David Berkowitz, MediaPost's Search Insider, tests whether or not to use a ZIP code while searching the Web.

Trade journalists like myself are usually on the periphery of what goes on internally at the companies we cover on a day-to-day basis. Sure, we have our spies and our off-the-record discussions with sources, but for the most part, our task is to identify and write about trends, break news, and turn PR spin into news.

The ever-evolving search engine is growing up, quantifiable by the number of keywords people use to query search engines. Longer queries lead to more accurate information. Consumers have caught on, but what about advertisers?

It's time for the old-timers of marketing to wake up and incorporate search engine marketing into their game plan. SEMPO, an organization geared to do just that, aims to arm companies and consultants worldwide with the material necessary to garner professional attention to search engine marketing.

For some, search engine marketing is a science. People who write about SEM frequently refer to the "Google Dance." At the best SEM companies, however, this dance is really much more like the exotic, Argentinean Tango.

In today's Search Insider, Berkowitz explains why search engine optimization is necessary.

What's the most overlooked secret to running an effective search engine marketing campaign? Web design.

CONVERSION-OBSESSED MARKETERS. THAT'S WHAT WE ARE. That's a good thing and a good focus, until it becomes a bad focus. And yes, it is possible to focus too much on converting keywords in paid search advertising and ignore the power of brand impressions created by keywords that don't convert.

In today's Search Insider, John Tawadros, VP-iProspect, outlines the reasons why traditional ad agencies have tenuous relationships with search engine marketing firms.

First, introductions: I'm John Tawadros, vice president of search engine marketing firm, iProspect. I've been been invited to contribute a weekly column on search engine marketing (SEM).