Scott Van Achte spells out a basic strategy for paid search keyword research. It starts with creating geo-targeted phrase or keyword categories in Excel, and then coming up with an exhaustive list of long-tail options. For example, a real estate agent in Seattle could go with "Seattle real estate" or get as specific as "3 bedroom apartment Seattle," "no-fee condo Seattle," and so on. Achte advocates using automated keyword research tools to supplement the list, then thinning out the phrases that are too broad or redundant. Now armed with a broad keyword selection, search marketers can start to …

AzoogleAds, a performance-based affiliate advertising firm with clients like Blockbuster, has jumped into the SEM game by acquiring San Francisco-based Bazaar Advertising, a search marketing and ad management firm. "It's really a technology and optimization play for us," said Michael Sprouse, AzoogleAds CMO. The company now has offices in New York, Toronto and San Francisco, and offers media services as well.

When a company changes focus (or gets a new CEO, CMO or other upper-level exec) it often gets a shift in marketing strategy -- and a revamp of its Web site. For a search strategist, it could also mean the undoing of months or even years of constant work on landing pages, site navigation and SEO. Outrider's Lisa Young offers five tips to think about before and during the site redesign process, including co-engaging the search, IT and marketing teams from the start; attempting to keep the same domain name at all costs; and staying on top of …

Web traffic and analytics firm Compete has been keeping tabs on the most "attention-getting" sites for the past seven years -- so a recent blog post about the Top 50 Web sites in 2001 revealed just how much the search landscape has changed since then. For example, as portals with search capabilities, MSN and Yahoo were almost neck and neck for the #1 spot, with 10.9% and 10.7% of the total online attention. In contrast, Google didn't even crack the Top 10, garnering just 0.54% of the attention in August of 2001. The post also shows …

Using posts of actual emails between a small business Web site owner and a Microsoft AdCenter sales rep, Dazzlin'Donna serves up a detailed account of a seemingly negative customer service experience. The owner decided to try MSN's paid search program, but was put off by repeated requests for him to actually export his Google AdWords reports -- information he was adamant about not providing. He ultimately chose not to work with MSN's AdCenter. The post raises questions about how much information the engines really need to help search marketers get results, and whether Microsoft's sales team dropped the …

In its quest to climb closer to the top of the search heap, Microsoft has snapped up comparison shopping engine Jellyfish.com, which pays consumers a rebate for any products purchased through the site. No word yet on whether the software giant will scrap the site altogether or let it continue as a branded subsidiary. One thing that's clear is Microsoft's interest in the engine's technology -- as posted to its official blog: "We think the technology has some interesting potential applications as we continue to invest heavily in shopping and commerce as a key component of Live Search."

Yahoo has officially announced upgrades to its search interface (and most likely the Panama algorithm). Images and video will now be bundled into the results (a la Ask 3D or Google Universal Search). To satisfy the push for search's Holy Grail of "increased relevancy," a new feature called "Search Assist" will offers users suggestions, query refinements and a list of related topics when they hesitate while entering search terms.

Even seasoned search pros sometimes struggle with getting a site to rank high (or at all) for one coveted keyword or category. And when that content-rich Web property with tons of in- and outbound links, snazzy video and optimal keyword density constantly snags the top organic listing for "one-on-one workout" -- but never for "personal training" -- it can be maddening. This posting from the OneUpWeb team gives a five-spot of reasons why a seemingly well-optimized site fails to grab top rankings for specific keywords. While some of the tips (like making sure title tags are used correctly) …

The challenges facing a business set to launch a new Web site come from all angles -- from coming up with enough content to choosing the style, theme and navigational structure, and of course --optimizing every page for maximum search penetration. In his piece, Scott Buresh just scrapes the surface of the uphill battle that brand new sites face with SEO, including their lack of incoming links and apparent "untrustworthiness" factor. Even more important, he provides possible solutions and pre-launch strategies. The key takeaway? Business owners should be thinking about SEO (and most likely working with a search …

The San Diego Business Journal gives a quick-and-dirty rundown of online marketing terms (as defined by SEMPO) for business managers who may hear the words often, but not quite know exactly what they mean. But pieces like this pose a number of questions: namely, how do you define terms like "organic results," "click-through rate," and "buzz monitoring," and are you sure that the client is using them the same way?