Over 100 Different Resources for Marketers to Start

How do new marketers learn SEO and Pay Per Click? How do professionals stay current with search marketing tactics considering the sheer volume of social media distraction? Below are the top categories selected by readers. However, we’ve taken it a step further and listed over 100 different resources for marketers to start, maintain or advance their level of SEO, PPC and any other type of search based marketing. Enjoy!

Search Engine Marketing Blogs

• TopRank’s BIGLIST of over 400 Search Marketing Blogs (updated weekly/monthly since Jan 2007)
• invesp Ranked List of Top SEO Blogs
• Daily Blog Tips Top 25 SEO Blogs
• HuoMah Big Ass List of SEO Blogs
• FutureBuzz Essential List of Marketing & SEO Blogs
• SEOmoz Ranking 50 Top Blogs in the Search Space (2006)
• SEOBook SEO Blogs and Search Engine Blogs (2006)
• Fantomas SEO / SEM Blogs (2005)

SEO/SEM Blog Aggregators:

• SEOmash
• SocialBRoll
• SEOalltop
• Original Signal SEO Blogs
• SearchBrains

Testing Tactics on Your Own Web Sites

• A/B Testing resources: (Google Website Optimizer, 7 Free Resources)
• Multivariate Testing service: (Omniture)
• Heatmap & User Testing tools: (CrazyEgg, Clickdensity, Clicktale, userfly and Eyetools)
• Web Analytics tools: (Google, WebTrends, Omniture SiteCatalyst, Unica NetInsight, Lyris HQ,  Clicky, Yahoo, BLVD Status)
• Ranking Software: (Advanced Web Rankings, WebPosition, Web CEO)

Search Engine Marketing Forums

• WebmasterWorld
• Google Webmaster Help
• Sphinn
• Bing Webmaster Community
• Search Engine Watch
• High Rankings
• SitePoint
• SEOChat
• Search Engine Roundtable
• Cre8asite Forums
• Search Engine Forums
• WebProWorld
• Digital Point
• syndk8

Paid Subscription SEM Communities

• SEOmoz
• SEOBook
• WebmasterWorld Supporters
• SEO Dojo

Search Engine Marketing Webinars

• Search Marketing Now
• Search Engine Watch Free Webcasts/Webinars
• SEMPO Webinars
• Hubspot Marketing Webinars
• MarketingProfs Online SEM Seminars
• Marketing Experiments Web Clinics
• Inbound Marketing University

Search Marketing White Papers, Research, Special Reports

• Marketing Sherpa Search Marketing Benchmark Report 2009-10
• Econsultancy SEO Best Practices Guide 2009
• Google SEO Starter Guide (pdf)
• Bing SEO Guide for Webmasters
• DMNews Essential Guide to Search Marketing 2009
• Internet Retailer 2010 Search Marketing Guide
• Shop.org Research & Reports

SEO & SEM Email Newsletters

• Search Engine Land Search Cap
• WebProNews
• Search Engine Watch SearchDay
• Bruce Clay
• High Rankings Advisor
• Around the Net in Search Marketing – MediaPost
• SEO Geeks
• Search Insider – MediaPost
• BtoB Hands On Search
• Chief Marketer
• SearchLine – Direct
• Masters of eCommerce – eTail

Online Groups for Search Marketers (Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning)

• Facebook: SEO
• Facebook: PPC
• LinkedIn: SEO
• LinkedIn: PPC
• Ning: SEO
• Ning: PPC

The Big SEM Conferences

• Search Engine Strategies
• WebmasterWorld Pubcon
• Search Marketing Expo
• Affiliate Summit

SEM Consultant/Agency Advice

• TopRank Online Marketing – That’s right, we put our own agency – The reality is, your current SEO/SEM agency or consultant should offer some kind of ongoing education and/or training on top of ongoing consulting services. If not, call us!

Print Magazines

• Website Magazine
• Search Marketing Standard
• SES Magazine
• OMMA
• Internet Retailer
• BtoB Search
• DM News: Search Marketing
• Target Marketing: Search & Social

Offline Networking Groups or Meetups

• SEO Meetups
• PPC Meetups

Books on SEM

• SEO Warrior – John I. Jerkovic
• Art of SEO – Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Rand Fishkin, Jessie C. Stricchiola
• Search Engine Marketing Inc, 2nd Edition – Mike Moran & Bill Hunt
• Search Engine Optimization: An Hour a Day – Jennifer Grappone & Gradiva Couzin
• The Truth about Search Engine Optimization – Rebecca Lieb
• Search Engine Visibility, 2nd Edition – Shari Thurow
• SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible – Jerri L. Ledford
• SEO Made Simple - Michael H. Fleischner
• Search Engine Optimization: Your Visual Blueprint for Effective Internet Marketing – Kristopher B. Jones
• Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition – Steve Krug
• Building Findable Websites: Web Standards SEO and Beyond – Aarron Walter
• The Findability Formula: Easy, Non-Technical Approach to SEM -
• Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords – Perry Marshall & Bryan Todd
• Winning Results with Google AdWords, 2nd Edition – Andrew Goodman
• Google Advertising Tools – Harold Davis
• Landing Page Optimization – Tim Ash
• Website Optimization: Speed, Search Engine & Conversion Rate Secrets – Andrew King
• Inbound Marketing - Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah
• Best Selling “SEO” books on Amazon
• No, SEOBook is no longer available
• Coming 2010: Search Engine Optimization Secrets – Danny Dover
• Coming 2010: Marketing in the Age of Google – Vanessa Fox

Niche or Regional SEO/SEM Conferences and Workshops

• International Search Summit
• PPC Summit
• IM Springbreak
• Online Marketing Summit
• Scary SEO
• SearchFest
• thinkvisibility
• SEM Training London (Incisive)
• SMX Advanced
• SEO Events on Upcoming
• Google AdWords Seminars for Success
• Search Exchange
• SEOktoberfest

Search Marketing Industry Web Sites

• Search Engine Land
• Search Engine Watch
• Pandia
• SEOBook
• SEOMoz
• Practical Ecommerce
• SEO Chat
• Search Engine Guide
• iMedia Connection: Search

SEM Workshops, Training & Certifications

• Web Analytics Association Courses
• Bruce Clay Training
• High Rankings SEO Classes
• DMA Search Marketing Certification
• SEMPO Institute
• Market Motive
• Online Marketing Institute
• Search Engine College

Search Marketers on Twitter

• 30 Must Follow SEO Twitter Users
• 200+ Internet Marketing Gurus on Twitter
• Follow the Top 40 SEO Experts on Twitter in One Click
• UK  Based SEOs on Twitter
• SEO Tips
• @LeeOdden Twitter List of Search Marketers
• @Danny Sullivan Twitter List of Search Marketers

SEO & PPC Focused Podcasts

• SEO Rockstars – Daron Babin
• Office Hours – Vanessa Fox
• Webcology – Jim Hedger & Dave Davies
• PPC Rockstars – David Szetela
• SEM Synergy – Bruce Clay

What did we miss? Please share in the comments.

Most Expensive Keywords on Google’s AdWords

These are the most expensive keywords on Google AdWords Cost per Click (CPC) advertisement program. This list is a comprehensive list of keywords that are very expensive and the most competitive in cost per click advertisement on the Internet with the Google search engine.

5 Pay per Click Marketing Campaign Tips

Learn 5 Pay per Click marketing campaign tips and get a great start with your paid search marketing goals.

Trying to make an educated decision on what keywords for this Pay per Click campaign to use and of course pay for down the line. These days it is so easy to upload funds into the account and start running campaigns. There are a few points to remember when running Pay per Click marketing campaigns. Knowing them will keep you from wasting money.

1. Choose the Best Keywords

The wrong keywords will deliver hits that do not convert. Traffic is not what you want. You want sales and profit.

Stay away from too popular keywords with large traffic statistics. Avoid multiple word keywords. These get a lot of traffic; but not a lot of sales. With the wrong keywords, you could waste your budget in less than 24 hours.

Choose specific keywords relevant to what you are offering. The more specific the keywords are the less money you are wasting for traffic that does not convert.

2. Do not Bid on the First Spot

This tip is mainly to save on the marketing budget. The number one spot does get most of the traffic but is not necessary the most profitable. It is certainly the most expensive. Most browsers shop as we shop in stores. They will click on other spots besides the first one.

3. Write Ads that Attract Customers, Not Browsers

With the right ad, you will get the right visitor, and a sale.
It is not about writing clever ads and having much PPC real estate on search engines. After all traffic is not what you seek when you are paying for it. You want to attract visitors that turn into customers. Write ads for those visitors not for the mass traffic.

4. Make Your Landing Page Convert into Profit

Do not send PPC traffic, traffic that you pay for to your home page.
With only a few exceptions, the home page is never the relevant landing page.
A “landing page” is the website page that you send people to once they click your PPC advertisement.
Send browsers to the page that matches the search more. If it is a product search, send them to the exact product page, a service to the appropriate service. You want the browser not to look for what they left the search engine for.

5. Track your Conversions, Not your traffic
You want to know which keywords are profitable for you and which keywords are wasting marking dollars.

There are keywords in your campaign that are making you money and there are keywords that are wasting your money. By tracking conversions (leads or sales), by keyword, you’ll be more profitable.
These Pay per Click marketing tips are to avoid most common beginners mistakes. If these common mistakes can be avoided, you the advertiser will have better chances to succeed.