Eric Enge creates a condensed, seven-step SEO audit to-do list for those who need to complete the process in one day. Identify strategic issues and identify problems, rather than fixing them. THe list includes each step as well as suggestions for tools to use during each, and screen shots illustrating the process.

Nick Stamoulis believes it's important to build a variety of sources for link-building. One reason is that if Google ever labels the link-building tactic as black hat, then the bulk of the links now sit "on the wrong side of the Webmaster Guidelines," Stamoulis writes. In the video, he explains how to build a diverse and balanced link-building strategy.

Give stuff away. That's Mike Essex's tactic for improving a brand's online position. He serves up 99 ways to gain links by giving stuff away. The tactic increases chatter. There are nine styles from which to choose, including product giveaways, helping charities, and holding competitions. Each bulletted point offers a short solution and summary -- for example, as a prize offer, a free advertising spot on the Web site.

Rand Fishkin provides the most recent update to last week's launch of the latest Linkscape update with data crawled and indexed in August. There were significant changes in the index -- particularly in link counts, Fishkin writes. So he took time to explain the data and provide a graphical comparison beginning with August 2010, along with SEOmoz's process and challenges, and what SEO experts can expect in the next three months.

Data drives traffic from engines to Web sites. But it's one thing to gather and parse the data from keywords to research to analytics, and yet another to act on it. Rand Fishkin serves up tips on taking keyword metrics and turning them into site visitors. He suggests that marketers should not rely on comScore data for referring traffic, but instead, compare it with market averages. Fishkin tells us why.

Bethany Bey explains six tips to make negative keyword strategies stronger in paid-search marketing campaigns. In the video, she tells marketers to think negatively. For starters, think about the words that should not serve up paid-search accounts. Paid-search ads that serve up to the wrong consumers can lower click-through rates and raise cost per lead. For example, an infant clothing store might not want to serve ads to parents with teenage kids.

A Web site must resonate with visitors to prompt an emotional response that leads the consumer to buy or download something. KISSmetrics explores how to best cultivate emotional bonds with consumers, and points to factors that influence purchase decisions through anticipation, trust and joy. The infographic shows how to cultivate these three emotional responses to build desire and loyalty for products and services.

Google has introduced new tools for publishers in ad-serving technology and in the ad exchange DoubleClick Ad Exchange. Neal Mohan tells us how video and mobile in DoubleClick for Publishers allows publishers to manage video and mobile ads from one ad server -- the platform they use to schedule, measure and run the ads sold on sites. He also explains the new tools in DoubleClick Ad Exchange, which now enables advertisers to take their ad to a pool of competing ad buyers.

Chris Bell analyzes Google's foray into social. He believes Google's +1 button gives the search giant information on segments, tell us how Google+ and the circles in the platform play a role, and what it all means for marketers and advertisers. Best of all, he writes, it provides a "richer bucket" of data, making it more difficult for publishers to "game" the ad system.

Yahoo's search engine marketing biz might have been handed to Microsoft to help bump up returns, but display advertising isn't doing too well either these days. In fact, display revenue fell in the second quarter for Yahoo. Wayne Powers explains causes that led to the decline, and how the company plans to recover.