July 1, 2008

SEW Experts: Some New SEO Services Not So "Special"

Many SEO agencies are running out of ways to draw in large clients, especially when so many offer little to no value over the next agency. This dilemma has given birth to new "special services," which can set an agency apart. In today's Enterprise Search Marketing column, "Some New SEO Services Not So "Special"," Aaron Shear warns enterprise clients to beware, as there are some unscrupulous agencies using these in ways that can sometimes be a threat to your rankings.

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Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 20, 2008

SEW Experts: Step into the Ring for a SEM Pitch

Search marketing business strategists live for the thrill of the pitch. And with a slew of services that can confuse even the savviest client, they have their work cut out for them. In today's SEM Agency Issues column, "Step into the Ring for a SEM Pitch," William Flaiz takes you inside the pitching process, where it takes a shrewd intellect and steady hand to deliver the knockout pitch that makes the client wonder how they ever got along without your firm.

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Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 6, 2008

SEW Experts: Keywords Without Ego

It's hard to believe that some marketers will measure success by the improvement of a popular keyword. In today's SEM Agency Issues column, "Keywords Without Ego," William Flaiz explains that high search frequency does not necessarily denote a great keyword, and ranking for a popular term does not a successful campaign make. While search positions give project managers a nice, clean number to report to their CEO, there's more to SEO than just ranking for ego terms.

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Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 23, 2008

SEW Experts: How to Take on a Major SEO Client

Taking on a large search engine optimization client can be a daunting proposition. In today's SEM Agency Issues column, How to Take on a Major SEO Client"," William Flaiz shows that it's simple, when you break it down: first, give them what they need; then give them what they want. Finally, give them what they don't yet know they need.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 1:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 13, 2008

SEW Experts: Don't Hire a Butcher to do a Baker's Job

There are a few firms that I might believe do a good job of both Web design and SEO. Most Web design companies have no business claiming to "do" SEO. In today's Organic Search Engine Optimization column, "Don't Hire a Butcher to do a Baker's Job," Mark Jackson explains why Web designers and IT teams that claim to be handling SEO are probably not doing enough for your site.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 9, 2008

SEW Experts: Optimization by Numbers

In the complex world of online marketing, you will likely be asked to run several digital programs at any given time. While getting these programs off the ground can be an achievement in itself, the real challenge is campaign optimization. In today's SEM Agency Issues column, "Optimization by Numbers," William Flaiz discusses ways to keep track of what is working, and identify which channels you should invest in further or pull the plug.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 4, 2008

SEW Experts: Small Business Growing? Know When to Let Go

If you're spending more time on search marketing than actually running your business, it might be time to outsource. If you depend upon search to grow your business, and you don't have time to monitor, test, learn and implement search marketing practices, giving up some control to achieve your big-picture goal may be a viable option. In today's Small Business Search Marketing column, "Small Business Growing? Know When to Let Go," Carrie Hill outlines some factors to consider before making the decision to let go of the search marketing reins.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

February 29, 2008

SEW Experts: Drowning in Red Tape: SEO and Pharma Regulations

In many industries, regulatory issues can add considerable complexity to an SEO implementation. The challenge is not to let that complexity get in the way of a campaign's success. In today's Outsourced column, "Drowning in Red Tape: SEO and Pharma Regulations," William Flaiz describes some ways to navigate the waters of SEO for a pharmaceutical client.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

February 22, 2008

SEW Experts: How to Market Your Search Engine Agency - Part 2

Although we're in the business of marketing, there are many different things to consider when writing your own marketing plan. In today's Business of Search column, "How to Market Your Search Engine Agency - Part 2," Fionn Downhill continue her exploration of different ways to market a search engine marketing agency, such as networking, referrals, and partnering.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

February 12, 2008

SEW Experts: SEO Outsourcing: Don't! Until You Read This

One basic rule in life: it's difficult to buy things you don't understand. SEO can be difficult to understand, especially for marketing folks who'd rather put the search budget into PPC campaigns, which are easier to understand and buy.In today's au Natural column, "SEO Outsourcing: Don't! Until You Read This," Mark Jackson discusses the basics everyone should be asking during the RFP (request for proposal) stage, and offers a free SEO RFP template.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

December 21, 2007

SEW Experts: SEM Agency: Uphill Battle? - Part 2

After deciding to go out on their own to start a search marketing agency, the main stumbling block for many people is a lack of organizational skills. In today's Business of Search column, "SEM Agency: Uphill Battle? - Part 2," Fionn Downhill covers some basic principles necessary for success.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

December 10, 2007

SEW Experts: Search Engines, Silos, SES Solutions

Not long ago, it was easier to justify the existence of disparate marketing functions, each working within its own domain. Today, consumers move between touch points with ease and expect consistent and meaningful messages to be delivered on their terms. In today's Search Ads column, "Search Engines, Silos, SES Solutions," Matt Spiegel shares details of a panel discussion he participated in at SES Chicago where it was noted that if we begin by asking questions about the needs of the consumer, then the goals of the business silos are naturally harder to justify.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

December 3, 2007

SEW Experts: SEM Mentors: The Apprentice

In a previous column, it was suggested that the search marketing industry needs to take responsibility in solving the search marketing staffing crisis. In today's Search Ads column, "SEM Mentors: The Apprentice," Matt Spiegel shares an exchange with an SEW reader, an SEM apprentice turned mentor.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

November 29, 2007

SEW Experts: Brand Strategies for Search Marketing - Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we showed you how to convince your executives to buy your own brand terms, even when you already rank first organically for these terms. Now the question is: How do I properly manage and measure my paid brand terms? In today's Brand Equity column, "Brand Strategies for Search Marketing - Part 2," Erik Qualman shows you why dumping these terms into your portfolio is not a wise move. See how to prevent brand terms from covering up weakness in other areas.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

November 9, 2007

SEW Experts: SEO Engineers Keep Agency on Track

There's a dirty little secret about SEO. Most people have absolutely no idea what we do. In today's Outsourced column, "SEO Engineers Keep Agency on Track," William Flaiz breaks down the role of the SEO engineer – the life-blood of any successful SEO team.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

October 9, 2007

SEW Experts: How to Avoid Hiring a Bad SEO

Do you know the tell tale signs of an inept search engine optimizer or SEO company trying to pull a fast one? In today's au Natural column, "How to Avoid Hiring a Bad SEO," Mark Jackson offers some tips to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

September 28, 2007

Got IT? Optimized Code + Crawlability ≠ SEO

Since Chris Boggs has moved on from a big agency to a small one, he's passing off his column to a former colleague. In today's Outsourced column, "Got IT? Optimized Code + Crawlability ≠ SEO," Avenue A | Razorfish VP of SEO William Flaiz debunks the common IT myth that SEO is all about making a site crawlable, and the thought of bringing an SEO partner into the mix is just a waste of time and money.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

September 20, 2007

Is Your Search Integrated Like Chunky Monkey?

Integration in search is like integration of Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavors. If you're in the market for a search vendor, you might have something to learn from the boys in Vermont. In today's SearchDay, "Searching for Options: Integration Spells Sweet Success," John Tawadros writes that while options abound, successful integration has its rewards.

However you decide to engage in search, be sure to choose your search marketing vendor wisely, and give careful consideration to the importance of integration in the process. Otherwise, you could end up with a melt-down on your hands, and a sticky mess that could take more than a few napkins to clean up.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:05 AM | Permalink

September 14, 2007

SEW Experts: Baking SEO into a Full Fledged Interactive Work Plan

In today's Outsourced column, "Baking SEO into a Full Fledged Interactive Work Plan," Chris Boggs discusses where SEO belongs in a strategic online marketing plan. If you think you know the answer, you may be surprised by this week's Outsourced column.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

August 31, 2007

SEW Experts: In-House Vs. Outsourced: What Is the Best Solution?

In today's Outsourced column, "In-House vs. Outsourced: What's the Best Solution?," Chris Boggs ponders the relationship between in-house and agency search experts, asking the question, "Can't we all just get along?"

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

August 27, 2007

SEW Experts: Tips for Being a Great PPC Client

In today's Search Ads column, "Tips for Being a Great PPC Client," Tony Wright tells you what it takes to be a great PPC client, getting the most out of the client-agency relationship.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

August 14, 2007

SEW Experts: How to Select a Search Engine Optimization Firm

In today's au Natural column, "How to Select a Search Engine Optimization Firm," Mark Jackson points out some issues to keep in mind when selecting a vendor to handle your search engine optimization efforts.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

August 3, 2007

SEW Experts: SEM Support Tools for Enterprise-Level Projects

In today's Outsourced column, "SEM Support Tools for Enterprise-Level Projects," Chris Boggs tells you about the latest SEO tools for enterprise-level projects and diagnostic tools that provide site-specific SEO recommendations.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink

July 20, 2007

SEW Experts: The Guts of an Enterprise-Level Web Analytics Audit

In today's Outsourced column, "The Guts of an Enterprise-Level Web Analytics Audit," Chris Boggs gives you the lowdown on a site side analytics audit, to help you overcome one of the biggest problems faced by large companies: knowing how to interpret Web analytics data.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:01 AM | Permalink

July 6, 2007

SEW Experts: Enterprise SEO Project Pricing: One Size Does Not Fit All

In today's Outsourced column, "Enterprise SEO Project Pricing: One Size Does Not Fit All," Chris Boggs talks about the challenges of scoping an enterprise-level SEO project.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:35 AM | Permalink

June 8, 2007

SEW Experts: Predicting ROI for Future SEO Efforts

In today's Outsourced column, Predicting the ROI for Future SEO Efforts, Chris Boggs continues his series on calculating ROI with a look at predicting ROI for future SEO campaigns.

Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 9:32 AM | Permalink