We have researched and compiled our first annual list of some of the most useful Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing Blogs…other than the Search Engine Optimization Journal!
Please feel free to visit these blogs as they provide excellent information! Please let us know if we missed any blogs off of this list.

1. Matt Cutts: Google, Gadgets and SEO
Blog URL: http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/
SEO news and tips coming straight from a Google employee who is recognizably one of the biggest names in the SEO industry.

2. Search Engine Watch Blog: Search Marketing News
Blog URL: http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/
Not only does SearchEngineWatch.com give you everything you need to know as a whole about SEM, but this blog is definitely a great addition to the impressive website.

3. Marketing Pilgrim
Blog URL: http://www.marketingpilgrim.com
This site has new content rich posts per day. It also has a job board and other valuable parts of the site. It has a comprehensive e-book you can download as well to learn more about online marketing.

4. Graywolf’s SEO Blog
Blog URL: http://www.wolf-howl.com
Not only does Michael Gray offer consulting services, he also offers his own fun and unique and personal insight on SEO and all that is going on in the business.

5. SEO Scoop
Blog URL: http://www.seo-scoop.com
SEO-Scoop is a well written and interesting blog that offers SEO tips, theories and news.

6. Ask the SEO Guru
Blog URL: http://massa.techndu.com
While there is less glitz and glamour on this page when it comes to colorful ads, fonts and photos, it provides valuable information on SEO based on questions asked. You can submit a question and if it gets chosen, the author will answer it with a thorough blog post.

7. SEO Refugee
Blog URL: http://www.seorefugee.com
A funny and interesting approach at an SEO blog, SEORefugee provides comical cartoons and other interesting articles that you are sure to enjoy reading.

8. Search Engine Roundtable
Blog URL: http://www.seroundtable.com
Six well rounded individuals write in this popular blog. Each new posts offers invaluable insight in a different voice.

9. Mr. SEO
Blog URL: http://www.mr-seo.com/wordpress/
Mr. SEO offers not only a blog but a very interactive one. He also hosts a podcast in which he will actively do an SEO strategy on a site or two.

10. Search Engine Journal
Blog URL: http://www.searchenginejournal.com
Arguably one of the most popular blogs about search engine marketing out there. With several posts a day written by various authors, the content on this blog will never leave you looking for more.

11. SEO Service Provider
Blog URL: http://seoserviceprovider.com/seoblog/
Just as the tagline says “Just good SEO - no hype.” It’s a to the point blog that updates you on the SEO news and tips.

12. Small Business SEM
Blog URL: http://www.smallbusinesssem.com
This blog offers an alternative to small businesses who simply cannot afford to get consulting services on their own. The content is extremely thorough and provides various links and resources to other useful websites and tools.

13. Search Engine Land
Blog URL: http://searchengineland.com
Website has good quality content and several pages with SEO, marketing and other information. It has detailed sections of the site dedicated to everything Google, Yahoo and MSN related and contains tons of new articles posted each day.

14. SEO Wife
Blog URL: http://www.seowife.com
An interesting look on SEO through the eyes of a wife and SEO marketer. Not only is there search engine optimization news and tips, there is also some other interesting reads!

15. Hybrid SEM
Blog URL: http://www.hybridsem.com/blog
The authors fuse old school and new school SEO techniques together to maximize your ROI.

16. Natural Search Blog
Blog URL: http://www.naturalsearchblog.com
Natural Search Blog provides articles on search engine optimization including keyword reasearch, on-page factors, link-building, social media optimization, local search optimization, image search optimization, and mobile SEO.

17. Search Marketing Gurus
Blog URL: http://www.searchmarketinggurus.com
This site not only contains valuable articles but also useful links and resources. It has an emphasis on women within internet marketing with a weekly column.

18. Deep Linking from the Desk of Bluebert G. Peabody
Blog URL: http://blog.cre8asite.net/
The Gurus at Cre8asite have teamed up to provide you with an upbeat SEM blog that has content that will certainly get you thinking.

19. Zunch Search Engine Marketing Blog
Blog URL: http://searchenginemarketingblog.zunch.com
A blog with facts and opinions from the search engine optimization / search engine marketing teams at Zunch Communications, Inc.

20. Scotland SEO Blog
Blog URL: http://www.scotlandseoblog.co.uk
Here is an SEO blog based out of Scotland giving a fresh look at the current SEO industry. The blog is updated daily and is always worth reading.

Have we missed any? Please leave a comment of other Search Engine Optimization or Search Engine Marketing related blogs that might be worth reading.

Typically, when you hear marketers talking about SEO and branding, they’re not connected. Sure, you can brand yourself online. You also need to SEO your website. But did you know that you can use your SEO as a branding tool?

It’s true. The most effective elements for using SEO as a branding tool include:

• Your domain name
• Anchor text
• Alt tags
• H2 and H3 tags
• Trademarked keyword terms

I’ve talked about each one of these before, except for the last one. Just to review, a keyword-rich domain name can brand you. It also gives you a tiny edge over the competition. Of course, anchor text is always useful for SEO, but for branding? If your brand is keyword-rich to begin with, yes. H2 and H3 tags with keyword terms in them make your content stand out more. Add a color that becomes a part of every tag and you’ve got instant branding. Alt tags - same deal. Use your keywords.

Consider Google’s PageRank algorithm. It’s trademarked. Any idea why? Because it’s a branding term. Now, page rank isn’t trademarked because it represents an idea behind the PageRank trademark. That’s what makes the trademark such a powerful branding item for Google. It’s based on a popular keyword.

Of course, you can’t trademark a keyword. But you can trademark a branding version of a keyword. Let’s say, for instance, that you are a salad chef. Your most popular keyword phrase is salad chef. You can’t trademark the keyword, but you can trademark SaladChef as a variant of the keyword and use it as a branding item. Doing this prevents anyone else from taking the same variation and using it to capitalize on. It’s a powerful branding technique. Try it!

If you sell links there is one tool that you cannot do without. The key to making any money selling links is to place a reasonable value on the links you are selling. SEOChat’s link price calculator can help you.

Some other tools offered by SEOChat that every webmaster should be aware of? Glad you asked:

• Code To Text Ratio Tool - Just as it says. Check your code to text ratio. Is it too fat?
• Future PageRank - Gauge the future PageRank of any website or web page on the Internet
• Keyword Density - Just like any other keyword density tool, but it’s free
• Link Popularity - Sure, you can check this somewhere else, but since you’re here
• Meta Tag Generator - Just type in your keywords and a description of your page then let SEOChat generate your meta tags

SEOChat has some of the best free tools online. Google may not like link selling, but you’re free to do as you wish with your own website. The SEOChat link price calculator can help you determine how much to charge.