Marketers can't automate all parts of a campaign, according to Aaron Wall. That's where "you have to be creating value where the algorithms cannot." Google offers free research and keyword management tools to tap into semantic analysis to mine and group related words, but Wall doesn't think companies should rely solely on the Mountain View, Calif., company's services. It's important to explore other options because relying too heavily on Google could turn your business into a commodity. "One of the healthiest things a worker can do is explore something they know nothing about," he writes.

There's a correct and wrong way to do hire an outside search engine marketing firm, according to Carrie Hill. Those with limited skill sets and available time might want to outsource the works to help you concentrate on what you know. Following Hill's list of rules could make or break your return on investment. Among them: Formulate a game plan. Do your homework. Know who you're hiring, listen to your gut, and set clear goals.

Taken aback by Eric Ward's article "Elephant in the Link Building living Room" Debra Mastaler writes an opposing view. As a "staunch supporter" of using directories to secure links, she writes that it's insulting and inaccurate to suggest "all link builders sell useless submission services or the directories are white elephant." Mastaler defines "directory," lists 15 "good general" directories, and details the process of submitting to the sites. She believes directories are hubs that make up one-half of the authority equation, a factor incorporated in both PageRank and TrustRank algorithms.

Stop obsessing about rankings if you really want to measure the effectiveness of your SEO campaign, Jill Kocher tells us. Ranking can differ for each searcher. The success or failure of a particular company may boil down to the search results. Understanding this phenomenon is an effective way to help your SEO team focus on measuring what really matter. Kocher points to personalization, number of results displayed, data centers and geographic location as factors that can influence search engine query rankings.

Security in Wordpress has received a lot of attention lately. But while many people view this as a site maintenance issue, security has much more far-reaching implications that can affect SEO efforts, according to Michael Gray. He explains why and looks at some things you can do to reduce the damage and protect your site. Gray explains it is possible to retain the "SEO value" in the site without "completely sacrificing security," and serves up tips on how to do it. Make backups, isolate Wordpress data from other databases, and installing the Login Lockdown plugin to help prevent …

The most valuable links you can gain are those your competitors will never have. These words to live by have been used time and again, but are worth repeating, according to Rob Ousbey. He looks at how the statement applies to various link building tactics, and then looks at how to find new opportunities. Ousbey provides guidance on gaining links through directories, creating specific content to attract links, and purchasing exact match domains. He suggests starting the project by writing a list of everything that sets you apart from competitors, both online and offline. Get others in the …

Mike summarizes a post by David Mihm, who wrote a recent article in Search Engine Land about issues with local categories in Google Maps. It highlighted several ways Google might facilitate interaction between small and medium-size businesses with the Local Business Center. Around mid August, Google made some minor "but interesting changes" to the category feature. The company began requiring that the first field be chosen from their drop down list; otherwise it generates an error message. Custom choices or suggestions from the list are required for the four remaining fields. Mihm explains why.

Marty Weintraub give marketers a six-minute self-audit to determine if the PPC expert you hired is asleep on the job. The tips offer "guerrilla protocol for a 30,000-ft. PPC-vendor gut check," he says. There are many ways to evaluate the success or failure of a PPC account. The testing requires you log into your AdWords account. He provides instructions, complete with screen shots, to walk you through the process.

Google recently expanded the beta test of the Opportunities Tap in AdWords, a feature designed to help advertisers find cost-effective traffic in their pay-per-click accounts. Carrie found this feature effective for keyword expansion, but want to share some cautionary tips. Carrie explains that the tab replaces the "Tools" section in the interface and acts as a stepping stone for further optimization tool expansions in the future, but it did not replace any existing Google AdWords tools. You can still find all the other keyword and ad tools in the left-hand navigation in the Opportunities Tap.

Brad Geddes tells us about six AdWords reports that, when used effectively, can give you the majority of insight you need to analyze your accounts daily. He takes you through these reports to provide insight into your accounts, and suggests starting with the AdWords to analyze keyword data. This report shows metrics by keyword in the account. There are several reports, which Geddes explains: keyword report, search query report, placement performance report, ad text report, geographic performance report and impression share report.