Published Search Marketing Articles

Have You Optimized Your Paid Search Campaign Lately?
published on SEOchat.com - 2/21/05
A paid search, e.g., pay-per-click (PPC), campaign on Google or Overture needs constant management and optimization. This article I wrote for SEOChat.com discusses PPC bid management, keyword optimization and landing page creation with the goal of helping you get the most out of your PPC campaign without overspending.

Over Optimization Penalities in Google - Myth or Reality?
published on SEOchat.com - 3/7/05
I meant this piece on over optimization penalties in Google to be speculative, as most theories about Google and other SE algorithms must be since exact ranking methodologies are highly proprietary. If you read the article in its entirety, you will see that I have ruled against the existence of an over-optimization penalty in Google, although I do believe that sites can certainly be penalized for various offenses (as seen through the eyes of Google).

Keyword Strategies for Hybrid SEO/PPC Search Campaigns
published on SEOchat.com - 3/15/05
This article discusses the merits of creating a combined SEO and PPC search marketing strategy and provides you with some guidance on how to get started selecting keywords that compliment both SEO and PPC campaigns. Brief information on forecasting search volumes and setting up a paid search campaign is provided.

Forecasting Your PPC Budget in Google
published on SEOchat.com - 3/23/05
It can be daunting for website owners to set up a new pay per click campaign in Google. Taking the time to forecast your budget and understand your payment options will save you a lot of money throughout the life of your campaign while ensuring maximum exposure of your ads throughout the month. But how do you know what terms are going to cost the most and what amount of money you should bid on them? This article discusses the nuances of setting up a campaign that ensures you get the maximum amount of ad exposure and clicks without going over budget.

Budget Forecasting Continued - Tackling Overture
published on SEOchat.com - 3/29/05
A follow-up to my article about budget forecasting on Google, this article focuses on the specific nuances of setting up a PPC campaign in Overture, using the free tools that Overture provides advertisers.

SEO Tools and Tricks that Help You Think Like a Search Spider
published on SEOchat.com - 4/4/05
Inspired by all those mournful webmasters out there who wonder why their website doesn’t rank well in Google, this article a lists some of the most common problems such as a deficiency of relevant backlinks, high keyword density, messy code, poor navigation and much more. It also presents some tools and techniques that are freely available to help you diagnose the potential problems.

Why Google is a Tactic Not a Strategy
published on SEOchat.com - 4/5/05
Marketers, webmasters and business owners love Google so much that we’ve actually made it into a verb. However, are we Googling the forest for the trees? This article examines our dependence on Google as the only avenue for traffic, leads and sales and discusses the pitfalls of over-reliance on one tactic to achieve success in your business. The overall recommendation is to roll Google into a comprehensive marketing strategy (as appropriate) so that a low-ranking in Google won’t mean disaster for your business.

E-Marketing Budgets - How Big is BIG?
published on SEOchat.com - 4/18/05
Marketing budgets come in all sizes and it can be difficult to know how much is the right amount to spend on advertising, particularly in the online space where the tactics are endless. This article attempts to calm your fears that your budget is too small as well as help clarify what it means to have a really big budget in the online space. Hint: online budgets can be much smaller than offline budgets and still reach a huge amount of people.

SEO Forums: The Voice of the Industry
published on SEOChat.com - 4/25/05
A close look at the top SEO forums, where the industry experts converge to share knowledge and generally make the universe a lighter, brighter place. Forums highlighted in this article include SEOChat.com’s SEO forum, Search Engine Watch Forums, Jill Whalen’s HighRankings.com forum and Webmaserworld.com.

Six Ways to Measure SEO Success
published on SEOchat.com - 5/2/05
This article outlines some key metrics to include in a simple, straightforward monthly report that helps demonstrate the success of your SEO campaign. The goal here is to help you clarify the progress of your SEO initiative using bottom-line statistics that can be understood by all levels of management.

Content, Optimization, Links - Oh My!
published on SEOchat.com - 5/9/05
An article addressing the basics of good, clean natural search engine optimization. Strong content, the most ignored and most effected SEO strategy, on-page optimization - the tried and true tactic we all know and love and links, the newest darling of the search engine industry. Strictly back to basics stuff, but sometimes it’s good to revisit your roots.