In his new book "Search & Social," iCrossing VP of Strategy Rob Garner discusses the marriage of social and search and why real-time content marketing will become imperative. Content marketing is not a new topic or strategy, but the role it plays in search experience marketing (SEM) continues to change. Create -- don't disseminate. Make it shareable, not just comparable. And optimize, optimize, optimize.

What's the annual salary of search engine optimization marketers and will the need to optimize content, both new and co-created with consumers, based on behavior change educational requirements for specialists? A new survey provides details on SEO salaries by city and title.

Marin Software and Kenshoo released data Wednesday that reveals an increase in percentages spent on paid-search ads during the Thanksgiving Day 2012 holiday weekend compared with 2011. While marketers increased budgets, consumers spent, spent and spent again.

Consumers rarely differentiate between devices when shopping online, but "laptops" rated as the No. 1 shopping query, followed by Nexus and Apple Mini. Variables in searches for electronics should clue in marketers on budget allocations and strategy.

Intent. Marketers know every search engine query relates to intent. Intent to make a purchase, intent to travel from point A to point B, and intent to research information to perform an act. Intent begins with an aim or purpose. So when I read the Sunday 'New York Daily News' piece on how Casey Anthony murder trial investigators missed a Google search for "fool-proof" suffocation, I became dumbfounded.

Consumers' love affair with online and mobile shopping continues to rise. On Thanksgiving Day online purchases rose 17.8% -- up from 16.4% midday compared with the prior year, according to IBM, which continues to benchmark the transactions.

Don't discount the impact of display advertising on paid-search ads or search engine optimization. Numerous studies throughout the years have detailed the impact of display on search marketing, and the impact of search data on display ad retargeting. Integrated online marketing strategies require a variety of media, from search to display to mobile.

Branded content is becoming increasingly important to search marketers in driving awareness for search engine queries and social media pages on sites like Google+ and Facebook. Optimization is key. This year budgets rose to $1,725,736 -- up from $1,640,107 in the past two years, according to a report released Tuesday.

Conversions no longer happen from just one device. Several can contribute to the download of the white paper or the sale of jeans. Last weekend I relied on a Wi-Fi connection, a smartphone and a tablet to make a purchase from Nordstrom. This cross-channel conversion continues to become the norm, highlighting the need for stronger bid management platforms that automate and optimize paid-media campaigns, such as paid-search ads running on desktop, mobile and social platforms.

Someone fills out a form on a company Web site to download a white paper, enter a contest, or leave contact information to inquire about products and services. How fast should reps respond to the online lead? A study provides some suggestions.