Search engines can use social signals in ranking algorithms, since mentions and Likes can lead to higher ranking in search queries. Aaron Wall's long post delves into blackhat social rank techniques such as creating fake profiles, and notes that it will take time for Google and social networks to iron out these problems. He also suggests more benign ways to use social media for SEO.

Danny Dover puts together a checklist of SEO tasks for launching a Web site. Putting the steps in order, Dover's critical list begins with "Targeting - Is the page targeting a specific keyword phrase?" and "Content - Does the page contain unique and indexable content targeting the applicable page?"

SEO professionals might be familiar with link-building in one market, but may not achieve the same results through international channels. Ben McKay provides tips, including how to consider local dialects, and notes that "Writing or rewriting copy by locally fluent copywriters is an absolute must."

Marketers must continually optimize more than keywords and bids. Andrew Goodman provides a case history showing that success is in the technique, not the market vertical or brand. Meaning any company following industry best practices can be effective at search.

A good landing page can increase leads, return on investment, and quality scores, but a bad one can sink a paid search campaign even before it launches, according to Caleb. An overload of information and lack of relevance on one page not only confuses site visitor, but Google's quality score, too. Clear instructions and relevant content on the landing page can prompt visitors to take actions like making a purchase or downloading a white paper.

Marketers looking to optimize Web sites might want to bookmark this one. Sherice Jacob's conversion tips includes everything from not requiring shoppers to register to checkout, to testing payment terms to see the ones that convert best such as "Buy now, pay later?" or "Buy 1 get 1 free?"

Conversion isn't about the features you and I like, it's about what clicks for the people that our sites are trying to convert, according to Stephen Cobb. Test features and use what works. Cobb serves up a bunch of tips, but here's the best one by far: "Try to develop a testing process that is as 'IT-free' as possible, and be ready with those numbers that show how testing can pay for itself, and more."

If you're looking for a good explanation of the terms "internal link hub" and "link nexus," Michael Gray's the man. He tells us how and why these strategies are important, provides examples on leveraging them, and even some cautionary tips. If after looking at your Web site you decide you don't have enough linking hubs and want to build more, Gray steps through some strategies to help.

Transitioning a small SEO project into a large SEO program isn't always easy, according to Bill Hunt. He presents a case history of a company paying for a segment of traffic they could/should get from SEO if they ranked better. Not ranking would cost them $2.3 million annually. Aside from sharing his strategy for this unnamed company, Hunt runs through a list and definitions of SEO activities.

Everett Sizemore explains there are many ways to build links into the homepage or blog page of an e-commerce Web site, but it's not as easy getting links into categories or product detail pages. These pages should rank best, but most sites prefer not to link to them. So, he explains how to solve the problem. The long list of ideas include everything from making holiday pages evergreen to creating category-level discounts.