First of these was VerifiedSEO, who attempted to establish a system to verify SEO providers for a $99 fee. With a record 130 comments on Sphinn, the outrage from the community surprised many. It was hard not to draw the conclusion that Rhea’s activism had shamed many into action that day.

The campaign, led by Edward Lewis was successful, with the VerifiedSEO project closing it’s doors in the evening. The owner was shocked by the responses but admitted it had been a learning process.

Next against the wall has been TOPSEOs.com, who claim to be “The Independent Authority on Search Vendors”. I won’t go over the numerous complaints in this post but feel free to follow these links to understand the back story.

TopSEOs.com – A Review of the Top SEOs Paid Rating Service
TOPSEOs – Independent Authority on Search Vendors
Complaints and Discussion About TOPSEOS®

Particularly worrying was the insight given by Arnie Kuenn, President of Vertical Measures in this post on TopSEOs by Alan Bleiweiss and Mark Jackson at VIZION Interactive. Both previous customers of TopSEOs.

It’s easy to understand why these schemes upset so many in the online marketing industry. Especially when these operators have little or no interaction with the community they claim to police.

Any long-term marketer knows that standards are a common discussion topic in this industry. We circle through the same arguments every couple of years. It would be great if this current wave of activism could be directed into moving this debate forward.

However much the community dislikes TopSEOs and other companies profiteering from the lack of standards, they are fueled by the poor, ineffective or downright shady online marketing companies out there. For years these companies, big or small, have been a blight on the industry and hammered the reputation of professional SEO/SEMs.

If 2010 is the year to clean up the industry, we can’t ignore this elephant in the room.

There is a demand from clients for honest reviews of potential SEO/SEM suppliers. If the allegations of “Pay to Play” are true then TopSEOs has now become part of the problem not the solution. It’s unlikely they will be the last to respond to this need, as Edward Lewis has pointed out, the business model seems too profitable.

For the next group to try, take note. Standards can only be introduced by a group respected within the community. Their motivation, practices and business model must be completely transparent. Anything less will quickly place the proponents up against the wall – to face the wrath of the SEO revolutionaries.

** Afterwards Tom and Eric weren’t exactly sure at which point during their discussion the elephant had entered the room by David Blackwell, one of the artists who release their work under a Creative Commons license at Flickr – thank you!

Technorati Tags: SEM, SEO, Standards, TopSEOs, TopSEOs.com

[Search for "wp_list_pages" - one of the functions of WordPress]

[Search for "limitations of google analytics" - spotted by TalentGurus]

[Search for "html anchors" brings up w3.org]

In all cases Google is picking up the internal in-page navigation (HTML anchors) and pulling it into the SERPs. All site examples here are large, popular sites so this feature, as with site search box, maybe reserved for such cases. However this is definitely something to experiment with. In-page navigation is a bonus for usability so this could be a win-win tactic.

Also worth noting that Google has recently been experimenting with Breadcrumb navigation in their SERPs too.

Update: This new feature is explained over at the Google WebmasterBlog by Raj Krishnan (Snippets Team).

There are a few things you can do to increase the chances that [these links] might appear on your pages. First, ensure that long, multi-topic pages on your site are well-structured and broken into distinct logical sections. Second, ensure that each section has an associated anchor with a descriptive name (i.e., not just “Section 2.1″), and that your page includes a “table of contents” which links to the individual anchors.

Technorati Tags: Google, SEO, SERPs, Snippets

SearchCamp Philly Online Marketing Conference

The good news, this two day SEO conference is packed with speakers and is available for the amazing entry price of $21! The bad news, it starts tomorrow (6th). If I lived in the US this would be a must-attend for me, even with flights and hotel it’s on offer for a fraction of the cost of a mainstream conference pass. There’s still time, book yourself a late minute flight now!

ThinkTank 2008: Exclusive SEO Gathering

Next up is ThinkTank, an exclusive gathering of top SEO/SEM talent that will take place on the 26th-27th September in San Diego. The conference is a the idea of Dr. David Klein, who organises the popular Poker Championship held at PubCon. ThinkTank promises to be an awesome conference, with many well-known industry names already signed up.

There are no formal presentations, the aim is to create a relaxed atmosphere where the top minds in the industry can share knowledge freely. All attendees will be required to sign an NDA on arrival. Places are very limited so apply now for your chance to attend or check out this competition.

ScarySEO Conference

ScarySEO is the creation of well known SEO David Snyder and will take place at the Hilton Deerfield Beach/Boca Raton on October 24th-25th. Again, places are limited to 50 so this promises to be another close networking event, backed up by quality speakers. The price is also very attractive at only $200 per ticket (register here).

Technorati Tags: Conferences, ScarySEO, Search Marketing, SearchCamp Philly, SEM, SEO, SEO Conferences, ThinkTank

I first met Jill during the days of ThreadWatch when, as Graywolf writes, “website owners had cajones”. It’s a pleasure to be interviewing someone I respect both as a marketer and a friend. Enjoy.

Ethics has become a hot subject again. What can you tell us about your ethics or methods as a marketer and how/if that perspective has changed over the years?

My feeling is that ethics are a personal thing. It’s something you can’t really fake, at least not for very long. It doesn’t just apply to one part of your life, but permeates into every part — from your personal life to your business life. To me, being ethical and having integrity, whether it has to do with search marketing or not cheating on a spouse, or any other thing that may come up in your life — simply means doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.

What effect has Google moving the goal posts had on you, as a first generation online marketer?

Google has moved the goal posts? :D See, the beauty of the type of search marketing that I’ve always tried to practice and teach is that it makes your website fairly impervious to routine algo changes. Google changes their algorithm in order to close loopholes that search engine spammers exploit. So if you’re making your site the best it can be for your users as well as the search engines, you’re pretty safe!

As the philosopher George Santayana once wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.” Based on your experience in the industry, what mistakes have online marketers made in the past and what should we have learned from these?

Well, it really goes along with both of the previous questions. I’d say the biggest mistake is in trying to trick the search engines rather than just fixing your site. I compare that to putting a band aid on a broken arm! Now, that said, I only work with existing, legitimate companies. I do believe there may be different rules at play when you work with affiliate sites and the like, but that’s not where my area of expertise lies.

That said, it really is great to see that so many people have indeed learned from the past and are working to create great websites these days, rather than chase their tail with spammy tricks.

Many of the old-school marketers are keeping out of the limelight these days. Are they just too busy with work or are there other reasons?

I imagine the reasons vary between the people. Those who have been in the business for a long time have an easier time gaining clients, so yes, they may certainly be too busy to be in the limelight. And it may not be a necessary piece of their marketing plan. After all, being in the limelight is just a form of marketing and PR. Other search marketers are growing their companies, and have let some of their newer employees have the spotlight for awhile.

For me and High Rankings, being involved in the SEO conversation has always been an important marketing component, as well as the part I love the most, so it’s unlikely that you’ll see me disappearing anytime soon!

With the arrival of social media it sometimes seems to me that presentation has become more important than content. The loudest voices can drown out the more experienced ones. Past or present, which three online marketers do you wish we could hear more from and why?

One of my early online mentors was John Audette who ran the i-Sales newsletters (among other things). He was always someone worth listening to, which he proved often as he sold a number of companies. He’s basically retired from online marketing, but interestingly enough, his son (Adam Audette) is carrying the torch and continues to put out the LED newsletter and is becoming a voice in search marketing in his own right.

I also miss hearing the smart and witty common sense online marketing advice from my old pal, Scottie Claiborne. She’s still in the biz to a certain extent, but is focusing on her job as the Webmaster for her local library. She occasionally pops into our forum now and then and when that happens she still provides the same great advice as always!

I believe anyone else that I’ve paid attention to over the years such as Jennifer Laycock, Debra Mastaler and Kim Krause Berg, are still out there fighting the good fight. I can’t think of anyone else at the moment that I’d like to hear more from.

You’ve always worked hard to dispel SEO myths. What do you think are the biggest myths about social media and SMO?

For starters, the biggest myth is that social media is something new! Social media is just a fancy name for online communities, and they have been around since the Internet’s infancy. In fact, I got my start online using social media. First, on a BBS playing an online game (generally with teenage boys!) where you could leave messages for the others playing. Then through the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) where I created a parenting chat room.

That was not only social, but a way to gain business. My first clients were parents/friends that I met through our chat room. I think even old-fashioned email discussion lists would be considered social media. It was through those that I was able to establish myself as an SEO “expert” of sorts, way back in the late ’90’s. I also met other search marketers like Danny Sullivan, Marshall Simmonds, Shari Thurow and Detlev Johnson through those lists (and then later through in-person conferences).

So for anyone who thinks that social media or the use of it for business purposes is new, please think again! The thing about social media that seems to escape many people, is that it works best as a lead generator or a way to get links only when it’s used first and foremost for true social purposes. If you are using it because you think you have to, or as a duty, you’ll never discover its full impact. You really need to love it and be a real part of the conversation to get the most out of it. I would recommend choosing just a few social media sites that have the sort of community you are interested in, and stick with those, rather than trying to take part in all of them.

For instance, while many people seem to like Digg, that’s one I’ve never had much interest in because the discussions there are simply too nasty. I prefer to hang in communities that have some heavy-handed moderation which keeps the discussion on topic.

Currently, I’m finding Twitter to be one of the more interesting communities as you get to pick and choose whose information you see. If someone says stuff you’re not interested in or don’t like, you simply unfollow them! It’s a totally customized chatroom or forum discussion. I’ve discovered interesting websites through Twitter, as well as gained new subscribers to the High Rankings Advisor newsletter, and new members to the High Rankings Forum. I don’t use Twitter for that purpose, however, and really only participate because it’s fun!

The new search engine Cuil has been trumpeted this week as the next “Google Killer”. Do you see this attempt succeeding and if not, can you see anyone managing to dislodge Google from the top position?

It’s way to soon to know what will happen with Cuil. Their initial attempt left a lot to be desired, that’s for sure. I’ve been saying for many years that it’s really Google’s game to lose. Since they’ve permeated through the popular culture it will be extremely difficult for another company to dislodge them from the top position. They’d have to really start sucking big time, and another engine would have to be light-years better in terms of relevancy. While it’s not impossible, I don’t see either of those things happening anytime soon.

In the true tradition of the SMX “give it up” session, can you tell us one marketing tip you’ve managed to keep secret so far?

As I said as a panelist on the first give it up session, the biggest secret is that there are no secrets! There may be some new tricks out there that people keep to themselves, but since I believe that tricks are a silly way to optimize a website, I’ve got nothing for you in this respect. As with everything in life, there are no quick fixes. Search marketing is all about hard work, dedication and to a large extent, passion!

You can catch Jill Whalen speaking at Search Engine Strategies in San Jose in August or at PubCon Las Vegas in November. You can also follow her on Twitter.

Technorati Tags: High Rankings, Interview, Jill Whalen, Old-School SEOs, PubCon, SEO, SES, Social Media

Dan Thies is one of the most experienced SEOs in the industry, so when he releases a post or e-book you’d be wise to pay attention. Dan has just completed his updates for his free e-book “SEO Fast Start 2008″ and posted it to his site. You can download it here

This e-book is an excellent course to new or intermediate SEOs. It takes you through an optimisation process or strategy for a website, which Dan terms “The SEO Fast Start System”. Each stage is explained in clear, understandable terms and covers everything from the ideal site structure and recommended directories to PageRank sculpting (third level push).

This e-book is compulsary reading for my staff (and myself) and I’m very grateful to Dan for releasing this information free of charge. New additions for the 2008 edition have been helpfully notated, so previous SEO Fast Start readers can quickly scan for this new material.

Download SEO Fast Start SEO e-Book (97 page PDF)

Technorati Tags: Dan Thies, e-book, PPC, SEM, SEO, SEO book, SEO e-book