This summer, Google+ cannonballed into the middle of the social networking pool. Whether it's the next big thing is still open to debate—but here's why Google+ matters to you: "Someone adds you to a circle? Get an email. Tags you in a photo? Get an email. You get the point," ... more

Want to increase Web traffic via organic search without breaking the bank? Learn three key ways to build and promote content on your website—and attract and maintain more visitors. more

Facebook may still rank second behind Google among the nation's most visited websites, but online Americans spend nearly four times more hours per month using Facebook than Google, according to data from Nielsen. more

Although Google remains the search engine of choice for most customers, you can't ignore the importance of optimizing for Bing—which currently powers nearly a third of all stateside searches. And at the Bing Community's Webmaster Center blog, Duane Forrester provides insight into Bing's SEO preferences. "[There] are a few items we love to ... more

When searching for information on the Internet, people tend to exhibit one of three distinct behavioral search patterns, according to new research by About.com, which explores the various mindsets that drive Web search. more

Need to stay on top of stats? Let the games begin. Make monitoring metrics fun, and learn how to keep track of your social media, search engine optimization, and email marketing efforts. more

Though overall global marketing budgets in the tech sector are increasing 3.5% in 2011, they are not keeping pace with annual revenues in the sector, which are expected to grow 6.5% over 2010 levels, according to a report by IDC. more

"In the United States, the franchise industry accounts for almost 40% of all retail sales," writes Dedric Polite at the HubSpot blog. "Unfortunately, many franchise companies with large networks of franchisees spread throughout the country are not taking advantage of on-page search-engine optimization best practices." To help change that picture, Polite ... more

Although online shoppers who arrive at retail websites via Facebook and Twitter are less likely than those who arrive via search engines to make a purchase, they tend to spend more money when they do buy, according to research from RichRelevance. more

"Beginning at the dawn of Google, when I first got my feet wet with PPC, you could learn everything in an afternoon," writes Jared Reed at SteadyRain. "These days, it seems like there's a new management tool, tracking metric, or ad product springing up every hour." Still, social media remains ... more

Google Sites led the US explicit core search market in August 2011 with 64.8% of search queries conducted, followed by Yahoo Sites with 16.3% and Microsoft Sites with 14.7%, according to data from comScore. more

Social networks and blogs now reach 80% of online adults in the US and together account for nearly one-quarter (22.5%) of the time Americans spend online, according to a report from Nielsen. That makes social media the top online category in the US, followed by online gaming, email, portals, search, ... more

MarketingProfs blogger and MPU marketing specialist Matt Snodgrass is thrilled about the upcoming MPU course, Search Marketing School, and offers 5 reasons why. more

Total measured advertising expenditures reached $71.5 billion in the first six months of 2011, up 3.2% from the same period one year earlier, according to data released Kantar Media. Spending growth eased slightly during the second quarter, reaching $36.5 billion, up 2.8% from a year earlier. more

"Every brand wants a cadre of evangelists who can help sway millions of readers with product reviews, blog posts, videos, tweets, etc.," write the Ivy Worldwide team in an article at MarketingProfs, "but the only way to do that is to allow influencers to make up their own minds, post ... more

Mobile local search is growing at unprecedented levels: 77.1 million mobile subscribers accessed local content* via mobile devices in January 2011, up 34% from the 57.6 million who did so one year earlier, according to a report by the Local Search Association (LSA). more

US advertisers are expected to spend nearly $77 billion on interactive marketing by 2016—as much as they now spend on TV—according to a new report by Forrester Research. By 2016, search, display, mobile, email, and social media together are expected to constitute 26% of all ad spending, up from 16% ... more

"As you get started in SEO, you'll read a lot about things you should be doing to optimize your website for organic search," writes Marty Diamond at the Diamond Website Conversion blog. "What you may not hear as much about, however, is what you should avoid doing." To help you identify ... more

The average email subscriber faces an inbox filled with clutter. Once she sorts through a variety of personal, professional and marketing messages, she won't look kindly on messy or incoherent email offers. "Without a well-crafted, clear and consistent design for your brand, your email is going nowhere in a hurry," ... more

In a post at Junta42, Joe Pulizzi discusses communication techniques he developed during frequent public-speaking engagements—300 in five years—and how they influence his online content. "The best idea I can share regarding public speaking is to keep it simple," he says. "To execute that concept, I stole a page from ... more

Since 2002, search and email have been the most popular online activities in the US and remain so today, according to a new report by Pew Research. more

If you're not an SEO expert, you might wonder what to ask when hiring SEO staff or consultants. How do you tell the difference between someone who knows exactly what he or she is doing and someone who just knows a lot of lingo? To help out, Rand Fishkin created an ... more

In a post at Conversation Marketing, Ian Lurie reports on the disappearance of Google's real-time search—and consequently, the disappearance of up-to-the-minute Twitter feeds from Google. "If you're a bandwagon-driven Internet marketer, and you go diving after the latest gimmick, then you're probably panicking about now," he writes. "A little voice ... more

"How can SEO hurt your business?" asks Olga Taylor in an article at MarketingProfs. "Consider a site that is not user-friendly, is repulsive to visitors (or attractive to the wrong kind), isn't competitive, or is lacking a clear value proposition and the support required to respond to inquiries or follow ... more

"Why does content matter?" writes Erika Potter at the OrangeSoda blog. "It's simple: credibility. Without credibility, your chance of converting viewers into customers goes downhill fast. It's vital that visitors to your site see your online business as a trusted resource."  To help you ensure that your online content is credible, Potter ... more