Click Fraud, RSS, Clueless SEO, Riya Invites

How to Protect Yourself against Click Fraud - Marketing Experiments

RSS Marketing Article - iMedia Connection

Top Ten reasons why it sucks - it's great to be an SEO. Todd

Highest paying AdWords phrases - CyberWyre

The Clueless SEO Link Exchange Directory - SEO Consultants

Riya Photo Search uses face recognition software - sign up for beta

Mixing Organic SEO and PPC - Aaron

Google to Join S&P500 - iMedia Connection

Sunday Links

Logo Map of Web 2.0 apps via Phillip Lenssen

Google's Eric Schmidt Briefs Journalists - "Google is also working out how it can turn itself into a global retailer, so that customers can not only search for something but buy it from them in a few clicks." What is that all about? via Threadwatch

public relations and search engines web sites score the lowest in a recent Internet study conducted by the Web Marketing Association.

Comprehensive info on Aaron Wall, who gives sage advice on the mixing of SEO and PPC.

SES China

Search Engine Roundtable has coverage of the Search Engine Strategies conference in Nanjing, China by Marc Hil Macalua. Posts so far include:

• SES China Day 0
• Johnny Chou Keynote Address - SES China Day 1
• Jack Ma Keynote Address - SES China Day 1
  

Miles Evans of ProfitPapers is also making posts about SES China.

Tags: SES China, SES Nanjing, Search Engine Strategies

SEO Clients From Hell

Via Search Engine Roundtable, Ben at RankSmart has published "15 Reasons Why Nobody Wants You As An SEO Client". In the post he describes a scenario where a potential SEO client might bounce around various SEO resources, skimming info from each. (no link love for TopRank Ben?)

The more visibility you have, the more of these types of calls your SEO firm will get. I think SEO firms and potential buyers of SEO should definitley read this post. SEO as a marketing channel is HOT and will remain so for a while. There are also a finite number of tier one SEO consultants and firms. A lot of those talented and visible SEOs can afford to say no far more often than they say yes. Therefore, potential SEO clients should understand more about what makes a good SEO client, as SEOs should understand what makes a good SEO vendor.

Tags: SEO, SEO Clients From Hell, SEO Firms

Ammon Johns Interview

Rand posts a very thorough good interview with Ammon Johns, aka Black Night. In fact, it's more like a magazine article than a blog post. Rand really knows how to package content. In this case, it's not only well-packaged, but excellent content.

I remember seeing a multitude of posts from Black Night on the very first SEO forums I ever explored over at Cre8asite forums. Always very helpful, often to the point and very thorough, much like Rand's interview with him.

Tags: seo interview, ammon johns, seomoz

FeedBlitz Offers Weekly RSS to Email Digest

Phil over at FeedBlitz tells me they have now added weekly scheduling options:

"FeedBlitz has now added weekly email options to simplify weekly newsletter production from blogs and other RSS feed sources. Available as a "Turbo" upgrade, you select the day of the week you want your newsletter to be released. In the wee small hours FeedBlitz collects your posts from the previous seven days and mails them out to your subscribers, automatically."

This is a good feature since a lot of blog readers don't want daily updates and blog owners can use this feature to present their week's blog postings as an email news letter.

Tags: FeedBlitz, rss to email, rss, blog marketing

What Alexa Knows and Co Citation

Via Threadwatch, apparently Alexa now displays an option to see "See other sites owned". I tried this on toprankblog.com and sure enough, my seo firm site, TopRankResults.com was listed.

Jim Boykin has an excellent post on c0-citation, which he pretty much translates into how search engines determine "related"sites. Another good way to see related sites is the Touchgraph Google Browser.

Spending on SEM Beats Online Advertising

According to eMarketer, spending on search marketing has surpassed overall online advertising spending in 2005.

"Search marketing is the driving force behind continued growth in the online advertising industry. The enthusiasm for search marketing was reflected in the results published in Outsell's recent report, "Annual Ad Spending Study: Where and Why Advertisers Are Moving Online." This report shows 26 percent growth in spending on search marketing in 2005, more than the 19 percent growth in all online advertising, and substantially above the single digit growth rates in ad spending in print and on TV & radio"

Via iMediaConnection

Tags: search marketing, search marketing spending, online advertising, emarketer, search marketing agencies

Big Agencies Finally Getting Into the Search Marketing Game

The New York Times reports that more Madison Ave agencies are investing in pay per click search marketing.

"More agencies and their parent companies are stepping up online investments in what is known as search marketing or search engine marketing, an estimated $5.1 billion category last year that has been growing far faster than traditional advertising in media like television and newspapers."

The article also touches on SEO as part of the mix hitting big agency radar. Watch out little SEO/SEM shops and get ready to be run over by the big guys. Or not.

Tags: seo article, sem, new york times, search marketing, seo firms

Pay Per Call 101: Beyond the Hype

A new webinar from SEMPO on the topic of Pay Per Call will be held Monday, March 20 at 2:30 PM EST.

Kelsey Group recently predicted the Pay Per Call market will double each year for the next five years, and everyone from Google to eBay has thrown a hat in the Pay Per Call ring. But what is the true market opportunity for national marketers and agencies?

Ingenio's Marc Barach and Ross Weinstein will cover:

• Several case studies illustrating Pay Per Call's impact on both small businesses and national brands - as well as tips to help you figure out whether Pay Per Call is a fit for you
• Examples of how leading agencies and SEMs are leveraging Pay Per Call for clients in different industries
• What the differences are between Pay Per Call, Click-to-Call and Call-Tracking - and how to figure out what's best for you and your clients
• Campaign specifics and best practices: how to optimize your Pay Per Call campaign

The webinar is free to all and you can register online.

Tags: pay per call, ingenio, SEMPO, webinar, online marketing

Google @Last

Google has acquired @Last Software, a start-up 3D-design toolmaker and developer of the SketchUp software - via Google Blog

HOW IS THIS A GOOD THING FOR SKETCHUP USERS?
One of the biggest reasons we chose to go ahead with this deal was that it was a good thing for our users. We'll keep SketchUp simple and easy, and we'll continue to make it more useful and powerful. Looking ahead, the product will improve, the user experience will get better, and the community will grow. I think the future of SketchUp is brighter than it's ever been before. via SketchUp site

Curiouser and curioser I say.

Tags: google, sketchup, google acquires sketchup

Interviews at SES New York 2006

Chris Pirillo did several interviews at the Search Engine Strategies conference in New York a few weeks ago, and I was one of them. We chat about blogs and SEO mostly. You also get to hear a record number of, "ah's" and "um's" from me. Very embarrasing. I had no idea I said those things so much.

If you can bear it, listen to the Lee Odden interview by Chris Pirillo here.

Tags: lee odden, chris pirillo, seo interview, sesny2006

Microsoft Click to Call

According to BusinessWeek (via MarketingVox), Microsoft has plans to offer a click to call service soon. David Cole, a Microsoft SVP and head of MSN and the Personal Services Group, writes, "Make no mistake, Windows Live is our strategic bet to change the game and win, while we grow and drive revenue with MSN.com."

Tags: microsoft, click to call, msn, windows live

SEMPO Elects New Board of Directors

Barry at the Search Engine Watch Blog posts the new SEMPO Board of Directors:

* Gordon Hotchkiss, Enquiro
* Kevin Lee, Did-It
* Mauro Lupi, Ad Maiora
* Jeffrey Pruitt, iCrossing
* Julienne Thompson Hood, Advertising.com
* Dana Todd, SiteLab
* Dave Williams, 360i
* Chris Boggs, G3 Group
* Sara Holoubek, Free Agent Consultant
* Bill Hunt, Global Strategies International
* Mick Jolly, PRWeb
* Daniel Perry, Career Education Corporation
* Bill Tancer, Hitwise

Congrats to all!

Tags: SEMPO, board of directors

Google Mars

Google has launched a very cool Google maps feature of the planet Mars. There appear to be a variety of pre-defined search options including: Regions, Spacecraft, Stories, Mountains, Canyons, Dunes, Plains, Ridges and Craters. You can also view images by elevation, visible and infrared.

The map functions just like Google maps, so you can drag the map around and resize.

Tags: google, mars, google mars, google maps

Search for Branding

Using Search to Boost Branding - Chief Marketer article by Cam Balzer, director of search strategy for Performics.

Using Search to Brand - iMediaConnection Podcast with Yahoo! Search Marketing Senior Director Ron Belanger.

Tags: search marketing, branding, brand marketing