SEM Articles

Below, you will find a selection of articles written by Anvil staff. This selection of our more recent e-marketing articles provide insights into Anvil’s strategic approach to search engine marketing.

Categories:

Search Engine Marketing

5 Ways to Tackle Google Analytics’ Keyword Limitations
RainToday by Jason Kane

50 Good Reasons to Quit Digital Marketing
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Five Steps to Generate Search Engine Visibility, Authority and Quality Links via Public Relations
SEMpdx Blog by Kent Lewis

9 Marketing Strategies You Must Stop Using — Now
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

2013 Search Engine & Social Media Marketing Predictions You Can’t Ignore
Business 2 Community by Kent Lewis

Mobilizing Your Marketing: Integrating mobile into your mix
Communication World Bulletin by Kent Lewis

A Guidebook to Effective Review Management
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Freeman

5 digital media trends you should embrace
iMedia Connection By Kent Lewis

Your Guide to the New Sales Funnel
iMedia Connection Feature by Kent Lewis

Preparing for Link Armageddon
Search Engine Journal by Jeff Bedford

SEO Without the SEO
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Freeman

Anvil Media’s 2012 Search Engine Marketing Predictions (Part 1)
Business 2 Community by Anvil Team

Anvil Media’s 2012 Search Engine Marketing Predictions (Part 2)
Business 2 Community by Anvil Team

Entering the Golden Gates of Search Marketing: A Guide to Getting Your First Job in Search
Search Engine Journal by Jeff Bedford

Stop Vomiting Stats: Make Regular Reporting Useful
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

3 Ways to Boost Hotel Search Engine Rankings
Hotel News Now by David Backes

Google News Round Up – What You Need To Know

Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Not Too Big to Fail: How Google Can Help the Little Guy
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

The Infographic Slam Dunk
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

From NonProfit To Agency: 3 Search Engine Marketing Tips I Wish I Had Known
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

Digging Deep with Internal Site Search Part I
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Digging Deep with Internal Site Search Part II
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Get More From Your Marketing Agency in 6 Easy Steps
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Google’s +1 is No Facebook “Like”
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

My Eyes! The Goggles, They Do … Everything?
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

5 Search Engine Marketing Tips I Wish I’d Known
Search Marketing Insider by Andy Lohr

Dynamic Pricing: E-retail Panacea or Looming Customer Crisis?
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Online Marketing Summit 2011 – Key Takeaways – A to Z
Online Marketing Connect by Hallie Janssen

Anvil Media’s 2011 Search Engine Marketing Predictions
by Brooke Snow

7 obsolete digital marketing strategies
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis
Also syndicated on EO Overdrive

Looking Forward – E-Commerce Strategies for 2011
iMedia Connection by Kim Toomey

How to Win With Your SEM Agency
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

The Biggest SEM Challenges for 2010
Online Marketing Connect article by Kent Lewis

How to Choose an SEM Agency
SEMpdx article by Mike Nierengarten

Anvil Media’s Search Engine Marketing Predictions for 2009
More contrarian, dangerous and potentially humiliating SEM predictions

1+1=4: Search Engine Marketing and Email Team Up to Boost Revenue
The symbiotic relationship between SEM and email is natural yet often underutilized

Five Steps to a Successful Career in Search Engine Marketing
SEM careers offer greater earning potential than your current dead-end job
Also syndicated on Business2Community.com

Building Brick and Mortar Sales Via The Web by Kent Lewis
Six effective methods for building measurable online-to-offline conversions
Also syndicated on Business2Community.com

SEM PR – When Search Engine Marketing Meets Public Relations
Part 1 of 2: Traditional PR provides a critical foundation for SEM PR

SEM PR – When Search Engine Marketing Meets Public Relations
Part 2 of 2: The SEM PR Process: Best Practices for eMarketers

Comparing Search Engine Marketing to Rocket Science
The debate rages on, powered by Anvil rocket fuel

Search Engine Marketing Predictions for 2007
Yet another year of contrarian, dangerous and potentially humiliating predictions

A Look Ahead at 2006
Contrarian, dangerous and potentially humiliating predictions

Beyond Clicks & Conversions
DMI News by Kent Lewis

Defining Your Search Philosophy
SearchNewz by Kent Lewis

The Business End of Search Engine Marketing
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Think Global, Act Now
Nine steps to an International marketing strategy
Also syndicated on Business2Community.com

Search Engine Strategies San Jose Offers Validation and Recognition for SEM
Search Engine Marketing Industry Thrives in Current Economy

The Lowdown On Affiliate Marketing
Speaking about the latest Web marketing craze

Convergence: Advertising In The New Millennium
What happens when the TV and the PC collide

A Look Back: Making Whoopie With Online Marketing
An entertaining, although carbon-dated, introduction to Internet marketing

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Pay-per-Click Advertising

Why You Should Buy Branded Commodity Keywords
PPC Associates Blog by Nate Gancher

Do You Have a Screen Based Marketing Strategy?
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Freeman

101 Search Marketing Tips For Hotels
Tnooz by David Backes

3 Effective Strategies for Securing Digital Marketing Budgets
Online Marketing Connect by Kent Lewis

Nonprofits: Stop Leaving Free Money On The Table
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

Don’t Forget About Display – 3 Tips To Get Started Quickly
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

Advanced LinkedIn strategies for marketers
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Are Your AdWords Campaigns Ready for Mobile? Answers to 5 Common Questions
Search Marketing Insider by Heather Schwartz

Mother Jones and the A/B Test
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

4 Tips for Streamlining Mission Critical PPC Tasks
Internet Marketing Institute by Heather Schwartz

Holiday PPC – 5 Tips You Can Still Do to Maximize AdWords for this Season
Search Marketing Insider by Leisa Hall

Congrats! You’re A Winner At The Game Of Paid Search
Search Marketing Standard by Mike Nierengarten

Taking PPC to the Next Level: Discover hidden campaign performance data in Google Analytics
Pay Per Click Insider Tips article by Kim Toomey

A Common AdWords Mistake that is Probably Costing You Money
Pay Per Click Insider Tips article by Leisa Hall

PPC & SEO Belong Together Like Peanut Butter & Jelly
PPC Insider article by Nick Herinckx

Gearing up for the Holiday Season, Pay Per Click Style
PPC Insider Tips article by Heather Schwartz

The Power of the Google AdWords’ My Client Center
PPC Insider Tips by Mike Nierengarten

Search Engine Marketing Specialization Hurts Overall SEM Campaign Effectiveness
Separating out SEO and PPC management can do more harm than good
Also syndicated on Business2Community.com

Are Your Content Network Campaigns Affected By Click Fraud?
Click fraud on PPC content network campaigns hits 28 percent

The Four Es of a Successful Pay-per-Click Advertising Program
Pandia Search Engine News by Kent Lewis

A Banner Year For Advertising
Understand what banner ads can’t do for you and why

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Search Engine Optimization

11 Essential Tools for Link Building
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Who Will Rule After Google?
Search Marketing Standard by Nate Gancher

A Goldmine of Content Resources
YouMoz Blog by Jeff Bedford

Build Links Like You’re Popular–and Get Popular
Search Engine Journal by Jeff Bedford

Google algorithm updates affect search
Hotel News Now by Brooke Snow

How Google’s Panda and Penguin are affecting your site’s rankings
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Exact Match Domain (EMD) Update: Did Google Change Its Mind?
Search Marketing Standard by Chris Slowik

Large List of Keywords? Think Keyword Themes Instead of Individual Keywords
Search Marketing Standard by Chris Slowik

Leveraging Pinterest, Instagram for Hotels
Hotel News Now by David Backes

3 Ways To Compete In The Hybrid SEO-Social World
Target Marketing by Ben Leftwich and Hallie Janssen

Don’t Be Afraid Of A Brighter SEO Tomorrow
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

5 Small Tips to Find Big SEO Problems
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Keyword Research: Turn Off The Computer And Turn On Your Brain
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

That Bing You Do
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

How To: Track Keyword Categories
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Searchfest Recap: My Favorite Takeaways
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

JC Penney & SEO: The New York Times Article
Social Search Marketer by David Backes

Top Pages in Webmaster Tools: Use It or Lose It
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Google Instant: Quaint new feature or small business killer?
Portland Business Journal by Kent Lewis

Track Your Marketing in Google Analytics
AboutUs by Hallie Janssen

Testing the Water with Link Bait
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Make sure you show up in search results
AboutUs by Hallie Janssen

Active Link Building With Press Release Optimization
Online Marketing Connect by Nick Herinckx

Google Search (I Do) Suggest
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Gasp! You Still Need to Care about PageRank
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Despite the News, SEO is Not Dead
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Some Tactical Tips for Tracking the Long Tail
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Drive By Reviews & Online Reputation Terrorists Part 2
LocalMarketingMastery.com by Nick Herinckx

SEO without the SEO
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Breadcrumb URL Display: A Review
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

You Can’t Optimize Cardboard
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Have you optimized your crawl equity?
Search Engine Journal column by Rachel Andersen

Packaging Makes Perfect
Search Engine Journal column by Rachel Andersen

Win the Google Quality Score Battle – For Real This Time
Search Engine Journal article by Rachel Andersen

Love & Hate with Google Webmaster Tools
Search Engine Journal column by Rachel Anderson

BFFs: Users and Search Engine Friendly Sites
Search Engine Journal column by Rachel Anderson

The Importance of Site Search Optimization and Analytics
A Site Search Engine Optimization and Analytics How

Seven Ways to Make Money off Your Blog
Blog benefits expand beyond awareness, branding and personal therapy

How to Ensure No One Ever Visits Your Blog Twice
A Review of the Top 25 Most Popular Blogs

SEO PR Efforts Boost Visibility and Sales
Pandia Search Engine News by Kent Lewis

Bad Guys Always Wear Black Hats
WebProNews by Kent Lewis

The Three Cs of Search Engine Optimization
MarketingFind by Kent Lewis
Also syndicated on SEMA eNews

How to Build a Search Engine-Friendly Web Site
DM News by Kent Lewis

SEO Compass: Site Map and 404 Error Pages
Two powerful weapons in the battle for search engine visibility and customers

Working Your Way to the Top
How to win the search engine war

Top Ten: Best Online Research Tools
Look no further, for tools that…er… help you look further

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Local SEO & Mobile Marketing

5 ways to optimize a hotel’s local presence
Hotel News Now by Brooke Snow

Google+ Launches Pages for Businesses
Business 2 Community by Jason Kane

Mobile PPC 101: Five Changes to Make Now
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

Use Local Listings To Rank Higher in Mobile Search
AboutUs by Brooke Snow

Mobile Search Is Becoming Standard
AboutUs by Brooke Snow

Reach Customers with SMS and Mobile Email Ads
AboutUs by Ben Leftwich

Google AdWords for Mobile
AboutUs by Jason Kane

Mobile Search: What Every Local Business Needs To Know
AboutUs.org by David Backes

Which Came First – The Mobile Site or the Mobile Customer
iMedia Connection by Kim Toomey

Groupon comes with dangerous hidden costs for retailers
Portland Business Journal by Kent Lewis

Mobilizing for 2011 with a Mobile Marketing Strategy
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

2010 Local SEO Ranking Factors
Social Search Marketer by John McPhee

The Latest Happenings in Local Search
Search Marketing Standard by John McPhee

Local Search – The New Storefront
PPC Summit article by John McPhee

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Social Media Marketing

Mobile + Social: Five Hospitality Mobile and Social Learnings
Lodging News by Heather Schwartz

How One Creative Team Changed the Way We Will Cover Live Events Forever
Search Engine Journal by Jeff Bedford

Six Alternatives to LinkedIn Questions & Answers
Business 2 Community by Kent Lewis

The 9 Dumbest Ways to Measure Social Media
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

The Ultimate Guide to Video Marketing on YouTube
iMedia Connection By Kent Lewis

Is Your YouTube Strategy DOA?
Search Marketing Standard by Chris Slowik

Leveraging Pinterest, Instagram for Hotels
Hotel News Now by David Backes

First Look: Social Media (Marketing) Evangelist Job Description
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Why You Should Fire Your Social Media Marketing Manager
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

The Social Media Metrics That Truly Matter
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Don’t Be Creepy: Make Visitor Privacy Transparent
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

3 Social-media Timesavers for Busy Hoteliers
Hotel News Now by David Backes

The Academy Awards of Social Media Strategy
Search Engine Journal by Jeff Bedford

How to be a Rock Star on 8 Social Media Platforms
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

9 Ways to Lose Friends and Alienate People In Social Media
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

3 Tips To Keep Your Social Media Content Calendar Full
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

Speak Your Customer’s Language On Social Networks With SEM Keyword Strategy
Search Marketing Standard by Hallie Janssen

Chicken Or The Egg? Does Great Content Or A Fan Base Come First On Facebook?
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

Live Blogging from BlogWell Seattle: How Big Brands Use Social Media
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

How to Become a Social Media Guru in 3 Easy Steps
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Rise Above The Noise: 3 Tips For Successful Corporate Twitter Accounts
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

Top social media platforms for businesses
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Checking In Or Checking Out? Predicting The Future Of The Check-In Industry
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

5 Reasons for Brands not to Outsource Social Media Marketing
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis
Also syndicated on EO OverDrive and ORLA Lodging News

Cheeseburgers Or Electron Microscopes: Social Media Is Still An Essential Strategy (Pt. 1)
Cheeseburgers Or Electron Microscopes: Social Media Is Still An Essential Strategy (Pt. 2)
Search Marketing Standard by Ben Leftwich

Why Only Idiots Promote Their Brand’s Facebook Page via Traditional Media
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Five secrets to creating a compelling social media presence to secure your dream job
MyResumeInfo by Kent Lewis

4 Marketing Myths About Social Media
Online Marketing Connect article by Kent Lewis

It’s Not Rocket Surgery – Social Media Usability
Search Marketing Standard by Hallie Janssen

Newspapers: Go Social or Go Home
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

Measuring Social Media Campaigns – Goals And A Plan Are Key
Search Marketing Standard by Mike Nierengarten

Top 10 Reasons Why Businesses Should Engage In Social Media
The Kent Lewis Experience

Social media can amplify impact of traditional marketing
Portland Business Journal by Kent Lewis

Where Search Meets Social
B2C Marketing Insider by Kent Lewis

6 socially savvy brands
iMedia Connection article by Kent Lewis

Five common pitfalls sink many social media campaigns
Portland Business Journal column by Kent Lewis

Are You There Facebook? It’s Me, Rachel
Search Engine Journal column by Rachel Andersen

Creating A Social Media Savvy Resume by Kent Lewis
Social media profiles as the new career currency
Also syndicated on Business2Community.com

6 Social Media Platforms at-a-glance
iMedia Connection article by Kent Lewis

The importance of having a solid Twitter strategy
Search Engine Journal column by Rachel Andersen

Idiotproof Social Media Marketing Optimization Strategies for Businesses
Managing your online brand reputation in the age of universal search

Ten Tips For Optimizing Your Online Persona
B2C Marketing Insider by Kent Lewis

Awkward Social Media Relationships: Inevitable?
Search Engine Journal column by Rachel Anderson

Dear Facebook, I Think You Forgot Your “A” Game…
Search Engine Journal column by Rachel Anderson

Decrease the Twitter Drop Out Rate & Increase Retention
Search Engine Journal column by Rachel Anderson

How Social Media Networks Facilitate Identity Theft and Fraud
EO Knowledge Base by Kent Lewis

Three Critical Elements of a Successful Social Media Marketing Campaign
B2C Marketing Insider by Kent Lewis

Integrating Search and Social Media into your Marketing Mix
Truly integrated marketing strategies factor in SEM & SMM

LinkedIn and Twitter Profile Optimization for Dimwits
By Kent Lewis

Social Media Monitoring and Analysis: Brand Building or Corporate Crusher?
The social media phenomenon offers companies tremendous insights

Get the Bug: Viral Marketing Unmasked
Sitepoint by Kent Lewis

Candidates Cast Vote for The Internet
By Kent Lewis

Top 5: Viral Marketing Efforts
A recap of the best and worst of viral efforts as seen in email near you

Truly Viral: Extending Your Brand Via Newsgroups
You’ve never seen a niche community like this. Here’s what you can do about it

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Site Usability & Conversion Optimization

Turn Website Visitors into Customers via Conversion Optimization
Business 2 Community by Kent Lewis

Big Data Apps: The Ultimate in Conversion Optimization
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Freeman

A Smooth Launch For Your Website
AboutUs.org by Nick Herinckx

When to be a Conversion Optimization Rebel
Post-click Marketing by Kim Toomey

Close the Sale with Insightful Product Information
Structuring your product pages with the customer in mind

How to Increase Your Contact Us Form Conversion Rate
Fine-tuning the inquiry process leads to additional sales

Building Trust Online To Build Sales
Seven elements that improve conversion
Also syndicated on Business2Community.com

Marketing with Multimedia
Minimize the impact of unintuitive design on marketing-focused sites

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Online Reputation Management

Taking Control of Your Company’s Online Reputation, Part 1
Taking Control of Your Company’s Online Reputation, Part 2
Online Marketing Strategies and Tactics by Brooke Snow

BP Reputation Management FAIL
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Andersen

The New FTC Guidelines & You
Reputation Watch article by Nick Herinckx

YourCompanySucks.com: Brilliant Strategy or Brand Suicide?
Online Marketing Connect article by Kent Lewis

The Ugly Truth About Online Reputation Management
A successful ORM strategy requires crossing a few Ts
Also syndicated on Business2Community.com

Online Reputation Management: The New PR
Essential ORM strategies & tactics that can save your ASSets

Building and Managing Your Brand Reputation Via Search Engines
Using Search Engine Marketing Tactics to Promote Your Brand

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Business

The Official @SEMpdx #SearchFest 2013 #SEM Conference Recap
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

Hire for Culture, Talent and Traits, not Skills, Knowledge or Experience
Business 2 Community by Kent Lewis

What Every Agency Wants to Know—Feedback from the Other Side
Search Engine Journal by Rachel Freeman

Lessons from My First Year at a Digital Agency
Search Marketing Journal By Jeff Bedford

Four Strategies to Keep Your Client from Firing You
Business 2 Community By Kent Lewis

7 Ways to Sabotage a (Timeshare) Sale and 10 Ways to Save It
Business 2 Community by Kent Lewis

First Look: Social Media (Marketing) Evangelist Job Description
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

#SXSW Interactive 2012 Recap: A Noob’s View
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

The 5 Ws of a Winning Startup
Business 2 Community by Kent Lewis

Three Tips for Getting the Most from Your Business Mentor
Business 2 Community by Kent Lewis

The Sponge & the Trailblazer: Making the Most of Your First Job in Search
Search Engine Journal by Jeff Bedford

The Three F’s Every Successful Entrepreneur Should Master
Business 2 Community by Kent Lewis

Death by Discount: How Brands Fuel Unrealistic Consumer Expectations
iMedia Connection by Kent Lewis

The 7Ps of a Successful Business
Getting an MBA from the school of hard knocks
Also syndicated on Business2Community.com

Ten Secrets to Getting Your Dream Job
Get your ideal job today by following these ten easy steps

Referral-based Networking, Portland Style
Effective methods for building your business and increasing profitability

Money Business
A look at the top business resource sites and what you’ll find when you get there

Corporate Blogging: Killer App or Corporate Killer?
WebProNews by Kent Lewis

DotComedy: Courting Customers Via Email
Letting technology get in the way of your relationship can be a deal breaker

Top Ten: Tchotchke Watch
Looking for the best freebies around? Are those battery-powered socks?

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