some digital marketing books worth a look

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Some books on digital marketing that are worth a look

These are some of the books I have found useful in my research into digital marketing. As I put the list together I realised that most were published in the early years of the century. I think this is because by then the web was old enough for the best in the business to have perfected their art - at that time - and be able to tell others about it. And since then no one has really come up with anything better - though this is mainly because the basics are covered in the books that were published in or around the early 2000s. The exception to this rule is, of course, where technology or the environment has moved on - the use of social media as a platform for marketing, for example.

You'll note there are no 'academic' texts. This is because I find that books that are written for use as learning aids have to, by necessity, cover the same key aspects of the subject. The content of such books only really varies depending on the opinion or viewpoint of the authors. However, neither are there any books with titles like; 20 Ways to Master Digital Marketing or Become a Digital Marketing Millionaire in only 2 Hours a Week. What I have listed are books from authors who offer reflections on digital marketing that goes beyond that of the ordinary practitioner or who have offered insights into the role 'digital' has, is and will play in not only marketing, but business in general.

No matter how good a digital marketer you are now [or think you are], if you at least 'scan' these books, you will become a better digital marketer.

But before the serious stuff - some marketing humour on a website. Marketer Tom Fishburne writes as the marketoonist. His cartoons are funny - and they're funny because they're true. Each cartoon is also accompanied by comments on the marketing subject that is the but of the joke.

The books ...

Anderson, C. (2006) The Long Tail. For Internet marketing students it is a 'must read' - see my review.

Battelle, J. (2005) The Search. How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture. See my review.

Bly, R.W. (2002) The Online Copywriter's Handbook. The author has moved on to be a recognised expert in this subject area.

Brown, D. and Fiorella, S. (2013) Influence Marketing. The subtitle to this book is 'How to Create, Manage and Measure Brand Influencers in Social Media Marketing', which gives the suggestion that the book is a how to ... business practice book. However, despite its title and despite the authors being practitioners and not academics, the research and use of concepts in the book make it much more than just a how to ... book and closer to an academic text.

Cialdini, R. B. (1984-2007) Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Although this is not a 'digital' book per se, much of it has relevance to the digital marketer - particularly with regard to website and social media content. Cialdini suggested that influence is based on six principles: authority [the person is a credible expert], likability [they are a trusted friend], reciprocity [we owe them for the advice they give], consistency [they are in sync with our beliefs], consensus [choices made based on the advice are popular] and scarcity [the advice gives us an advantage over others]. The caveat is, of course, that the best conmen and women all know this theory better than the majority of marketers.

Caples, J. (1997) Tested Advertising Methods. A new edition of an old [really old] book. Don't let that put you off, however, the majority of the content is pertinent to online marketing. For example, it covers such things as 'selling copy' versus 'style copy' [on page 139] - which in the book refers to writing adverts. I would suggest that anyone writing content for any online presence should know the difference between selling and style - and if they don't then the content is unlikely to be fully meeting the objectives of that web presence.

Eisenberg, B. & Novo, J. (2002) The Marketer's Common Sense Guide to E-Metrics. An excellent guide that includes a 'Conversion Rate Marketing Calculator' workbook.

Eisenberg, B., Eisenberg, J. & Garcia, A. (2014) Buyer Legends: The Executive Storyteller's Guide. The concept of 'Buyer Legends' is the use of narratives and storytelling in marketing ... something that is ideally suited to 'online'. [note that the last time I looked this was available for free on Kindle]

Godin, S. (2001) Unleashing the Ideavirus. This book takes the concept of viral marketing several stages further - seeking to maximize the spread of information from customer to customer [rather than the old-fashioned marketing practice of interrupting the potential customer with a marketing message they do no wish to receive]. Although some of the ideas presented are a little 'off the wall', the content encourages you to think about marketing: what it is and what it is trying to achieve. A very good read for both budding entrepreneurs and viral marketers.

Godin, Seth. (2007) Meatball Sundae. Another thought-provoking book from Seth Godin. Although this text does border on the 'how to ...' style of presentation, and the author does seem to say some things just to incite a response, it does promote further thought in how contemporary marketers should practice their art [or is that science?].

Goldman, A. (2010) Everything I know about marketing I learned from Google. An essential read for any contemporary marketer. See my review.

Goodwin, Tom (2018) Digital Darwinism. On the face of it this is more about digital transformation than marketing ... but marketing underlies just about every aspect of transformation. Goodwin presents his ideas by way of history, and so the book serves as an excellent background to the development of technology [all technology, not simply computing]. Presented in conversation style, the book is an easy read and will have a positive impact on the way any student [or teacher] will approach the study of any and all aspects of business and/or technology.

Hoffman, Bob (2017) BadMen: How Advertising Went From A Minor Annoyance To A Major Menace. The author is out-spoken against many aspects of advertising - this book concentrates on digital advertising.

Hoffman, Bob (2020) Advertising for Skeptics. If you're a marketer or studying to be a marketer this book is a must read. If you're studying to be a digital marker it is a really should read. Note that you should also sign up to Hoffman's The Ad Contrarian blog and newsletter.

Hopkins, C. (1923) Scientific Advertising. Although this book is getting on for being a hundred years old, don't let that put you off. Similarly, get past the language used at that time [it could be used as a example of the sexism of that age] and read the marketing content. Times move on but sound ideas are still sound. Much of the book refers to direct or catalogue marketing - effectively exactly what Internet marketing is today. Many young whippersnappers who think they invented it all in the dot com boom should be forced to digest this book [in both senses of the term]. The book is out of copyright and so available to download free from a number of websites - including this one.

Keen, A. (2008) The Cult of the Amateur . An enjoyable and interesting read, this book is a useful text for budding Internet marketers - see my review.

Keen, A (2015) The Internet Is Not the Answer. If not a follow-up to The Cult of the Amateur , this is certainly a continuation of Keen's examination of how the Internet has changed things - for both good and bad. Another book you should read if you want to do business in the digital age.

Krug, S. (2000) Don't make me think - a common sense approach to web usability. The title of this book says it all for this practical text.

Levine, R., Locke, C., Searls, D., & Weinberger, D. (2000) The Cluetrain Manifesto. This was a significant, and somewhat controversial, book when it came out. Although you can still buy copies on Amazon, the whole thing is available to download free from the book's website. The 95 theses [#1 is 'markets are conversations'] set the tone for the book, which is as much about business and marketing in general as it is about e-marketing - there is even a potted history of the development of marketing. However, much of the content sets the ground for [amongst other things] the 'social marketing' concept that is so popular today - and so makes it an essential read for e-marketing students and practitioners.

McAlpine, R. (2001) Web Word Wizard. The sub title is 'a guide to writing for the web' ... and it is.

McGovern, G. (2010) The Stranger's Long Neck. A must-read for effective website development, see my review.

McGovern, G. (2016) Transform: A rebel's guide for digital transformation. The sales blurb for this book includes:
'Being customer-centric is the new motto. It's where every organization knows it must get to. But those who champion the customer are often seen as troublemakers. Why? Because if you're customer centric ... you're making it harder for your management and your colleagues. It's more work, more effort.'

That sets the tone for the rest of the content.

McGovern, G. and Norton, R. (2002) Content Critical. The sub-title to this text is: 'Gaining competitive advantage through high-quality web content', my advice would be to prefix this with 'if you are serious about ...' and add '... read this book' at the end.

McGovern, G., Norton, R. and O'Dowd, C. (2002) The Web Content Style Guide, The text's sub-title says it all: 'An essential reference for online writers, editors and manager'.

McConnell, B. & Huba, J. (2007) Citizen Marketers. Another book that was ahead of its time [neither Facebook or Twitter appear in the index], but reading it now gives us an excellent perspective of how social media developed before it was the 'flavour of the month'. Although it is well researched, I was left with the impression that most of the content comes from the experience of the authors rather than from pure research.

Mintz, A.P. (2002) Web of Deception. For those of you who think this subject is new ... it isn't. This book will give readers a good background on privacy, scams and what we now know as 'fake news'.

Mitchell, M. (2019) Artificial Intelligence: a Guide for Thinking Humans. If you've got to read only one book on AI, this is it. Presented in a very non-computer science manner, reading this will help marketers appreciate how IT might work in their discipline.

Neilsen, J. (2000) Designing Web Usability. Considered overly simplistic by those designers who tend to design for themselves (and not their clients, or more importantly, the website users), this book should be compulsory reading on all web design courses. Many - including me - would consider the author to be the Godfather of online usability. His opinions are a text-book example of how research and practice are combined in mastering a subject.
UPDATE November 2018: For reasons I won't go into, I had cause to scan through this book today. There was a certain amount of nostalgia in seeing many of the websites used as examples - but what is striking is that the message on the importance of usability is perhaps more important now than it was back in 2000. It should still be a compulsory text on all web design courses ... sadly, it isn't.

Packard, V. (1957) The Hidden Persuaders. A seminal work on advertising - much of which is relevant to digital marketing.

Schmidt, E. and Cohen, J. (2013) The New Digital Age. Written by two of the key players at Google, this book could not have been better marketed ... or is that hyped? The book is not about digital marketing, it is about how 'digital' [whatever that is] has, is and will impact on the world. I found it to be pretty heavy going, with some of the subjects passing over my head. But if you are going to work in the digital world - as well as live in it - you should make the effort to give it a read.

Scott, M.D. (2007) The New Rules of Marketing and PR. The sub-title for this book is : How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly, which pretty much sums up the content. I think this book offers a great deal to the would-be social media marketer, and could be the future of marketing for some - but by no means all - organizations.

Seda, C. (2004) Search Engine Advertising. The development of technology, the rise of Google and the acceptance of 'online' as an effective medium for advertising since it was published means that some of the content of this book is now out-dated. However, it does include all of the basics that any digital advertiser must know if they are to use all of the newer technology or platforms.

Seybold, P. (1998) Customers.com. An excellent text on how e-technology can be used to meet customer needs. The section on how American Airlines adopted the web is a case study of how it should be done. Remember - this book was written when few people in the USA knew what the Internet was and most people in Europe had never even heard of it. Less than 20 years later the web is ubiquitous and many folk could not imagine living their lives without it.

Shotton, R. (2018) The Choice Factory: How 25 behavioural biases influence the products we decide to buy. Another book that is not a 'digital' book per se, but has relevance to the digital marketer. Many of the examples used are of online advertising.

Standage, T. (2013) Writing on the Wall : Social Media the First 2,000 Years. This is not a book on marketing, it is a book on social media. However, if you want to be effective at marketing on social media you need to understand social media. This book will help you do that by looking at the history of social media from the Romans to the Arab Spring via seventeenth century coffeehouses.

Sterne, J. (2001) World Wide Web Marketing. Readers should take particular note of anything Jim Sterne says; he walks the walk as well as talking the talk.

Sterne, J. (2002) Web Metrics - proven methods for measuring website success. See above.

Sterne, J. (2017) Artificial Intelligence for Marketing: Practical Applications. Digital marketers need to know at least a bit about AI - and this is the book to read to find out about it [Artificial Intelligence: a Guide for Thinking Humans by Melanie Mitchell (2019) is another].

Tapscott, D. (1994 - 2014) The Digital Economy. I seem to recall that back in 1996 this was the first book I bought on the virtually unknown Amazon [whatever happened to it?]. A best selling book over the last 20 years or so, you should try to get hold of an early edition. Read it and you will be amazed at Tapscott's insights into the future. Later editions, however, include examples of how the Digital Economy has impacted on business and businesses. Another book that is a must-read for any business student or practitioner who wants to be effective in that practice.

Tapscott, D., Ticoll, D., & Lowy, A. (2000) Digital Capital: Harnessing the Power of Business Webs. This book concentrates more on 'corporate' issues, but is no less relevant for that. Anyone new to anything related to [what is now called] the digital transformation should read this to see how the business world was adjusting to 'digital' back when they were still at school.

Tapscott, D. & Williams, A. D. (2006) Wikinomics. I think this book was over-hyped at its launch [or just well marketed?]. It is OK and a worthwhile read, I just disagree with its core concept of mass collaboration for everything. For more, see my review.

Tillinghast, T. (2001) Tactical Guide to Online Marketing. Although the title suggests that the book addresses all aspects of online marketing, it actually concentrates on online advertising. It does provide, however, a very 'hands-on' account of using the world wide web as a medium for advertising.

Tobin, J. (2013) Earn it - Don't Buy It. A critical examination of the role of social media in marketing.

Usborne, N. (2002) Net Words - creating high-impact online copy. If there is a web writer's writer - Nick Usborne is it.

Weber, L. (2007) Marketing to the Social Web. Excellent book that I would recommend as a 'how to' in this aspect of online marketing. My only complaint is one on which I make comment elsewhere [not least in my own book on the subject, An Introduction to Social Media Marketing]. And that is that although Weber purports that social marketing is feasible for all organizations / brands, he gives few examples - the majority of case studies being global brand names. Whilst there are some exceptional cases of how the 'small guy' has been successful in social media marketing, there are millions of 'small guys' - and I still question the validity of social marketing for the majority of them.

And finally ...

Whether you are a marketer, or just a digital marketer, you should take the time to read:
Blythe, J. (2006). A very short, fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about studying marketing. The best book on marketing that I have ever read. Its title tells you the tone of the content's presentation.

How to cite this article:
Charlesworth, A. (2007). Some books on digital marketing that are worth a look. Retrieved [insert date] from AlanCharlesworth.com: https://www.alancharlesworth.com/some-books-on-digital-marketing-that-are-worth-a-look.html

This page was first published on this domain in March 2018 ... but it was on alancharlesworth.eu for some years before that.

CHAPTER 4 SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

further reading ...

The following links take you to content that supplements and updates this chapter of the book. Note that

I’ve included some articles that are a few years old ... don't let their publication date put you off - they are

still relevant now. The most recent posts are at end of each section.

4.1 INTRODUCTION

If you check the bio of the author of Comparing SEO to PPC you will see she is not new to search engine marketing - and so her opinion carries some weight. Note how the articles differentiates SEO from advertising on search engines ... just as I have done in this book - and as I have done since advertising on search engines started.

If you really want to get your head around how Google works, make yourself comfortable and read Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines.

These search commands for Google are useful for people searching on Google - but are included here as they can also help search engine optimizers in determining where keywords/search terms can be placed within a site.

Ignore the headline of Half Say Advertising is Important in the Buying Decision – top in the list of shopper’s important purchase information sources is search engines.

If you’re serious about understanding SEO We’ve crawled the web for 32 years: What’s changed? is a must read. Its author, Mike Grehan, worked from the North East of England in the early years of the web and we shared the stage at numerous events telling owners and managers about the Internet and how it was going to change business. From the same author, and also well worth a read is The origins of E-A-T: Page content, hyperlink analysis and usage data.

How Google Trends works is an interesting background on Google Search. Similar in nature in that it offers a background in how search engines developed is What we can learn from past and present Google algorithm updates.

The Open Secret of Google Search is an interesting read on the search giant.

The issue of Why you should invest in branded keywords even if your company ranks #1 on Google has folk who argue for both side of the debate – this one is in favour.

Around the time that the book was going to print a story that Google exec suggests Instagram and TikTok are eating into Google’s core products search and maps made the rounds of SEO commentators. One such response included some different types of search which might be used on social media, see - Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefers using TikTok and Instagram for search over Google. However, Millennials Are Increasingly Using Various Methods to Search for Things Online gives a wider, and more revealing. picture – note that there is no mention of ‘prefer’ as stated in the headline above. Are 40% of Gen Z shunning Google for TikTok? Not exactly is an update [Jan 2024] on the concept.

Personal research into this matches findings by others – we’re talking about ‘lifestyle’ searches only [e.g. “lively bar near me” or “how to apply X brand of makeup"], and mainly female users. I can appreciate that watching a series of short videos of local bars might be easier than reading about them. So - message to bars attracting younger clientele ... encourage customers to post videos on TitTok.

Google is trying to reinvent search — by being more than a search engine.

Just to show that SEO is ongoing - Google helpful content system update rolling out now (December 2022 update).

Welcome to the age of social SEO: how to maximize visibility on TikTok searches.

Google ranking signals: A complete breakdown of all confirmed, rumored and false factors.

ChatGPT has some roles to play for the digital marketer - perhaps the most common/useful will be in SEO, so here's An SEO’s guide to ChatGPT prompts and AI Chat and Keyword Research.

5 Website Performance Benchmarks from Q4 2022 offers some [slightly] different stats to the chart - on website traffic sources - shown in chapter 4, but the issues are generally the same. The 5 key issues are:

1. More Than 1 in Every 3 Sessions Encounters Friction

2. Page Load Speeds Impact Bounce Rates, Page Views

3. Mobile Widens Traffic Share Lead

4. Paid Search Traffic Converts Better Than Paid Social Traffic

5. Desktop Still Boasts Far Higher Conversion Rates Than Mobile

I've included Google releases March 2023 broad core update and Google removes several search ranking algorithm updates from its ranking systems page simply as a reminder that search engines change their algorithm on a regular basis.

Is click-through rate a valuable SEO metric?

I make it clear in the book that I consider SEO and PPC ads to be different things. SEO vs. PPC: Differences, pros, cons & an integrated approach offers a different view - although it also can be read as supporting my opinion.

Brand Visibility Is the New SEO ... caused by AI, apparently.

EXERCISE: Byron Sharp purports that ‘ ... paid search is not advertising (which has as its main job building mental availability). Search is like shelf space. It’s to improve purchase availability.’ Samuel Scott offers more detail, saying that ‘Display on retailer, broker, and review sites is the same as paid search. Paid and organic search are forms of distribution, not parts of promotional marketing communications. Basically, you are getting your product put on Google, Amazon, and others' store shelves like when you pay a store to put your juice in the juice aisle. Same for getting listed on sites like G2. This is fulfilling existing demand and having physical availability. Advertising is about creating more demand and having mental availability.’ Going back in time, when I first got involved in the use of the Internet for business purposes [in 1996] I was frequently asked where the new communication medium sat with regard to the 4Ps ... and I said it was part of distribution. My opinion wasn’t supported by many – any, even – but it seems I may have had a point.

What's your opinion on the views of myself, Sharp and Scott?

50% of product searches start on Amazon includes stuff from this and other chapters - well worth a read. Note that it's from the US, so the stat in the title might not apply to you.

Organic search could be the moat your brand needs is a kind-of strategic view of SEO using quirky analogies - in general, I agree with its basic premise, not least because it syncs with my opinion.

I'm not a fan of SWOT analysis ... just use the issues raised in SEO SWOT analysis: How to optimize where it counts as a kind-of to-do list.

Another example of why SEO is a full time job is Google to fix link report in Search Console. And another... Google releases August 2023 broad core update.

Why are publishers losing traffic from Google? is about online news - but much of is relevant to other kinds of website.

To understand the present and the future - take a look at the past ... Google’s Florida update: 20 years since the SEO ‘volcanic eruption’.

The AI-powered Google apocalypse is heading for your brand is from December 2023 ... who knows how true it will turn out to be?

Google confirms a search ranking bug where sites disappear from search results over the weekend is an example of what is a fairly common problem - if your website relies on search engines for visitors [and so, business] this can hit income.

The Periodic Table of SEO Elements has been around for a few years - this is the 2024 version.

A concern with using third parties - eg Google itself - for SEO purposes is that the third party can change its operating model ... Google is shutting down websites made with Business Profiles is one such example.

And the changes keep on coming ... Google releasing massive search quality enhancements in March 2024 core update and multiple spam updates.

Who Sends Traffic on the Web and How Much? New Research from Datos & SparkToro.

Consumers' online information sources - search remains top.

You can file Small review site lost 91% of its Google traffic to affiliate-focused SEO content under 'don't put all your eggs in one basket' - relying on Google is not a good strategy for a business.

6 unpopular SEO opinions you need to consider raises some interesting and accurate points. But here's a thing I allude to in the book. The first four points are much the same as I - and others - were teaching [or is that 'preaching'] back around 1997 ... that's before the author of the article left school.

The end of May 2024 saw big news about Google's algorithm HUGE Google Search document leak reveals inner workings of ranking algorithm, here's Google's reply ... Google responds to leak: Documentation lacks context - and Unpacking Google’s massive search documentation leak is a review of the happenings. Only time will tell how big a story this was.

As I allude to in the book, I think that knowing what is being searched for in this research is vital to make it relevant ... the what might dictate where the search is started, Also, note above the article which states that 50% of product searches start on Amazon - where does that fit into Almost Half of Gen Zers Opt for Social over Google for Search?

Is The Google Maps pin scam: A new Google Business Profile threat common? I doubt it - but I've included this article because keeping track of scams like it is an example of why SEO is a full time occupation.

Which Topics Are Gen Zers Searching for on Social Media?

In all aspects of digital marketing new terms come and go. I wonder GEO will stay the course, or disappear like so many others? See What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?

Again, it never stops ... Google August 2024 core update rollout is now complete.

Google updates crawl budget docs for large sites with differing mobile and desktop pages and links ...Google said it is best practice to have all links present on both mobile and desktop versions. I would ask; why on earth would you have different differing mobile and desktop pages and links? Maybe another example of non-marketers in marketing? [see chapter 3]

That Long-tail keywords: Target lower-competition phrases and attract qualified visitors has been published by [one of] the world's major SEO websites suggests that some folk are not aware of the issue. I and others were writing about it 25 years ago. Ho hum.

I've included How to fix the ‘Page with redirect’ error in Google Search Console simply as an[other] example of some of the stuff that competent SEOs need to know.

Another reminder that SEO doesn't stand still ... Google quietly updated the News and Discover manual action policies.

Although Google’s search market share drops below 90% for first time since 2015, it's still got 90% of the market so me talking about Google so much in the book is still valid.

Another example of the problem of [potentially] putting all your marketing eggs in one basket ... Google bug cause reviews to drop out of local listings.

59% of Americans click on brands they know in Google results: Survey ... also, nearly half of Americans trust organic results more than paid results and Google remains the most trusted source for information.

And again, again, it never stops ... Google March 2025 core update. And rules change as well ... Google Ads policy update.

4.2 HOW SEARCH ENGINES WORK

In the book I mention the importance of E-A-T, 14 ways Google may evaluate E-A-T is a good guide … but it also shows that SEO isn’t as easy – or quick – as some folk would have you believe.

More on the subject ... E-A-T auditing: How to level up your credibility game

Naturally, just days after the book was published, this happened ... Google doubles up on E with updated search quality raters guidelines (E-E-A-T) - and here's another article, this one with more details ... How Google may identify and evaluate authors through E-E-A-T. And nearly a year later ... Debunking common Google E-E-A-T misconceptions.

The two parts of E-E-A-T Google hasn’t told you about.

Barry Schwartz's list of what is NOT a Google search ranking factor.

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ZERO-CLICK

[April 2023] There is a lot being said about AI-developed content and its impact on SEO - well here's my take. I think that impact will be on zero-click with searches producing more and more SE-developed content ... and that content will be produced by LLMs which will reproduce the content of websites. Furthermore, those websites' owners/publishers will not be compensated [via links] by the search engines.

In the book I suggest that Google was holding the zero-click percentage at around 50% - welllllll, I missed later data from the same researcher that proposed that figure upped it to 65% - around two thirds. In 2020, Two Thirds of Google Searches Ended Without a Click – although note that the research on which this was based does not include the CTR paid links to Google sites.

Google isn’t the only guilty platform to see the value of this strategy; see; Zero-Click Content: The Counter-intuitive Way to Succeed in a Platform-Native World.

More on zero clicks - with Google search study: 25.6% of desktop, 17.3% of mobile are zero-click offering some very different stats to those listed in the book. That said, the research seems to be a bit different. One thing about this research, however, is that the CTR on ads is less than 2%. That seems very low to me.

Nearly 60% of Google searches end without a click in 2024.

As per my comment at the beginning of this section ... 75% of Google AI Overview links come from top 12 organic rankings.

Ex-Google exec: Giving traffic to publishers ‘a necessary evil’ is an article on zero clicks which doesn't use the term.

--------------

Another innovation from Google to keep you on Google - Google Maps adds new store location feature, Locator Plus, Reserve with Google integration, new analytics and more.

A Small Business Guide to Google My Business ... I think there is a reasonable argument that for many small businesses, this could be their web presence.

I’ve included the biggest mystery of Google’s algorithm: Everything ever said about clicks, CTR and bounce rate here as an example of how no one really knows how the Google algorithm works. As if it counts ... I’ve always thought that CTR counted, making it easier to stay in the top spot on a SERP than get to it.

Another version of How Important is The Top Search Result on Google? to the chart shown in the book.

Nothing that's really new in 16 reasons why your page isn’t ranking on Google but it's always good to have a list.

4.3 KEYWORD SELECTION

Keyword Research for Product Content

The Search Before the Search: Keyword Foraging.

I’ve put How to do a competitive analysis for local SEO in this section [where local search is covered] but it is relevant to other sections also.

What do you think the Most Searched Consumer Brands in the world in 2022 are? I’m not surprised [I’ve been around a while] but the why still amazes me.

The case of the stealth Google-bomb is about the role of domain names in SEO. You should know most of it if you're to work in SEO. It also kind-of confirms the value of keywords. Find out more about domain names.

YouTube SEO: How to find the best traffic-generating keywords.

Yes, SEO Keywords Remain Important.

SEO: Targeting the Long Tail for More Sales.

Here's a nice - and simply - tip SEO Signals from SERPs.

4.4 ON-SITE OPTIMIZATION

What Is SEO Writing? How to Be a Better SEO Writer is included in this section as its focus is SEO. However, although it is a reasonable guide to the practice, the article could also be in the section on developing website content and also content marketing. It also offers an insight into the skills, time and application required to get the job right.

I could have put How to attract your ideal customers with quality content in the later chapter on website development, but as it has a SEO focus, I’ve included it here.

Google doesn’t want your AI-generated SEO spam content.

Given the nature of much of this site [this page, for example] Outgoing links: Are they beneficial for your site or not? is something I've taken notice of over the years.

SEO content writing vs. content writing: The key difference.

An SEO’s guide to understanding large language models (LLMs).

This was true in 1996 ... seems it's still true now - 85% of titles feature keywords in Positions 1-5 of Google.

I think this issue - Does HTML structure matter for SEO? - is more important than many folk realise. One thing not covered in this article is that the search engines dislike pages that don't adapt for mobile devices. I found this out for this site and had to accept a PC format I didn't really to meet the mobile requiement.

4.5 OFF-SITE OPTIMIZATION

How to audit your site’s backlink profile Auditing your backlinks is a process that should be part of your regular SEO routine. Here's a guide on how to do it.

I've included How to outsource link building: Benefits and tips to follow not just for the advice it contains, but as another example of the specialized jobs that are out there.

Links are not a top 3 Google Search ranking factor, says Gary Illyes ... 'I think they are important, but I think people overestimate the importance of links'.

Does guest blogging still work for SEO? Pros ... cons and best practices.

4.6 THIRD-PARTY SEARCH ENGINE RANKING

SNIPPET

Smile please - Colgate's oral health website

I’m not sure which section using the amazon search engine as marketing belongs in – but as Google may well pick up the Amazon listing, I’ve put it here. Obviously, it’s not for everyone, but for some it could be a really good idea.

Here are a few articles on links that are a bit old - but they will tell you all you need to know. If you take the time to read them all you will come to appreciate that not only is serious link building a strategic concern, but it is very time consuming. However, on the strategic side of things, you will note that some of the suggestions go beyond link building eg developing a competition on your website to encourage links - the competition itself might be considered as a marketing tactic in its own right. In other words, SEO should be a key aspect of the organization's marketing strategy. 50+ More Things Every Link Builder Should Know, 4 Ways to Wash Away The Link Building Hate, 5 Pieces Of Content: 25 Link Ideas, Link to my awesome content, please!, How To Attract Killer Links For E-Commerce Sites and 10 Questions To Ask When Creating A Link Building Campaign does answer some of the basic questions on the issue, and so is useful - however, some of it does seem just a bit creepy to me. Not sure it's the type of job I would enjoy doing every day :)

How to gain value from broken backlinks is perhaps for more serious SEO - but it shows that effective SEO is a full time occupation.

I have to say that I didn't realise this was so big a thing ...‘Link in bio’ platforms: Which is best for SEO?

4.7 ENTERPRISE SEO

GO ONLINE *page 91*

Two of the best SEO guides are Search Engine Land‘s Guide to SEO and Ahrefs’ The Beginner’s Guide to SEO.

Enterprise SEO: Lessons from 20 years in the trenches

I’ve put 9 roadblocks to SEO success here rather than in earlier sections because, effectively, it is about strategic SEO.

How to manage and edit your Google Business Profile from Google search.

1 million URLs: How to pivot your SEO strategy when you reach enterprise level

11 enterprise SEO challenges and solutions

How to plan and budget for enterprise SEO

I didn’t mention Negative SEO in the book, but it deserves a mention. I’ve put it in this section as although all websites are susceptible to it, only major websites are likely to be victims. 6 types of negative SEO to watch out for explains what it’s all about and Negative SEO Disavow Lists lets you know the basics.

How one company’s rebrand and domain name change led to SEO disaster details how getting this wrong can mean the end of a business - but in this example the organization failed to follow advice and guides that have been around since the turn of the century.

How to choose an enterprise SEO platform - what you need to know in choosing the right enterprise SEO platform.

9 big risks of cheap SEO.

7 tips to turn Google’s Search Essentials into strategy covers the key issues.

I could have put SEO and website design: How to build search engine-friendly sites pretty much anywhere on this page - but it's most relevant here.

Beyond SEO: Embracing the future of organic search optimization.

10 simple steps to analyze your brand SERP and build an effective digital strategy is very good ... but remember it is for a brand name - not all key words [though some of the tips could apply to general keyword issues].

Cross-border SEO for Same-language Sites.

I've put How to fix a huge traffic drop after rebranding here as I think re-branding comes under 'enterprise SEO' ;-)