2011 Wrap Up: Our Favorite Blog Posts & Articles From The Year

As 2011 draws to a close, it is always fun to look back at some of our favorite and most significant resources from this past year, related to search engine marketing, social media, and marketing and business in general. We hope you find value in these selections and feel free to share your favorites via comments, or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+ to continue the discussion.

In relative order that these resources published in 2011…

• 125 Tips for Building an Irresistible Brand
  There is possibly no better way for internet marketers to start their 2011 than a solid checklist for building success (and a brand) in the new year. While this post on Copyblogger kicked off 2011, it certainly should be well referenced as we move into 2012.
• The Dirty Little Secrets of Search
  It did not take long for SEO to hit mainstream media in 2011. This NY Times column exposing tactics J.C.Penney used to gain top rankings in Google thrust SEO in the spotlight and quite possibly hastened some of the significant changes search marketers felt throughout the rest of the year.
• RIP Digg.
  I personally have been a fan of Digg for quite some time, having invested a fair amount of time on the site as a reader and participant. More than a eulogy about Digg (still around by the way) this article pays respect to the risks entrepreneurs took to start something in the beginnings of “Web 2.0 movement”.
• Manage Like You’re Dying: A Humbled Entrepreneur’s Reflections
  Marty Weintraub’s introspective post on how aimClear has grown into such a respected business provides fantastic advice for business owners and individuals seeking to build their own career and path in the workplace.
• Questioning Amit Singhal’s Questions
  To every point there should be a counterpoint and if you’ve been in SEO for any period of time, you should know to question everything you find online. Aaron Wall’s rebuttal to Amit Singhal’s blog post on the Google “Panda” algorithm is one great example.
• 75 of the Best B2B Facebook Marketing Tips
  Even though Facebook will continue to (frustratingly) change and enhance their offerings, Jeffrey Cohen’s collection of resources and tips is a go-to online asset for learning more about B2B marketing on Facebook.
• Content Marketing in a Blink: The Content Grid v2 [Infographic]
  Eloqua’s Content Marketing Grid 2 was an even better representation than the original in how-to for marketers should consider how they operationalize content marketing programs.
• Link Building with the Experts – 2011 Edition
  Rae Hoffman’s annual interview featuring top link building experts is a must read for SEO professionals. This past year’s edition continued the trend.
• We’re All Marketers Now
  Search marketers have been pushing their way into overall marketing strategy for years, but that really is a piece to a much larger puzzle. McKinsey’s article highlighting the new era in customer engagement provides an excellent overview and insight into how the role of marketing must evolve in every business organization.
• Stop Ignoring the Stalwart Worker
  This article from Harvard Business Review is not only important for business leaders, but anyone working in a team environment, especially in the marketing space.
• Dear Friend: Sorry. My heart says yes, but my schedule says no.
  Dharmesh Shah not only provides subtle advice on focusing your objectives as a business owner but a solid list of resources for people interested in start-ups and entrepreneurship.
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective SEOs
  Neil Patel is a pretty good SEO (understatement) and his advice for those looking to get into the field or enhance their current experience is well worth the time to read and reflect upon.
• Google Puts A Price On Privacy
  Danny Sullivan’s perspective on Google Encrypted Search should be the article marketers read as they delve into keyword referral reports in 2012, wondering why “not provided” data keeps showing up in results. (I no doubt believe a significant amount of marketers still do not know about this)
• 2011 Edition of the Search Engine Ranking Factors
  This past years search engine ranking factors survey was even bigger and better than before, with a much clearer navigational stream and downloadable resources and information. A must-have resource for search engine marketing professionals.
• This One Leadership Quality Will Make or Break You
  Finally, this article from Mike Myatt in Forbes provides the perfect launch pad for jumping into 2012, as a business owner, professional, or entrepreneur.

Our Most Popular Posts on KoMarketing Associates

• 12 Questions to Ask When Performing SEO Keyword Research
• 18 Ways to Measure a Search Engine Optimization Campaign
• 15 Content Marketing and Social Media Takeaways from the 2011 B2B Marketing Summit
• 22 User Experience Factors to Consider Post-Panda
• The Impact of Google Encrypted Search for the B2B Marketer

Popular Columns from Third Party Publications

A full recap can be found on my about page, but here is a list of some of more popular columns I wrote this year on Search Engine Land and Search Engine Watch in 2011.

• How to Establish a B2B Social Media Benchmarking Plan
• Why B2B Search Marketers Should Care About Content Curation
• Before Or After The Form? Balancing Lead Generation & SEO Strategy
• 10 Concepts Critical for Aligning SEO to B2B Marketing Strategy
• Google Encrypted Search: 9 Key Points B2B Marketers Need to Know
• B2B SEO 2012 Strategy Planning: 4 Recommendations

Happy Holidays to all of our blog and news subscribers from the team at KoMarketing Associates. Wishing you the very best this holiday season and into the new year!