Evan LaPointe describes how to make the handful of reports available in Google Analytics the safety net that keeps an eye out for missing pieces to SEO strategies. These reports can identify canonical issues and duplicate content, but it's important not to rely solely on them as the watchdog, he writes. "All of this redirecting can potentially cause some major integrity issues in Google Analytics, or any analytics tool for that matter," he writes. For example, redirects can remove critical URL parameters for tracking paid search or other marketing campaigns, or prevent the analytics tool from determining …

Inconsistency in content and disconnected navigation between pages on Web sites can become the biggest reason for high bounce rates and lack of traffic from search engines, according to Jack Aaronson. He explains these are traps you can easily fall into and provides insight on how to dig your way out. For example, get your creative director to look at each element individually when each is designed, and then look at the entire page once all the elements come together. Make sure there's a clear focus on the home page and that there is a place site …

Keywords help people find information on Web sites from search queries on engines, but when that information doesn't exist on the Web site, visitors will likely not return. The keywords that people type into search engines need to correspond with the keywords on your site. If they don't, it could be construed as keyword stuffing. James describes keyword stuffing as the "process of selecting relevant and irrelevant keywords and placing them on your site even if its presence does not fit the rest of your content."

Integrating online with offline marketing should become a top priority. Melissa Mackey provides some tips on the topic to help you make the most of marketing dollars. Bottom line is finding the keywords that tie offline promotions into online campaigns, Mackey writes. If the printed ads send a main message about fall specials, research the phrase "fall specials" to find relevant keywords online.

If you haven't started preparing for the holiday season, better wake up and start now. Amber serves up five paid search holiday tips to get you started. Among them are running keyword promotions early and creating a holiday gift finder landing page.

John Battelle compares conversations with search. He asks why in conversation people can typically get to the point within 30 minutes or less, but it takes much longer for search engines to find the core. Battelle answers the philosophical question with an anecdote. It appears he once asked Google cofounder Larry Page to describe his dream search engine. It's the final point in a series of three Battelle posts on the subject of search and decision making.

Landing pages play a significant role in determining relevance because search engines look for keywords in both queries and ads that appear on the page, according to Benny Blum. Knowing this can help you gain the most from PPC traffic for less money. So, Blum serves up tips on how to index at the top of search query pages, emphasizing the importance of an uncluttered page with a focused message. He provides a graph that illustrates the quality score for Google and the quality index for Yahoo, as well as a definition to help put the scoring process …

Fishkin once believed SEO began with the user, but SEOs shouldn't ignore the importance of search-engine targeted tactics. But then he realized even that's not true. So he lays out a series of charts intended to illustrate that focusing solely on "user-targeted SEO" is a mistake. Instead, he notes, "SEO is a task that requires paying close attention to the needs of both users and engines. You can't be an effective SEO without it."