by Jennifer Laycock I scan hundreds of feeds and read dozens of articles each day so you don't have to. From an influx of new search marketing business to a comprehensive guide to non-profit search marketing, find out which articles I dubbed as must-read for the small business crowd today.

by Stoney deGeyter Unlike many in our industry I'm not against what some consider annoying forms of advertising and marketing. I don't have a problem with cold calling, I don't think all unsolicited emails are spam and I don't think there is anything wrong with direct mail. Many of these things are frowned upon in the SEO industry, and I understand why. It's because there has been an abundance of "SEO" companies that engage in these methods, perform crappy service and ultimately rip people off. Every industry has its thieves. The ones in the SEO world have created a black mark that makes the entire industry look bad and has caused many in our industry to frown on legitimate forms of advertising. Before I go any further, let me state I'm not for blind cold calling or email spamming. Good marketing via direct mail is highly targeted, not just sent to random addresses. The same holds true for cold calling and email marketing. Good and proper marketing rules must be followed if you want your business to succeed long term. Bad Email Marketer, Bad!

by Sage Lewis Life isn't all "puppy dogs, roses, ice cream and cake," as Sage says. Despite all the hype and increase in internet traffic for Cyber Monday, Search Engine Watch still reports a decrease in projected online advertising from 14.5% to 8.9%. As we dive into the depths of this economic downturn, Sage shares some painful examples of how the market is affecting his own company. Check out our small business news site.

by Diana Adams Over the previous weeks I have made a deliberate point of talking about how important it is to use Keyword negatives to save money in your paid ad campaigns. I thought I would put together a quick lists of these top ten ways for saving money. Let's keep it really simple, counting down from #10:

10. Use negative keywords 9. Use negative keywords 8. Use negative keywords 7. Use negative keywords 6. Use negative keywords 5. Use negative keywords 4. Use negative keywords 3. Use negative keywords 2. Use negative keywords and the number one way to save money with your paid ad campaigns, 1. Use negative keywords

Tune in next week for a more detailed explanation. Check out our small business news site.

by Mack Collier

by Stoney deGeyter Anybody who knows me, or reads my writings long enough knows that I'm a huge fan of checklists. I'll build a checklist for just about anything. In fact, I pretty much need a checklist for just about everything I do. It's the only way I can remember to do what needs to be done. Now, I can remember to shower and brush my teeth most mornings (I sometimes forget on rainy weekends when I plan to stay indoors.) But when it comes to things that I don't do on an absolute daily basis, well, a checklist helps me to stay organized. I won't give you another checklist in this post, I've already provided a pretty comprehensive series of website marketing checklists. But I was reminded the other day of the value of making lists.

by Jennifer Laycock On a fairly regular basis, I get emails from readers asking me about SEO Training and SEO certification. While there's no shortage of options out there for in-person training, (including our own SBMU conferences) it can be difficult to get yourself or your team to the right place at the right time. Thankfully, quite a few options are springing up for people who are looking to expand their knowledge without leaving their office. No True SEO Certification It's important to remember there is no true SEO Certification available right now. With no official governing body of the industry, and no standards laid out to follow...true certification would be impossible. That said, several companies and organizations are now offering certification in the sense that they'll certify you've taken and passed their courses. There are quite a few options out there right now, but here are three I'd be most likely to recommend. Market Motive

by Mack Collier

by Jennifer Laycock I scan hundreds of feeds and read dozens of articles each day so you don't have to. From focusing on the keys to a good community to cheap ways to catch a customer's eye, find out which articles I dubbed as must-read for the small business crowd today.

by Jennifer Laycock