Increase click-through rates, don't ditch the account, keep things organized, and -- load times matter. These are among the tips Amber serves up so brands can achieve "awesome" quality scores and increase PPC performance. The scores are based on relevance to the search query keyword, so the higher the score, technically, the less you pay for the clicks and the higher the position achieved in the search results page.

Knowing the fastest rising search terms on YouTube could give marketers insight on what keywords to buy, especially as video becomes the hot advertising medium for 2010. Jamie Davidson, associate product manager at Google, makes a list and checks it twice. To develop the list, Google looked at view counts of YouTube's most popular videos, but Davidson tells us that in some instances the search engine aggregated views across multiple versions of the same video. For example, the fastest rising YouTube search term for November globally was "bad romance," vs. "adam lambert" in the United States.

When you have to move a Web site, aim to make the transition seamless for users and search engine crawlers. P.J. Fusco explains best practices to help implement changes trouble-free. She suggests testing the relocation process by moving the contents of one directory or sub-domain first. Then, she explains how to use a 301 permanent redirect map to transfer authority from the old Web pages to the new destination.

Mark Fillmore tells you how to determine if your Web site suffers from URL confusion. He explains that any URL-related SEO issue visible to search engines during their normal crawling activity increases URL confusion. For that reason, he makes some suggestions on what not to do, including giving search engines duplicate versions of the same page, though each might have a unique URL. Search engines might choose the one you least expect -- thus throwing off Web site rankings in search engine queries, he explains.

In case you missed it, Lisa Barone asks an interesting question: Is Google moving in the wrong direction? And as Barone steps through the search engine's mantras, from "don't be evil," to "organize the world's information," I can't help but think that the underlying theme seems to shout "Where's the simplicity now?" Barone writes "Google was about taking the strain off doing whatever it was you wanted to do. That's what I liked." Complexity turns people off. Simply, Barone poses the question if enough is enough.

How would a search engine determine the difference between local search terms and those global search terms with no specific local intent behind them? Bill Slawski points to a recent patent application from Yahoo that explores several ways to tell. This patent looks at user data related to searches and attempts to identify whether a query is "regionally sensitive" or lacks "location-based intent."

Ann Smarty steps through the process of promoting a business through local search engines. She points to important strategies to remember, such as understanding the "good old KISS principle" (keep it simple, stupid), and taking rumors and myths with a grain of salt. The long checklist includes information on title pages, meta-descriptions, list of local search engines, and tips on creating business profiles.

David Harry gives us many reasons why conversation rates make a poor SEO metric. He writes that there are not only some "inherent risks" in thinking about considering conversions as a metric, but a "fair bit of naivete as well (not to mention insulting to the entire conversion optimization industry)." Although unlikely an unpopular view, he explains there are too many potential factors out of the SEO's control that can affect overall conversion on Web sites and Web pages. He tells us to start by considering the elements affecting conversions, such as incentives and customer service.

Start any SEO project by defining business goals. A business goal might be to increase non-branded traffic by 25%. While that advice is a given, Eric Enge provides insights and details on how to measure the results of these SEO efforts. He walks through the importance of ranking reports, adding links, considering non-branded search traffic, reviewing visitor engagement, and considering conversions.

Charles Lumpkin shares an easy way to get links from.edu domains. In a short video, he says the first step is to find colleges to sponsor by searching engines for clubs and organizations related to the educational institution. Then contact the Web administrator and tell the person you want to sponsor the organization. In return, you would like them to give you a link back from their site to yours. Lumpkin also explains why it's important to have.edu links.