failed Predictions Over The Years

Oct 2, 2012 at 10:53am ET by Search Engine Land Infographics

SEO has been declared "dead" almost from when it first began, as our post from a few years ago, Is SEO Dead? 1997 Prediction, Meet 2009 Reality, covers. Now, a new infographic is out looking at how SEO has been "dying" over the years. The infographic is from SEO Book and is interesting in that rather than taking a timeline approach, it instead shows examples of various types of people who've declared that SEO is dead and why they are, as the infographic puts it, "deluded." The infographic is below; click to enlarge it: If you want the infographic for yourself, you'll find it here: Info [...]

Google Algorithm Changes, Mobile Internet Have Most Significant Impact On Search Marketers [SEMPO]

Sep 13, 2012 at 6:50pm ET by Matt McGee

About nine out of 10 search marketers say Google's recent algorithm changes have had a significant impact on them, and about the same amount say that the rise of the mobile internet and local search are also having a significant impact. The data comes from the SEMPO State of Search Marketing Report 2012, which was just released this week. Nearly 900 search marketers responded to this year's survey, which was conducted online between March 12 and May 15, 2012. Survey takers represent 36 countries, with about 64 percent being in the US. What Impacted Search Marketers Most Whether workin [...]

Industry Survey Underscores How The SEO Industry Relies On Google’s Free Tools

Aug 20, 2012 at 7:25pm ET by Matt McGee

If there's one thing that stands out in the 2012 SEO Industry Survey, it's that the SEO industry relies heavily on the free SEO-related tools that Google provides. SEOmoz released the results of its semi-annual survey today -- a survey conducted between March and May that drew responses from almost 6,500 people in more than 100 countries. Almost half of the respondents (47.3 percent) were from the U.S., and 77 percent were males. There's some interesting data about marketing budgets (for example, 34.4 percent say they spend $1,000 and up on consulting each month) and tactics used (76 pe [...]

Search Marketer Ron Jones Passes Away

Jul 9, 2012 at 7:17pm ET by Danny Sullivan

Internet and search marketer Ron Jones has passed away after a battle with melanoma over the past several months. Jones was the founder and owner of Symetri Corporation, where a notice of his death has now been posted. SEMPO, the search marketing group that Jones was a board member with from 2008 through 2010, including a term as vice president, also sent out a notice today. His family has asked for gifts, donations and memorials be made by check to: Pierce-Jefferson Funeral Service 213 West Mountain Street Kernersville, NC 27284 Mark check "For the benefit of the Ron Jones [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | SEM Industry: Community

Funny Google Matt Cutts Mashup Video

May 15, 2012 at 10:49am ET by Barry Schwartz

It has been a long couple months for the search marketing community between the Penguin update, a Panda refresh, the link notifications and the parked domain bug - you guys need a laugh. Sam Applegate put together a hysterical parody video of Matt Cutts talking about how to achieve number one ranking in Google. The video takes dozens of the videos Matt put together from the YouTube channel and mashes them into a video I think you all will appreciate. Here is the video: [...]

SEOmoz Industry Survey Now Open

Mar 22, 2012 at 2:11pm ET by Barry Schwartz

SEOmoz has announced the SEOmoz Industry Survey is now open and ready for you to take. You can take the survey online over here. The last time SEOmoz ran this survey was two years ago, you can see the results of that survey over here. The survey has 54 questions and should take you about 20 minutes to complete. The question topics include: Your Work in the Industry Questions for Consultants, Freelancers, and Agencies Learning and Improving Internet Marketing Skills Internet and Inbound Marketing Scope and Process Inbound Marketing Tools and Tactics SEO Tools and Tactics [...]

Dilbert: Hiring A Weasel To Do SEO & Corrupt The Industry

Feb 17, 2012 at 2:28pm ET by Barry Schwartz

The Dilbert cartoon above doesn't speak well of the search engine optimization position. The cartoon ties people who do SEO as weasels and those that hire SEOs as an accomplice, someone who actively participates in the commission of a crime. It goes on to say the SEO will go ahead and "game the system" and "corrupt the integrity" of the industry. This clearly does not speak well of our industry and the SEO job profession. But then again, it is just a cartoon? The cartoon reads: I hired a pantless weasel to do our search engine optimization. He'll help us game the system and c [...]

Movember SEO Moustache Competition Raises $17,000 For Cancer Research

Dec 2, 2011 at 1:28pm ET by Monica Wright

What started out as a friendly rivalry between Bing's Duane Forester and Google's Matt Cutts resulted in $17,000 for the Movember, a moustache campaign to raise awareness and funds for cancer research, specifically prostate cancer. Mike Halvorsen set up the competition while at SMX Advanced. There were 83 participants in the Search For The Cure team, many familiar faces from the search community. Duane Forester, the team captain, raised $3,667. Matt Cutts raised $3,721. SEOs were exchanging photos as well as quite a few digs at each other all month via Twitter using the #seostache hashtag [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | SEM Industry: Community

SEO Mustache Competition Backed By Google’s Matt Cutts & Bing’s Duane Forrester

Oct 28, 2011 at 9:18am ET by Barry Schwartz

Mike Halvorsen has set up a special competition this November to help raise money for Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong. The competition is on growing a mustache and both Google's Matt Cutts and Bing's Duane Forrester are participating. Duane blogged about it on the Bing Search Blog saying, "Schema, Sitemaps and ‘staches: What do they have in common?" Nothing really, except that those involved in schema and sitemaps are participating in this competition, known as Movember. Here are the rules: On Movember 1st, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face. For the rest of [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | SEM Industry: Community

They’re Back! Google Issues Weather Report For Panda Update

Oct 5, 2011 at 2:52pm ET by Danny Sullivan

Google's Matt Cutts has just issued a "weather report" about upcoming changes to be expected from Google's Panda algorithm. If you're not familiar with algorithmic weather reports, sit back and learn. Because they're back, and that's a good thing. Before There Was Panda, There Was Florida At the end of 2003, Google released what became known as its Florida Update. Now kids, if you think Panda was bad, Florida was a storm that seemingly blew the roofs off SEO homes everywhere. It hit during the holiday shopping period. It caused confusion and havoc among many SEOs. Search engine optimizati [...]

Dilbert Cartoon: Caught For Paid Links On Google

Jun 24, 2011 at 7:39am ET by Barry Schwartz

Yesterday we had a Dilbert cartoon telling us to say no to black hat SEO and today we have a Dilbert cartoon telling us to say no to paid links: The comic reads: Employee: "Google found out that we use fake links to boost our search rank." Employee: "Now our website only shows up when someone enters the search string "dung for brains."" Boss: "They won't get away with this!" Computer [aka Google]: "Shut your pie hole." That is two in a row from the Dilbert cartoons on the topic of SEO. Related Articles Dilbert Cartoon Says "No" To Black Hat SEO Those Special Go [...]

Dilbert Cartoon Says “No” To Black Hat SEO

Jun 23, 2011 at 9:35am ET by Barry Schwartz

This morning's Dilbert comic is on the topic of black hat SEO. Dilbert wisely decides to avoid those tactics: The comic reads: "I want you to use "black hat" methods to raise our website's ranking on search engines." "What do you like best about that ideas - the fact that it's unethical or the near certainty of getting caught?" "That's sort of a loserish thing to say." "Talking doesn't work for people like me." Scott Adams: No Stranger To Google It's probably best that Dilbert decided to stay with acceptable practices. After all, creator Scott Adams depended on Google for go [...]

Matt Cutts Webmaster Video Infographic

Jun 6, 2011 at 2:57pm ET by Barry Schwartz

Matt Cutts of Google gives daily advice on the Google Webmaster YouTube Channel. He has been doing so for years and they recently did a live Q&A to celebrate their 5 million views. Click2Rank published an outstanding infographic documenting the various facts gleamed from these videos. He named the infographic the Matt Cutts Webmaster Infographic. Here is a low resolution version, but you can find the better quality version Click2Rank. It has been a fun week for infographics. We had the Matt Cutts debunking flowchart and our SEO Periodic Table. [...]

Tim Mayer: Search Vet & Ex-Yahoo Lands At Trada

Jan 11, 2011 at 8:00am ET by Matt McGee

Tim Mayer, a former Yahoo and longtime search industry veteran, has landed a new role at Trada, the crowdsourced SEM marketplace based in Colorado. Mayer joins the company as its Chief Strategy Officer, and will oversee sales, marketing, product development and operations. Ben Wright, another ex-Yahoo, is also joining Trada as its VP of Service Delivery and Marketplace. For Mayer, this latest position expands on a lengthy career that's seen him work at several of the web's early search engines. As Danny Sullivan detailed last summer when Mayer left Yahoo, that career began at RealNames [...]

Video: 12 Days Of Googlemas Carol From Google & Search Engine Land

Dec 22, 2010 at 9:54am ET by Barry Schwartz

Some of the members of the Search Engine Land team spent some time at Google last week. They put together a 12 Days of Googlemas Carol for all to listen and watch on YouTube. Sitting in front with the laptop and yellow shirt is Google's Matt Cutts. In the blue shirt in front is Danny Sullivan, Editor-In-Chief of Search Engine Land. In the back row, from left to right is Michelle Robbins, Director of Technology; Matt McGee, Executive News Editor; and Elisabeth Osmeloski, Executive Features Editor. Here are the lyrics of the carol: On the 12th day of Googlemas my Googlebot gave [...]

RIP Jaamit Durrani

Dec 3, 2010 at 12:16pm ET by Danny Sullivan

Jaamit Durrani, a UK-based marketer who was well known in SEO circles, has died. He was the SEO director for OMD UK. Durrani was killed in a London Underground accident last week, struck by a train, apparently knocked in front of it. That's not hard to happen on the Tube. Platforms are often crowded, and except in some rare newer sections, there are no barriers. He's being remembered online right now through a Twitter tribute where thoughts are being sent along with the #jaamit hashtag: A number of tribute blog posts have also gone up, including: Jaamit, from Rishil Lakhani (v [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | SEM Industry: Community

SMX West Registration Open – Best Rates Available Now

Nov 2, 2010 at 8:52am ET by Search Engine Land

The dates are set and registration is live! Search Marketing Expo – SMX West is scheduled for March 8-10, 2011. This year’s show will take place at the McEnery Convention Center in downtown San Jose, CA. Register now to take advantage of the lowest-available super early bird rates. The SMX West conference program will run from March 8-10; the expo hall will be open March 8-9. SMX West will feature three jam-packed days with over 60 sessions of cutting-edge content on search engine optimization (SEO), paid search advertising (PPC), social media marketing, local and mobile search marketi [...]

Crowdsourced SEM “Marketplace” Trada Raises $5.75M From Google Ventures & Others

Jul 21, 2010 at 9:06am ET by Greg Sterling

Trada announced a $5.75 million "C" round this morning. It was led by Google Ventures and early investor Foundry Group. Trada CEO Niel Robertson told me yesterday that the money will be used for to get into display (and eventually video and mobile), as well as to expand into non-US markets and develop new tools for agencies. What is Trada? you ask. Trada is a relatively new "crowdsourced search marketplace." It brings together freelance search marketers and advertiser campaigns and gets multiple people to work on those campaigns. In fact the company says that it has an average of 24 search [...]

Four Search Agencies Merge To Form BlueGlass Interactive

Jun 23, 2010 at 2:48pm ET by Matt McGee

If you felt a rumble yesterday amongst the search marketing ranks, it was probably caused by the news that four well-known marketing companies announced a merger into one new agency known as BlueGlass Interactive. The companies coming together are 10e20, Search & Social, Brent Csutoras Inc., and SecondStep Search. In a blog post announcing the merger, BlueGlass CMO Chris Winfield says that the companies had already been referring work amongst themselves for years. A news release about the merger says that, in addition to offering client services, BlueGlass also plans to offer free and [...]

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