Amit Singhal, Google’s head of search, published a blog post on the Google Webmaster Central blog named More guidance on building high-quality sites.

He says that he cannot document publicly the “actual ranking signals” but has included a list of questions that every webmaster or internet marketing expert should ask himself when trying to understand why a site was impacted by this update.

Those questions include: » Read more: 23 Questions to Ask when the Panda updates hit you

Most of us have an opinion on the AOL way. One of the key components of the AOL way (as we’ve seen from leaked presentations and emails) was their reliance on content as a primary tactic to expand their reach on the internet.

I’m in favor of a content strategy if it’s relevant or provides value. AOL’s strategy to me seemed to be opportunistic and seemed to lack an end. That’s not to say that the strategy wont work.  the problem is that Google just tweaked its algorithm to go after sites that had build content in ways similar to AOL’s strategy.

In any case, this post is about something else: David Eun’s farewell letter to his team. » Read more: AOL’s David Eun’s Farewell Letter

As part of a linking strategy, I’ve seen SEO experts recommend keyword lists,  stress the importance of using the right keywords within the anchor texts and then allowing the ‘linking’ activity to begin full-throttle.

Unfortunately, very few of these ‘expert’s actually understand the right process to follow while engaging in link building and, as a result, they proceed to do this activity in a Wild West fashion.

The result: The website beings to rank for low-traffic (possibly highly converting but limited revenue) long-tail terms and not the broader terms that drive volume and more revenue to the site. » Read more: Link-Building Execution – How to Win

I’ve always found forums to be helpful as you can use them to ask participants about something you need help with. Or you can just browse through the existing discussions and get informed about the typical technical issues that folks face.

Here’s a list of the top 20 forums where webmasters, affiliate marketers and SEO specialists discuss relevant problems within their spheres of influence. Enjoy! » Read more: Top 20 Online Webmaster Forums

For most businesses leveraging online marketing tools as part of their marketing mix is becoming a priority as there is high  potential for a revenue upside from online sources.  Here’s the thing, however; It works only if you have good marketing and technical expertise to guide you through the maze that is the Internet.

Very few digital agencies have that expertise. They will sell you a good game – agencies are great at pitching – and drop the right buzzwords but when it comes to brass tacks (i.e. execution), they fall flat.

Well, in line with my goal to provide valuable information on this forum, I’ve compiled a list of questions that you should ask any digital agency while considering them. » Read more: Hard Questions to ask before hiring a Digital Agency

Cool, calm and collected. That’s Don Draper, the central protagonist in AMC’s MadMen. A creative genius with the knack of selling visions and partnerships, Don Draper, when pitching a concept to a client is every presenter’s model. He understands the concept in its entirety, is quick to react positively to criticism, gets his team to think out-of-the-box and brings home accounts.

Here are 4 timeless marketing lessons from Don Draper’s style that we should keep in mind: » Read more: 4 Timeless Marketing Lessons from Don Draper