Google Maps is rapidly becoming the go-to source for many searchers in need of local business info--and business owners have begun monitoring their Map listings (which include info like phone numbers and reviews) accordingly. But Mike Blumenthal says that Google isn't quite meeting the needs of these local business owners--as evidenced by the laundry list of unresolved complaints that are constantly posted to the Google Maps for Business Group discussion boards. Blumenthal includes some of the complaints in his post--with most of them centering on erroneous info. "URGENT," wrote one business owner. "My business listing is …

The giant seems to be getting quite comfortable tinkering with the core SERP, and Barry Schwartz (by way of Tamar Weinberg) has spotted the latest innovation--a second search box within the organic results. Currently only showing up within listings for mammoth sites like Amazon, Wikipedia and The New York Times, the second search box allows users to search within the given site while still on the Google homepage. Questions remain about whether this feature will only come up for sites that already use Google tech for their own site search--and more importantly--how it will influence user behavior and …

Spammers don't just want to set up their own made-for-AdSense sites or PII-stealing Yahoo Search Marketing ads--they want to use your account to run scams too. Whether they burrow into your PPC account and set up stealth campaigns that you don't notice, or go all-out and dump ridiculously high cost keywords in, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, the goal is the same--to get you to pay for their clicks. Greg Laptevsky lists some steps you can take to prevent that from happening, as well as what to do if you get scammed. "Run keywords …

Attaining Google AdWords Certification can be one of the first steps an entry-level search pro takes to break into the industry, since according to Greg Meyers, the tutorials and quizzes serve as a great outline of the best practices for paid search in general--not just for Google. But having that certificate on the wall or the badge on a Web site "doesn't make you a good search marketer," Meyers says. Only hands-on experience and quality campaign performance can do that. "The Certification provides many great things, but it also becomes over-rated and does not necessarily give you a …

It can be hard to decide whether to continue handling search in-house or hire a consultant or search firm--so Carrie Hill offers food for thought for small and medium (perhaps even large?) business owners who are facing this decision. "You didn't grow your business to what it is today by not being passionate about what you're doing," Hill says. "The same applies to being passionate about search. If you don't have enthusiasm for search marketing, and enjoy the time spent diverting you from other parts of your business, you may be better off hiring someone who does." …

Ever been faced with an unhappy client who is sure that your efforts to remove duplicate content, and improve things like site functionality and visibility, had actually led to decreased traffic and sales? When Stoney deGeyter was faced with a similar situation, he turned to Web analytics to validate the SEO efforts. In terms of the declining traffic claims, deGeyter aimed to see whether there was a difference in traffic to optimized pages vs. pages that hadn't yet been optimized. "If we found that while other pages show a decrease in traffic by X amount but the pages …

The task of constantly creating fresh, relevant Web site content that draws users in can be daunting--especially for smaller business owners. So why not let the customers do some of the work by creating a section or microsite for user reviews? Bazaarvoice's Jeff Watts cites findings from past comScore and Jupiter Research reports that proved that online shoppers sought out user ratings and reviews more than any other info resource. And those reviews also often contain highly targeted keywords that relate to the company's products or services--making them a great source of organic search traffic. "When …

Louise Rijk serves up a comprehensive guide to optimizing video for search, including why you should develop a pre-optimization strategy, tips on tactics like video branding and watermarking, and the benefits that come from making a concerted effort throughout the process. Rijk starts with a rundown of the two main types of video sites--general or video search engines, and social nets or video sharing sites--and the different features they offer users and search marketers. She follows with the case for developing a dedicated video search marketing and optimization plan--as knowing which sites you're going to submit to will …