In reality, most firms that specialize in search engine advertising don't specialize in SEO, and vice versa. Though some services require some of the same skills (such as keyword research), SEO and search engine advertising are completely different animals. If you're looking to outsource SEO services or hire an SEO firm, here are some characteristics to review before hiring.

Keyword Research and Copywriting - Both SEO and search advertising require keyword research and copywriting skills. Yet writing Web page content is quite different from writing ad copy.

With ad copy, writers deal with only a limited set of words, including:

Many copywriters come from a print, advertising, or journalism background. This group might not specialize in Web and search copywriting. Search copywriters know how to write with keyword phrases and incorporate these phrases into sales copy without diluting either brand or copy. Search-friendly copy has a certain level of redundancy that might not be acceptable in a print medium or for that English paper you wrote in college.

Web Design, Development, and Usability - Placing keyword-rich text on Web pages won't increase search engine visibility unless crawler-based search engines can easily access that text. A site's design, page layout, navigation scheme, and information architecture are just as important as search-friendly copy.

Top search engine positions are not the be-all, end-all of SEM. After users click from a SERP to your site, what do you want them to do? Do you want them to click the back button or complete your call to action? If visitors aren't ready to take that action, do you provide other alternatives or an incentive to return to your site later? Conversion marketing is often overlooked in SEM. Finding an SEO firm that specializes in search-friendly design is difficult. Not only must this firm's staff have design skills, staff should have programming, development, marketing, Web analytics, and usability skills. Very few SEO firms have staff with technical and marketing skills.

Many firms that claim to specialize in search-friendly design consist of programmers having limited design and usability skills. I cringe every time I see a wrong color selection or removal of a clickable element because a programmer thinks it looks cool. Blue underlined text says, "Click me." Remove the underline, and the text looks less clickable. Change the blue to another color, and the text looks even less clickable. From both a marketing and a usability standpoint, making a call to action less prominent is a huge design mistake. Even if an SEO firm doesn't have individual staffers with multiple talents, make sure it has staffers with these six skill sets: design, development, programming, search, Web analytics, and usability. Cross-training is essential so staffers understand each other's jobs.

Link Development - Link development is often an ongoing process. For a new site, link development often begins with directory paid inclusion. Since it's very difficult to modify a directory listing, a search-friendly copywriter should know how to research categories and write appropriate descriptions that will enhance a site's overall search engine visibility and be an accurate directory description. Many Web content writers don't understand directory submission. It's a special skill.

Unfortunately, link development isn't a skill PR firms currently provide. Link development requires search, publicity, and e-mail skills. For example, an article opportunity might arise in an online publication. A qualified link development specialist knows how to:

Since my first attempt in 1996, I have compiled many top-10 lists of the biggest mistakes in Web design. See links to all these lists at the bottom of this article. This article presents the highlights: the very worst mistakes of Web design. (Updated 2004.)

1. Bad Search Overly literal search engines reduce usability in that they're unable to handle typos, plurals, hyphens, and other variants of the query terms. Such search engines are particularly difficult for elderly users, but they hurt everybody.

A related problem is when search engines prioritize results purely on the basis of how many query terms they contain, rather than on each document's importance. Much better if your search engine calls out "best bets" at the top of the list -- especially for important queries, such as the names of your products.

Search is the user's lifeline when navigation fails. Even though advanced search can sometimes help, simple search usually works best, and search should be presented as a simple box, since that's what users are looking for.

2. PDF Files for Online Reading Users hate coming across a PDF file while browsing, because it breaks their flow. Even simple things like printing or saving documents are difficult because standard browser commands don't work. Layouts are often optimized for a sheet of paper, which rarely matches the size of the user's browser window. Bye-bye smooth scrolling. Hello tiny fonts. Worst of all, PDF is an undifferentiated blob of content that's hard to navigate. PDF is great for printing and for distributing manuals and other big documents that need to be printed. Reserve it for this purpose and convert any information that needs to be browsed or read on the screen into real web pages. Detailed discussion of why PDF is bad for online reading

3. Not Changing the Color of Visited Links A good grasp of past navigation helps you understand your current location, since it's the culmination of your journey. Knowing your past and present locations in turn makes it easier to decide where to go next. Links are a key factor in this navigation process. Users can exclude links that proved fruitless in their earlier visits. Conversely, they might revisit links they found helpful in the past.

Most important, knowing which pages they've already visited frees users from unintentionally revisiting the same pages over and over again.

These benefits only accrue under one important assumption: that users can tell the difference between visited and unvisited links because the site shows them in different colors. When visited links don't change color, users exhibit more navigational disorientation in usability testing and unintentionally revisit the same pages repeatedly.

4. Non-Scannable Text A wall of text is deadly for an interactive experience. Intimidating. Boring. Painful to read. Write for online, not print. To draw users into the text and support scannability, use well-documented tricks:

5. Fixed Font Size CSS style sheets unfortunately give websites the power to disable a Web browser's "change font size" button and specify a fixed font size. About 95% of the time, this fixed size is tiny, reducing readability significantly for most people over the age of 40.

Respect the user's preferences and let them resize text as needed. Also, specify font sizes in relative terms -- not as an absolute number of pixels.

6. Page Titles With Low Search Engine Visibility Search is the most important way users discover websites. Search is also one of the most important ways users find their way around individual websites. The humble page title is your main tool to attract new visitors from search listings and to help your existing users to locate the specific pages that they need.

The page title is contained within the HTML "title" tag and is almost always used as the clickable headline for listings on search engine result pages (SERP). Search engines typically show the first 66 characters or so of the title, so it's truly microcontent.

Page titles are also used as the default entry in the Favorites when users bookmark a site. For your homepage, begin the with the company name, followed by a brief description of the site. Don't start with words like "The" or "Welcome to" unless you want to be alphabetized under "T" or "W."

For other pages than the homepage, start the title with a few of the most salient information-carrying words that describe the specifics of what users will find on that page. Since the page title is used as the window title in the browser, it's also used as the label for that window in the taskbar under Windows, meaning that advanced users will move between multiple windows under the guidance of the first one or two words of each page title. If all your page titles start with the same words, you have severely reduced usability for your multi-windowing users.

Taglines on homepages are a related subject: they also need to be short and quickly communicate the purpose of the site.

7. Anything That Looks Like an Advertisement Selective attention is very powerful, and Web users have learned to stop paying attention to any ads that get in the way of their goal-driven navigation. (The main exception being text-only search-engine ads.)

Unfortunately, users also ignore legitimate design elements that look like prevalent forms of advertising. After all, when you ignore something, you don't study it in detail to find out what it is.

Therefore, it is best to avoid any designs that look like advertisements. The exact implications of this guideline will vary with new forms of ads; currently follow these rules:

8. Violating Design Conventions Consistency is one of the most powerful usability principles: when things always behave the same, users don't have to worry about what will happen. Instead, they know what will happen based on earlier experience. Every time you release an apple over Sir Isaac Newton, it will drop on his head. That's good.

The more users' expectations prove right, the more they will feel in control of the system and the more they will like it. And the more the system breaks users' expectations, the more they will feel insecure. Oops, maybe if I let go of this apple, it will turn into a tomato and jump a mile into the sky.

Jakob's Law of the Web User Experience states that "users spend most of their time on other websites."

This means that they form their expectations for your site based on what's commonly done on most other site. If you deviate, your site will be harder to use and users will leave.

9. Opening New Browser Windows Opening up new browser windows is like a vacuum cleaner sales person who starts a visit by emptying an ash tray on the customer's carpet. Don't pollute my screen with any more windows, thanks (particularly since current operating systems have miserable window management).

Designers open new browser windows on the theory that it keeps users on their site. But even disregarding the user-hostile message implied in taking over the user's machine, the strategy is self-defeating since it disables the Back button which is the normal way users return to previous sites. Users often don't notice that a new window has opened, especially if they are using a small monitor where the windows are maximized to fill up the screen. So a user who tries to return to the origin will be confused by a grayed out Back button.

Links that don't behave as expected undermine users' understanding of their own system. A link should be a simple hypertext reference that replaces the current page with new content. Users hate unwarranted pop-up windows. When they want the destination to appear in a new page, they can use their browser's "open in new window" command -- assuming, of course, that the link is not a piece of code that interferes with the browser’s standard behavior.

10. Not Answering Users' Questions Users are highly goal-driven on the Web. They visit sites because there's something they want to accomplish -- maybe even buy your product. The ultimate failure of a website is to fail to provide the information users are looking for.

Sometimes the answer is simply not there and you lose the sale because users have to assume that your product or service doesn't meet their needs if you don't tell them the specifics. Other times the specifics are buried under a thick layer of marketese and bland slogans. Since users don't have time to read everything, such hidden info might almost as well not be there.

The worst example of not answering users' questions is to avoid listing the price of products and services. No B2C ecommerce site would make this mistake, but it's rife in B2B, where most "enterprise solutions" are presented so that you can't tell whether they are suited for 100 people or 100,000 people. Price is the most specific piece of info customers use to understand the nature of an offering, and not providing it makes people feel lost and reduces their understanding of a product line. We have miles of videotape of users asking "Where's the price?" while tearing their hair out.

Even B2C sites often make the associated mistake of forgetting prices in product lists, such as category pages or search results. Knowing the price is key in both situations; it lets users differentiate among products and click through to the most relevant ones.

1. A Professional Appearance: Most websites don't need flash effects or dazzling visuals. But, your Internet business should be perceived as a legitïmate site, built by someone who cares about the content and appearance. In other words, the colors and graphics should blend well with one another. In addition, all web-copy should be dynamic and devoid of grammar or spelling mistakes. Finally, any images on the page should enhance the experience for your visitors without distracting them.

2. Proper Navigation: The pages on your website should be easily connected. To do this, every section should connect to the main page, with a clear and concise menu. Don't make your visitors spend a lot of time looking for different sections. Help them by ensuring that the navigation of your site remains constant throughout all pages.

3. An Obvious Theme: Your index page should immediately let the visitor know what you are selling or promoting. Usually the best way to do this is by briefly describing the purpose of your website and include product photos that can help people understand your purpose.

4. A Logo: One of the best ways to "brand" your site and remain unique is to have a logo for your Internet business. By having a logo, your website is more likely to make an "impression" with your visitors and develop a following. Any logo used needs to be consistent with the theme and color scheme of your site.

5. FAQs: There will be times when your visitors have a question that is not covered by the standard descriptions or salës pages. To help them out, it is important to have a section that is devoted to answering common questïons. By creating a FAQ page, your prospects can easily find the answers to their questïons and will be more likely to order from your site.

6. What's New Section: With repeat visitors, there will be times when you want to update them with current news or promotions. The best way to do this is to create a "What's New" section. That way, you can inform old visitors, while making sure that they know about all current marketing campaigns.

7. Contact Information: Eventually, your website visitor will have a question for you. Because of this, it is vital that you list all possible ways that they can reach you. By creating a contact page, you will be able to answer enquiries and reinforce the fact that there is an actual person behind the website.

8. Feedback Forms: The best websites always change, catering to the needs of the visitor. In order to find out what your customers need, it is important to solicit feedback from them. A common way to do this is by creating a feedback-form on the site, which includes questïons that will help improve the overall quality of the Internet business.

9. Privacy Policy: With the problem of sp@m, many people are afraid to give out personal information such as their email address and credït card numbers. To help alleviate this fear, you need to include a "Privacy Policy" section. Basically, this page will let them know how all information is used and if they will be contacted in the future. It is better to be upfront about your practices than to be accused of mishandling information.

10. Email List: Top websites work on developing an email list of prospects that can be contacted in the future. This should go without saying, but your email list subscription area should have a prominent position on your web page. In addition, include a quick blurb about any incentive that you offer to visitors for joining the list.

11. About Us: Most website visitors appreciate knowing that a business is run by an actual human being. To help personalize your website, you need to include a little information about both you and your online business.

12. Sales Page: Even with the best product descriptions, it is important to create a dedicated page that describes how your products are superior to your competitors. This section should be a summary of all your key features written in a dynamic tone. Basically, you want your visitors to read this page and immediately buy from you.

13. Refund/Return Policy On the other side, there will be times when a customer is not happy. To help alleviate any fears that they might have about purchasing online, there needs to be a section where potential customers can read your rules on accepting returns and refunds. Carefully list how and if you accept refunds. If you do not, then be upfront about it.

Because there are millïons of websites on the Internet, it is vital that you give your visitors what they need. Unfortunately, they will not tell you what is necessary. But, by including these 13 items in the design of your website, you can assured that you will have a distinct advantage over your competitor's Internet business.

Why Do Links Matter? - Since the arrival of Google and their PageRank, search engines have put a lot of weight on links to a site. There used to be simple ways to get good rankings: Meta tags, titles, keyword density, etc... Today, things have become more complex, with search engines now using a very complicated algorithm that involves:

How Do We Get Links? - It all starts with content. No one will link to you unless you offer quality information about a particular subject. If you are in real estate, you must offer information about the area you sell. If someone wants to buy in your area, first s/he will want to learn about it, so you will need to have good resources about that area. The next step is to find new sites that would benefit from your site's information; new sites whose clients would potentially buy your real estate. For example, one of our clients (www.monlac.com) sells real estate in the Laurentians area of Quebec. Their site has content on activities in Quebec and the nearby Laurentian mountains. Thus, we will be soliciting links from web sites such as the nearby water parks and ski hills, nearby towns, lake and boating associations, and local construction web sites to name just a few. To these web sites, not only will linking to www.monlac.com make their customers happier, but it is in their best interest that the site sells real estate since it brings in more business for them.

How Do You Solicit Links? - To solicit sites you have to use a lot of elbow grease. Send out personalized emails to these sites. Don't send out mass emails or sp@m. Be friendly, and point out the benefits of linking to your site. If you are lucky, maybe 1 in 3 emails will get a response. It is frustrating and discouraging, but keep your spirits up. Many times a site is perfect but they don't ever update it, so your site won't get the link in because nothing ever changes on the solicited site. Don't waste too much time on sites that haven't been updated in years. It is also important to follow up. Until you get a flat out denial, keep saying "Hi", and keep it personal. Keep track of who you have contacted and what you have written or said because you have to make it seem like they are the only person you are contacting. As soon as they get a sniff that you are sending out a mass email, or that you are using the exact same approach with other sites, you will probably lose their respect - and their business!

Do not forget to submit to the directories such as the Open Directory Project, because getting listed here counts for a lot in all the big search engines. Take your time and choose the right category to submit to. Also, read about how they want their descriptions and titles written, and write them that way. These are the keys to getting into the directories.

Soliciting links is a very time-consuming (and frustrating) venture, but it is essential to getting good rankings in the search engines. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of time. Getting your first link is like getting your first sale. It is just as hard - and just as satisfying.

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Pay per click advertising works through a bidding process, and the ads appear prominently on the results pages of search engines such as Google and Yahoo. The highest bidder for a particular word or phrase receives top placement, and depending on the engine, the top three to five bidders also generally also receive placement on the first page of unpaid search results.

Fundamental questions to be addressed when formulating a pay per click search engine strategy include the following:

Pay per click campaigns, however, are not perfect. Without CONSTANT monitoring, you sometimes risk incurring advertising costs that can spiral out of control, focusing on terms that don't convert well for your product or services, or falling way down in position during a bidding war. PPC advertising can be a great help to a site's success, but only with very close supervision and a thorough knowledge of the unique characteristics of each PPC search engine.

Other articles on PPC SE's:
OVERTURE Article!
Update on Overture!

Google to build a Browser? - According to several articles in the news recently, Google appears to be priming the creative pump to spring forth their very own web browser. Talk about taking the fight to the source! Oh, by the way, Google has registered gbrowser.com. Let's see now ...could it be a coincidence that gbrowser matches nicely with the name of their new email service, gmail.com?

Overture - Overture is making changes to the match types again. This time they're combining both Phrase and Broad match into a new Advanced Match category. The general idea is to match your selected keywords to a greater number of search terms. This is probably a happy meal for Overture's profit picture but you'll more than likely be financing the banquet should you actually decide to use the feature.

Ask Jeeves / Teoma - Personal Web - On September 21st, Ask Jeeves announced new technology for ask.com. They call the new features MyJeeves Personal Search System and Local Search (an update to the Teoma Search Engine and not to be overlooked). And, the ole butler, Jeeves himself, received a spiffy graphic makeover! Search results at Ask Jeeves continue to be comprised of mostly paid advertising above the fold (the section of the page you see before scrolling down).

MSN - We're assuming a new and improved engine will be up for preview sometime in the near future – stay tuned.
ODP / DMOZ - No changes to report for the past 30 days at ODP.

Yahoo - Yahoo to acquire Music Match - On September 14th, Yahoo announced their intent to a acquire Musicmatch, Inc., a provider of music software and services. Purchase price – 160 million dollars! Sooner or later, customer loyalty becomes a factor in determining a company's long-term success. Yahoo and Overture have a history of unhappy customer relations.