What makes Black Hat SEO such a derogatory term? In a field that's equal parts marketing, computer science and creative thinking, naturally there are tactics that will be embraced by some, yet shunned by others. But according to Shari Thurow, the idea that some search pros use strategies that are unethical, or could ultimately lead to negative results for the client -- without explicitly stating this -- is what makes so-called Black Hat SEO more offensive than not. Thurow uses anecdotes from SES San Jose and some examples of current client situations to illustrate why full disclosure of search …

While it's clear that Baidu is the leading search engine in China, there are contrasting reports about how rival Google's market share compares. For example, according to a Reuters article on Thursday, the U.S. search giant increased its search share by 4% in 2Q 07 (to reach nearly 23%) in China. Meanwhile, Baidu still maintained a significant lead, but only grew by 1% to snag 58% of the overall search market. But based on results of a new Chinese government-sponsored search survey, Baidu's market share may actually be as high as 75% (up more than 10% year-over-year), while Google's …

When it comes to major search engines, the giants seem relatively cemented in their number one, two or three spots -- but use of alternative search engines in verticals like image search, comparison shopping, and foreign languages is just as high in aggregate. Charles Knight lists the Top 100 alternative search engines each month, calling attention to search's long tail. Worth mentioning is October's Engine of the Month -- Exalead -- a customizable image and text searcher with rich features and a new (limited beta) collaborative search tool.

By now search firms, in-house search pros, and independent SEM contractors have been beaten over the head with the idea that including a "social networking plan" will be important for developing any future client search strategies. But how should clients really use social networking? Where does it fit? According to Jeff Quipp, it starts with setting attainable goals before search marketers even create their first profile. Using the acronym SMART, Quipp outlines a method for coming up with a tactical social media strategy that clients can stick to.

A Cre8asite forum member poses the question of whether there can really be such a thing as a search or SEO "expert" -- since the engines themselves keep the science behind their algorithms hidden, and no one can outright guarantee that the work they do for a client will snag the top, first page, or even conversion-generating rankings. Needless to say, the question sparked a discussion complete with caffeine-fueled responses, some chest-thumping, and a considerable amount of modesty. But the question remains: Do you consider yourself a search expert?

Hallie Janssen bundles the key takeaways from three panels at the SMX Local & Mobile conference in Denver. The tips include practical advice like: use a simulator to preview what a site will look like on the mobile Web; make sure that the user's offline experience mirrors the online one (i.e. if they call, is the receptionist or service rep knowledgeable? Is the store well lit and organized?). And Janssen also manages to include conversion metrics in the 13 quick hits.

Richard Brandt discusses the merits and flaws of a new service that blends search, social media and product reviews called Relevant Mind - yet another Web 2.0 amalgam that aims to use human power to sift through the mass of product information on the Net. Relevant Mind's goal is to help users find advice and reviews about products they want to buy -- and steer clear of recommendations that were created by the sellers themselves, bad reviews by their competitors, or even seemingly objective "sponsored" blog posts. CEO Aaron Mann explains how the service will work, and why …

In articles like the recent Forbes tech piece called "Google Purges the Payola," Google's Matt Cutts continues to educate non-search types about how paying for traffic and relevance-boosting links skews the search results (and therefore cheats searchers). But SEOmoz' Rand Fishkin uses screenshots and examples from a recent StumbleUpon session to show just how blurry the line between paid, "sponsored," and natural links really is -- and how some Web sites and blogs (including the aforementioned one from Forbes) either don't realize or don't care that they're breaking the search giant's rule.

Microsoft is offering its Office Live Small Business clients search marketing education and tools through a new partnership with The Search Agency. For a discounted price, the Santa Monica-based SEM firm will assist small business owners with everything from launching an optimized, engine-ready Web page, to managing PPC campaigns. But according to Marketing Pilgrim's Jordan McCollum, the idea of a search engine endorsing (or offering) SEM services stirs up a conflict of interest and reinforces the perception of Microsoft's continued attempts to build an "evil" empire.

According to Search Engine Journal's Associate Editor Eric Lander, site owners striving for high organic rankings with the new Yahoo search will need to "become more involved with both social and media hosting online." His guide skims the surface of how to use many of Yahoo's upgraded search features for optimization -- including the Upcoming service for posting events, uploading and tagging videos for inclusion in Yahoo Video -- as well as maintaining a relevant Flickr account to make sure that the engine's crawler indexes all of a Web property's available images.