SEM Resources
Here is a list of resources that I find very useful for search engine and social media marketing. This list includes forums, apps, webmaster tools, books, and other useful sites.
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Search Marketing & Webmaster Forums
Stumped on an obscure SEO question? Don’t know which free tools are better? Wondering what’s wrong with Yahoo Search Marketing? These are the forums I use in order to answer questions about SEO and PPC campaign management:
DigitalPoint Forum is focused on the the technical aspects of search engine marketing and is one of the fastest growing Webmaster related forums on the Web. DigitalPoint has grown its forum member base quickly due to the extensive set of free and unique tools provided to SEM professionals. Search representatives from both Google, Yahoo! and MSN hang out here, and with approximately 45,000 active members, and often 200+ active users at any given time, it’s a goldmine of knowledge.
High Rankings is run by Jill Whalen, one of the most known SEOs today. It’s focus is how to leverage content to increase your search engine rankings. Many well known SEMs participate in this forum, and Jill Whalen often will respond to your questions if you post them here.
WebmasterWorld is the largest and probably best known SEM forum on the Internet, but I personally think that Digital Point is organized better. SEM experts can be found here, as well as representatives from Google, Yahoo and other search engine related areas of the industry.
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Books About Search Engine Optimization
Aaron Wall’s SEO Book is a leading SEO resource focused on helping successful webmasters make money and increase their profits through driving targeted traffic to their sites by improving their rankings in Google and other major search engines.
I definitely recommend reading his blog, but if you don’t want to sift through all the content, you can download his 328 page ebook for $79, which includes free updates. It’s the encyclopedia of all things SEO, so if you’re serious about it, it’s worth the investment.
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Books about Paid Search Advertising
Winning Results with Google Adwords by Andrew Goodman
This book is a fantastic guide to implementing a PPC advertising program with Google Adwords. All strategies and tactics outlined in this book can be applied to operating PPC campaigns with other search engines like Yahoo, Looksmart, and MSN. Written by online marketing guru Andrew Goodman, this PPC bible will teach you how to:
* Learn to use the Google AdWords Keyword Tool to your advantage
* Maximize existing and familiar keywords–and remove negative search phrases
* Increase conversion rates and determine which traffic-tracking methods are right for you
* Systematically test ad copy and develop a plan for ongoing keyword discovery
* Adjust your ad campaign based on ROI data * Gain new customers and retain customer loyalty through smart ad copy
* Filter out inappropriate & irrelevant prospects
Buy Winning Results with Google Adwords!
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Blogging Resources
Search engines love blogs. Blogging is a fast way to get noticed on the web, create online conversations and buzz, become established as a thought leader, all the while generating great SEO benefits. Below are some popular blogging platforms:
WordPress
Blogger
Typepad
Vox
SEO, SMO and RSS Plugins for Wordpress
This site uses a number of plugins designed to maximize search engine visibility, harness the power of social bookmarking, and facilitate RSS marketing and distribution.
Of all the SEO plugins I reviewed, the only one that offered truly customizable title tags is Stephen Spencer’s SEO Title Tag plugin for WordPress. This fantastic and FREE plugin was authored by SEO specialist web agency Netconcepts. It allows you to:
- Override a page’s default title tag with a custom tag
- Allows mass editing of title tags for all posts, static pages, category pages, tag pages - in fact any url, at once
- Reverses the order of your blog name and title, giving more keyword prominence to your title, rather than the blog name