Great article from HubSpot on what you shouldn't have on your website. As I've discussed in class, slow-loading Flash animations are a big no-no, but the article points out some other things you should avoid on your business web site. Check it out here.

An App World

Over at the eBlox blog, an article I wrote for Identity Marketing magazine about apps and their possible effects on web sites. Check it out, especially if you're building an e-commerce website.

23 Awesome SEO Blogs Everyone Should Read

23 Awesome SEO Blogs Everyone Should Read

Good list, with my favorite, SEOmoz, at the top, where they should be.

3 Reasons Facebook Is Bad For Business � Spredfast Blog

3 Reasons Facebook Is Bad For Business - Spredfast Blog

A contrarian viewpoint on Facebook pages for your business. The post chifly criticizes how it's difficult for third-party applications to interact with Facebook, and the company behind the article – wait for it – builds and markets a third-party application that interacts with Facebook and other social networks. Still, some valid points if you're considering a Facebook page for your business.

An article I penned for Identity Marketing magazine, republished on the eBlox blog, about giving up on organic search optimization. For those of you that are considering organic SEO (optimizing content and inbound links to rank higher in organic searches) vs. diving into pay-per-click advertising, this might provide some insight as to why I feel the latter is often a better use of your time, especially if you are engaged in e-commerce and want to actually sell your products online.

You should still optimize your site for organic search – as I've said in class, keywords are everything – and try to get those higher-ranking, relevant inbound links. But the article specifically addresses the situations where organic SEO is a losing battle because of the intense competition. In this situation, the targeted, controlled method of advertising offered by pay-per-click may be your best bet. Read the article here and let me know what you think.

How Does Google Work? Learn How Google Works: Search Engine AdWords

How Does Google Work? Learn How Google Works: Search Engine AdWords

Big, complex chart of how Google generates search results and ads. Not too technical, so check it out if you want to get into the guts of Google.

Q and A - Web Design for Beginners - Question - NYTimes.com

Q and A - Web Design for Beginners - Question - NYTimes.com

A brief overview of some beginners' tools for building websites, including mentions of Yahoo, Homestead and the free web design package KompoZer. Worth a look if you are just starting to think about building your site.

EU court rules that Adwords do not infringe trademark laws�( - Legal - Internet )

EU court rules that Adwords do not infringe trademark laws

Interesting ruling that further cements your ability as a advertiser to use your competitors trademarked names in keyword-based advertising. This ruling is from the EU and similar rulings have already occurred in US courts. This is good and bad news for keyword advertisers - you can use competing trademarks to pull in customers looking for competing products but, of course, your competitors can do the same thing to you....

How To Use Video SEO To Jump To The Top Of Google Search Results

How To Use Video SEO To Jump To The Top Of Google Search Results

Take all this with a grain of salt, but for certain types of businesses this is a strategy worth pursuing. Keep in mind that this will also become more difficult as more businesses begin using this tactic, so keep an eye on it if you do decide to make video a primary part of your SEO strategy.

YouTube - What are some effective techniques for building links?

Great video from Google's own Matt Cutts on how to do legitimate link building.

YouTube - What are some effective techniques for building links?