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Google has been displaying more than blue links in search results  for a while now. And soon, users will be able to find more facts and direct answers to their queries on top of search results. This comes from the Wall Street Journal, which reported on an interview with Amit Singhal, a top Google search […]
In the first installment of this series, Total Search Marketing, Part 1, I wrote about the eConsultancy research showing that natural search (SEO) was the most frequently used online marketing tactic for lead generation. Yet, most marketers put the bulk of their search marketing budget into paid search. Many of these marketers felt their company […]
My last Search Engine Land post, In-house SEO Functionality resonated with many in-house SEOs. “Eletitor” commented on the necessity of getting the entire management team on board for in-house SEO success. Kevin Cheng mentioned the need for preparations prior to hiring any in-house SEO, as well as the bureaucratic red tape that can hinder its […]
In large organizations, it takes the effort of several internal groups to accomplish top level business goals. When natural search optimization for web sites, commonly called SEO, is moved in house, it generally is the task of a combination effort from IT and Marketing. Below are five steps for moving SEO in house, as well […]
Linking is still de rigueur when optimizing for Google and all major engines. Linking strategies have run the gauntlet, from simple link exchange requests to buying links. For a good review of current best practices in linking tactics, I refer you to The Link Spiel by Debra Mastaler and “11 Experts on Link Development Speak […]
Over the past ten to twelve years, various SEM practitioners have brought up the need for industry standards. I started asking the question in 1998, and others have brought it up since, but the industry seems to have a laissez faire attitude. Albeit, we’ve seen some standardization steps taken by the search engines themselves. Google, […]
Natural search teams can get seriously hung up due to the bottlenecks that may exist within organizations of various sizes, preventing them from achieving outstanding organic search results. One type of bottleneck is IT delays that prevent timely implementation of SEO projects. Many times, these delays can’t be avoided. But that doesn’t mean you can’t […]
I must admit, I wasn’t very perceptive when I received my first in-house SEO prospect call back in 2000. The caller recognized the value of his organic search results and the business need for integrating SEO functionality internally. I did not. That’s because in those days, I thought it made much more sense to outsource.