A lot of people in the SEO community tend to almost blindly copy and paste stuff they hear or read on blogs onto their own blogs, Twitter, etc.

The copy & paste problem

If the source people copy would be right, this wouldn’t be a problem. But that’s not the world we’re living in. Unfortunately this copy and paste behavior leads to a good chance of misinterpretation an awful lot of times.

What I’m missing is criticism. What’s the context of what you’re reading? What does it (not) mean? I’m no saint here either. In the past I’ve been guilty of this copy and paste behavior myself as well. It seems a natural pattern of people learning SEO.

But let us all stop copy and paste stuff that people say or write down, even be it Google’s Matt Cutts himself. And let us start questioning and thinking ourselves about what we’re hearing or reading. For example Google’s Reasonable Surfer patent.

Google’s Reasonable Surfer model

In recent weeks the SEO community got all wound up with a new patent from Google: the Reasonable Surfer model. As always ’search engine patent spotter’ Bill Slawski found it and wrote a great post about it.

But a lot of people did just simply copy and paste Bill’s conclusions from Google’s Reasonable Surfer patent. And all people seem to take this as the truth.

Unfortunately I rarely see people questioning these things.

Questioning the Reasonable Surfer patent

Therefore I was happy to found out that David Harry wrote an awesome piece questioning Google’s Reasonable Surfer model.

Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a really valuable insight into the algorithms of Google. But one major reason to question it for SEO’s sake is that the Reasonable Surfer model was filed back in 2004, which is 6(!) years ago…

So go ahead and and read David’s post: The reasonable surfer; makes for unreasonable thinkers.

And start questioning the stuff you hear and read yourself.

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

The (non)sense of Google’s Reasonable Surfer model

Today I’m presenting at the Search Engine Strategies (SES) Amsterdam 2010 conference (link).

Just like the first edition of SES Amsterdam last year, I’m presenting the results of the market research I conducted on the Dutch search engine marketing market.

My slides are in Dutch, but the illustrations might give you an idea what I’m talking about

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

My SES Amsterdam 2010 presentation

We all know Google. And we all use Google when we search. They have become the most powerful Internet company of this moment. But how does Google work?

There have been written a ton of articles about how Google works, but most of them are explanations from people outside of of Google. There’s nothing wrong with that, because those people are likely to be unbiased. But those people do not have the complete picture.

How Google’s search engine works

Google is giving basic information on how their search engine works. But on a rare occasion people are allowed inside Google’s headquarters to see a glimpse of how Google works.

This month Wired journalist Steven Levy has been allowed to join the Google Search Quality team. They are responsible for the development and improvement of Google’s algorithm: the heart of Google’s search engine.

Wired managed to get some inside information and comments on how Google works. I highly recommend reading the article which extensively describes how Google’s search engine works:

“How Google’s Algorithm Rules the Web” (wired.com)

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

How does Google work?

Don’t worry. I’m still here. It has just been “a little” quiet here lately

The main reason would be my new job, in which I enthusiastically invested a lot of time since I started last December 1st.

So I am struggling to find the time for writing. Both on this blog and my Dutch blog (EdWords.nl), as well as other blogs I write for. I apologize for the quietness here and hope you’ll understand.

But please know that I’m actively using my Twitter account to post stuff I find interesting and worth sharing. So please head over to http://twitter.com/EdWords and let’s stay in touch!

And thanks for still being here

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

Quiet here? Follow me on Twitter

With great enthusiasm I like to share with you that I am going for my next challenge outside of Outrider (GroupM/WPP).

Starting December 1st I will be joining my buddy and great SEO Joost de Valk and other talented and skilled people at OrangeValley! (Dutch site)

Developing SEO

I will be responsible for developing the SEO services alongside their on-site optimization services like web analytics, multi-variate testing and conversion optimization.

I am really looking forward working with a great team and developing an unique and high quality SEO proposition!

Thank you, Outrider!

I had a great time at Outrider, where I had the luck of learning from and working with a lot of talented people. I like to thank everybody at Outrider and within the GroupM network for this experience! Thanks for all the opportunities!

On my Dutch blog EdWords.nl I wrote an extensive post why I left, what OrangeValley is and what I will be doing there. Of course it is in Dutch

http://www.edwords.nl/2009/11/19/mijn-volgende-uitdaging/

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

My next challenge

It wouldn’t surprise me if you’re asking yourself “Where have you been, Eduard?”. I completely understand that. And I’ll tell you where I have been.

Except for the post I just wrote (“Why there is no Europe with Search Marketing“), my last posting here was 6 weeks ago. So you I owe you an update!

First of all, great you’re still hanging around here

Micro blogging

For the record, I have been blogging actively for the past couple of weeks and months. Well, Micro blogging that is (on Twitter as you might know).

There you will find me sharing articles and other Search related stuff at least once a day!

SEO Course

The main reason why I have not been posting a lot on this blog (and on my Dutch blog EdWords.nl as well), is because I have been writing an SEO course (for Dutch home study provider LOI).

And because I have a full-time SEO consultant job already, I have written the SEO course in the evenings and weekends. So you might understand the time to write blog posts regularly has been rare.

A bright horizon

But the good news is that the SEO course is finished, so I will have more time to start writing my thoughts down again! (I’ll let you know when the SEO course is available)

However, on the short term I am still busy with some new challenges (on which I’ll update you later), so don’t expect a weekly update here immediately

Thanks!

So for now I really appreciate that you are still subscribed to my blog or that you took the time to read this. Thanks!

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

“Where have you been?”

Search engine marketing is one of the marketing activities, which in most cases, is relatively easy to expand to other markets. But don’t make the mistake expanding uncarefully.

Search Marketing in Europe is one of those cases where it’s not so easy. Why not, you ask? The answer is because there is no Europe when applying basically any type of marketing strategy.

Search is pull driven

Why is this important? This is important because it outlines the central and key approach of search engine marketing. Search stands out as one of the most pull driven media.

Therefore, search engine marketing is most effective when you adapt to your target market in the best possible way.

Read the rest of this article at SearchFuel, the Search Marketing blog of the company I work for:
“Many Countries, Many Markets: SEM in Europe“

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

Why there is no Europe with Search Marketing

Real-time Search is hot. Ever since Twitter came along, they took and dominated the real-time search space.

Especially with their new search engine like homepage. Can Google keep up with them or not? Will Twitter beat Google at its core? At least it is keeping the industry busy.

Google into real-time search more than ever

Of course Twitter still has a valuable database of tweets and conversations which Google and other search engines do not have. But do not make the mistake thinking that Google has lost the real-time search game. They’re into it more than ever.

Yesterday the Omgili blog highlighted how you can tweak Google’s new Search Options to filter results by minutes and even seconds. That seems close to real-time search, doesn’t it?

Read the rest of this post at SearchCowboys: “Can we stop the real-time search debate now?“.

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

Can we stop the real-time search debate now?

I stumbled upon a short but really important post by Steve Rubel in which he gives us an insightful graphic:

He names 2 learnings out of this graphic which I think we all should remind ourselves frequently:

• There will always be shifts in media
• One format never supersedes another

At first sight this has nothing to do with Search, but understanding this shift in media definitely helps understanding the development and future of Search.

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

There will always be shifts in media

Sometimes a simple piece of information is more valuable than a long and decent article, especially in a time where attention span is decreasing due to services like Twitter.

From this article I found a simple but valuable table outlining what a landing page should contain for SEO, SEA (PPC) or both, regarding informational, transactional or navigational searcher intent:

This is a post from: Eduard Blacquière's Search Marketing Blog

SEO or SEA (PPC) Landing Page?