Final Lap for Week of Oct. 31

Final Lap time again! Check out some of the great stuff our team The Pit Crew read during the week of October 24.

Stoney deGeyter (@StoneyD)

Proof that Google’s Secure Search Now Affects More Users
by Rachael Gerson

Google is rolling out the new secure search to more users, and we all need to be prepared for the outcome.

Mike Fleming (@mflem25)

Dear Internet Marketers: Stop Building Your Careers On A Single Commoditized Skill
by Scott Cowley

I like Ian Lurie’s list of skills internet marketers should have because it represents a transformation that our entire profession has been seeing over the last several years, not just the copywriters. It is not enough to be copywriter or community manager or customer service specialist. The truth is, people are hiring cheaply for these positions at a time when every dime matters.

Advertising Companies Fret Over a Digital Talent Gap
by Tanzina Vega

When the Ad:tech advertising technology conference hits New York next week, marketers, advertising agencies and recruiters may spend less time listening to the panelists and more time working the floor to find new employees.

Annalisa Hilliard (@ahilliardm)

Get the Marketing Basics Down Before Worrying about SEO
by Nick Stamoulis

Too often site owners jump the gun when it comes to SEO. While I appreciate an enthusiastic site owner, it’s important to make sure that the rest of your marketing basics are in order BEFORE you start worrying about rank, visitor growth, bounce rate, conversion rate and so forth. If you don’t fully understand exactly what you are trying to accomplish for your business and brand, SEO isn’t going to be able to tell you.

Viral vs shareable: Do you know the difference?
by Hugo Guzman

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had an executive at a Fortune 500 company (or an agency stakeholder for said company) skim through the real meat of a social media plan or strategy and then assert that they what they really need the next Old Spice idea, etc. and so forth.

A New Way of Looking at Ranking Factors
by Danny Sullivan

SEOmoz readers are no strangers to the concept of search engine ranking factors. In general, much of the community that comments seems to delight when some new factor is discovered that may provide a potential ranking boost. Who wouldn’t, right? But in this post, I’d like to suggest that perhaps some refocusing on the “forest” of the ranking factors world, rather than the individual “trees” that populate it, might be in order.

Jen Carroll (@martijen)

The Smartphone Wars Are Over
by Kit Eaton

Statistics, arguments, sales figures, and passionate explanations claiming one or another smartphone platform has sold or will sell more than another in a specific market might litter the web for a while to come. But, really, it’s all over but the shoutin’.

Google Penalizes Overstock for Search Tactics
by Amir Efrati

Google Inc. is penalizing Overstock.com Inc. in its search results after the retailer ran afoul of Google policies that prohibit companies from artificially boosting their ranking in the Internet giant’s search engine.

An honest look at being a Social Media consultant
by Mack Collier

Typically, I am loathe to write personal posts here, because I think I am boring y’all to tears, but I wanted to do so today. Over the past few months, I’ve had several discussions with people that are working in this space as the umbrella term of a ‘social media consultant’. What prompted me to write this post was because several times I have heard from friends that are struggling, and they assume that since they are struggling, that it’s a direct reflection on their abilities as a consultant. They also assume that most consultants are doing extremely well, so if they aren’t, that further cements the idea that they just aren’t ‘cut out’ for this type of work.

What’s the best thing about online marketing that you read this week? Leave us your comments.

Jen Carroll

Jen Carroll, Pole Position Marketing’s social media and content marketing strategist, brings more than 15 years of business writing and communication experience to Pole Position Marketing. She can also talk your ear off about English lit, history, J.R.R. Tolkien and scads of other captivating topics. Mention them at your own risk. Read Jen’s full bio.

Follow Jen:

   

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Google+
• Print
• Email