Thinking organic results served up by search engine algorithms are more relevant to most users' queries than the paid results? Search engines have, well, "largely manufactured this perception because each engine seeks to endear itself to users as an honest broker whose neutral algorithms will unerringly separate the wheat from the chaff," according to Kevin Lee. While appealing to assume organic results are pure, in reality it is much more complicated, and, in many ways paid listings provide better, more useful results than organic ones. The more likely the query has commercial intent, the more often paid search …

Are you measuring SEO success correctly? Do your analytics report properly? For businesses based on seasons, you should compare a year-over-year lift in organic search traffic. That's the advice from Mark Jackson, who suggests you don't use ranking reports because they are flawed and search results, in many cases, can change by the hour. If you measure SEO success against organic lift, make sure analytics are set up correctly. If you compare organic search traffic, year over year, have at least one year's worth of data, on the same platform. Jackson goes through several potential problems and solutions, …

Why do it? You might want to if you have changed domains, merged two Web sites, moved pages, or spelled a domain name incorrectly. Knowing the basics on how to do it is a handy technique, but using the proper redirect techniques to keep links flowing could prove invaluable. In step-by-step instructions, Shannon Hutcheson notes that it's important you know to use the 301 redirect because it acts as a natural bridge between the former and new URL location. The 301 redirection (used to permanently move locations) is SEO-friendly and the search engines treat it with more authority …

Make sure the same content on your site isn't accessible from several URLs. It could hinder search engines from finding the Web pages. In Part 5 of this series, Jordan Sandford takes us through fixing problematic Un-canonical URLs. Previous posts detailed how to fix protocols, domains and subdomains, URL paths, file names, case sensitivity, and query strings. Today, we learn about fixing a combination of any or all of the above. Any combination of these problems may be hidden on your site. All are potential snafus that arise from attempting to make the Internet easier and more forgiving …

Search engines can now crawl through to list about 50,000 Google profiles in search results. These Google profiles, a sort of public business card created from basic information about you in Blogger, orkut, Google Groups, Google Co-op and other Web pages, are embedded as iframes in pages that showcase user-generated content such as personalized maps, shared bookmarks. Loren Baker calls Google Profiles the building block to the foundation of Google's social map in the interactive Internet world, weaving basic user information the user chooses to share within Google results; whether that info be LinkedIn style business information or …

Web site security holes have begun to cause more sites to get hacked, so Google plans to run tests to alert some Webmasters if their content management system (CMS) or publishing platform looks as if it might have a security hole. Google will start by alerting 5,000 to 6,000 Webmasters, leaving messages for owners of potentially vulnerable sites in the Google Message Center, provided as a free service as part of Webmaster Tools. If you manage a site but haven't signed up for Webmaster Tools, don't worry. The messages are saved, so you can retrieve them when you …

Consider four factors for core term prioritization: search volume, target audience, profit margin, and ability to meet demand. Then keep in mind what people might search on tomorrow, especially when researching and prioritizing core terms. Avoiding this step is a big mistake people make when selecting and organizing keywords, according to Stoney deGeyter. It's important to analyze what consumers might want in the future because it could determine the keyword terms you use today. This is Part 5 of Stoney deGeyter's post on keyword research. You will likely see all dozen parts in this newsletter as he makes …

This introduction to Google Sitelinks explains what they are and why you need to know. The Sitelinks, which Google displays underneath the first "organic search result," help users navigate your site. Eric Lander explains that a simple branded query for a brand like "Disney" allows searchers to simply click their way onto popular topics and site sections like vacations, Mickey Mouse, or perhaps the Disney Store. Google interprets your search and produces immediate refinements based on what they believe most useful to you. From fundamentals to using social media tagging to score Google Sitelinks, Landers provides details about …

PR tactics can work hand in hand with search engine optimization to extend your online marketing efforts. Leverage your SEO efforts to help you achieve media coverage and exposure to bloggers that pick up news and information from sites like yours. A broader footprint on the Web creates new entry points for prospective customers and can also reduce negative search results. Search and social Web applications help people discover and track news story ideas and sources used in reporting, too. Make your content easily found. It can improve your media coverage.

If you are looking for a complete list of SEO resources, you might want to read "The Internet Marketing Handbook" compiled by Danny Dover during the past year. It is a compilation of the posts, articles, videos and tools that have served as his fundamental stepping stones. The information represents hundreds of hours of research by Dover, and spans from tools and on-page optimization, to content creation and indexing. The handbook is divided into six sections: Link Building, Keyword Research, Content Creation, On-Page Optimization, Crawling and Indexing Issues, and Social Media Marketing. Each section is also split into …