"The Art of SEO" Isn't a Paint-by-Numbers Kit

The Art of War by Sun Tzu isn’t about Chinese pottery and The Art of SEO by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Rand Fishkin and Jessie Stricchiola isn’t a paint-by-numbers kit.

The Art of SEO is a comprehensive guide to search engine optimization strategies and tactics written by four SEO experts:

— Eric Enge, the President of SEO consulting firm, Stone Temple Consulting, who is widely recognized as an expert on the topic of SEO.

— Rand Fishkin, CEO and co-founder of SEOmoz.org, one of the web’s most popular portals on the topic of search.

— Stephan M. Spencer, the founder, President & CEO of the SEO firm Netconcepts.

— Jessie Stricchiola, the founder of Alchemist Media, Inc., a San Francisco search engine marketing company.

The Art of SEO provides proven guidelines and cutting-edge techniques for planning and executing a comprehensive SEO strategy. The authors clearly explain SEO fundamentals, while correcting many common misconceptions. If you are new to SEO, you’ll get a complete and thorough SEO education, as well as an array of effective tactics, from basic to advanced. Seasoned practitioners will find this book useful as a complete reference to SEO best practices.

The chapters on Keyword Research, Developing an SEO-Friendly Website, Creating Link-Worthy Content & Link Marketing, and Tracking Results and Measuring Success are must-reads for anyone interested in mastering search engine optimization.

I interviewed Fishkin on the future of SEO at SES London 2009. He said people are using more social elements and direct methods of getting information rather than using the traditional search engines. Programs such as Yelp, OpenTable for local search, and Kayak, Faircast Live for travel search are examples of this recent development.

Fishkin said people today who want to converse or learn more about social media don’t use Google but use such applications as Facebook or Twitter. He also offered his take on the significance of links.

Rand Fishkin, SEOMoz, on the future of SEO in 2009

Fishkin and Enge will both be speaking at SES Chicago 2009. Fishkin will be speaking about “PPC or SEO? The Ultimate Search Marketing Battle” and “Black Hat, White Hat: Does it Really Matter Anymore?” Enge will be speaking about “Duplicate Content & Multiple Site Issues.”