I've been neglecting the Thursday roundups lately due to chronic deadlines and client work taking precedent over sitting down for four hours and putting together a post full of links. However, since I've received clamorings to resume the roundup (and because Rand is sad that I haven't been blogging much lately), I figured I'd hunker down and get you all up to date on what's been going on the past couple months. I'll also be "Andy Dufresne-ing" old YOUmoz entries and Marketplace listings into subsequent roundups until we're all caught up, so don't feel sad if you contributed to the site some way in the past and aren't listed below--I'll get to you! My apologies for some of the more "dated" news--hope you enjoy this mega long, uber-huge roundup!

 Stories, news, and other notable items from the past several weeks:

 

• Cesar Serna blogged about the "Internet micro economy." Micro economies aren't as cool as Micro Machines, and nothing's as cool as the super fast talking Micro Machine Man.
• Apparently dating websites are taking over our lawns. I blame Matt Inman.
• Speaking of Matt, Brett Borders interviewed him a long freakin' time ago, but I'm still linking to it because it's nice to check in on our former CTO and see what he's been up to. (Brett also interviewed Marty Weintraub, so check it out.)
• Brett had another post about social media "rockstars" vs. "narcissists." There's something about our industry that attracts a lot of bullshitters who don't actually know what they're doing...
• Samir Balwani lists some tell-tale signs that you need to hire a social media consultant. If you're filling out Geocities fan pages and submitting them to "web rings," that might be a good indication...
• CrunchGear asked a while back why Hulu is more valued by advertisers than YouTube. Maybe it's because I don't feel dumber after having visited Hulu, whereas I tend to drop a few IQ points after watching a shopping penguin on YouTube.
• Are you a Twitter snob? Don't be! TwiTip urges you to focus on friendships instead. What's that? You have no friends? Oh, well, then carry on.
• Speaking of Twitter, here are 101 everyday uses for Twitter. That's right, you can use Twitter as a shamwow! It really soaks up those inane comments!
• Other Twitter stuff: looking for a fun "follow me" button but aren't remotely creative? Here are 31 logos and buttons for you, you unremarkable twit! 
• Researchers are developing a nanotech clothing fabric that never gets wet. I thought that already existed: it's called a rain coat.
• This video pretty much sums up why MySpace sucks.
• Want to know how to get people to send you less email? Read this list (or become a deposed Nigerian prince).
• In case you're wondering how to block a website for everyone but you, here you go. Enjoy your solitude, loser!
• Alhan Keser is cool. Why is he cool? Because he has a Linkscape shirt...and because he got some dude from Public Enemy to point at the shirt. Get up get, get down, bad rankings are a joke in your town!
• Blip.tv interviewed Rand about SEOmoz and Linkscape and whatnot. Check out part 1 and 2 of the interview.
• Speaking of the old boss man, Rand graced the list of Invesp Consulting's "10 most influential marketers of 2008." I, on the other hand, made Michael Streko's list of his top 20 people who didn't suck in 2008. So yeah, looks like I came out on top.
• Ian Lurie says we shouldn't trust Google for SEO advice. 
• Laying people off is a fine art...well, according to Guy Kawasaki, anyway. He listed some guidelines to follow if you ever find yourself in the unenviable position of letting people go.
• Best. Product website. Ever.
• This is why I wish I were a domain squatter.
• Scott Orth had been looking for a job and chronicled his experiences in a multi-post social experiment called "Search Expert Forced to Live Under Bridge." Check it out if you can!
• Nostalgic for the top topics that distracted us last year? Check out Slate's article that highlights the most distracting, compelling stories of 2008.
• Apparently posting negative reviews online can get you sued (at least by some asshole from San Francisco). I'd make a joke about Yelp, but it looks like they've got other stuff on their mind...
• Miguel Salcido posits that search needs a little healthy competition. And by "healthy," he probably doesn't mean "Ask.com."
• Here's a "Captain Obvious" tip for you: if you commit a felony, don't google it or you'll probably end up in the pokey.
• SES New York is next week, and the ever lovable Greg Niland put together a video promoting the IM Charity Party on March 23rd. Check it out if you want to get to know Frank Watson a little bit better...

• Gizmodo has a list of the 50 skills every geek should have. Noticeably absent is the ability to make a hot Weird Science girl who turns your brother into a troll.
• According to the Dallas News, 1 of every 50 people on earth now belong to Facebook. Coming soon: Faceguide, an intergalactic version of Facebook. New users receive a towel upon joining.
• Six Revisions lists 30 beautiful examples of grunge in web design. Has the Internet really reached a "grunge" era? What's next, the Boy Band/Frosted Tips Era? (In related news, here are 100 websites with outstanding artistic design.)
• Methinks that in this economy, people are cutting corners left and right, so why not take a stab at designing your own business card? Here are 19 photoshop tutorials to get you started.
• Social media is thriving while newspaper circulation plummets. Recently the Seattle PI switched to an all-online version, so I wonder how many other newspapers will follow suit. TheBivingsReport released a study chronicling the use of the Internet by America's largest newspapers, so hopefully they'll figure out a way to successfully marry digital and print.
• Forbes Magazine highlighted Yahoo!'s 5 biggest mistakes. Just missing the list was #6: Releasing a "Best of the Yahoo! Yodel" CD that failed to grace the Billboard charts.
• The Get Smart blog lists various ways to find photos on the Internet. No word on how many of these photos have a LOL caption...
• My buddy Jordan Kasteler lists 5 SEO tools you may be missing from your arsenal. Don't forget your friendly neighborhood SEOmoz tools, either!
• Check out these cool and creative 404 error pages. I had previously blogged about getting creative with 404 error pages, so it's always nice to see new, fun examples.
• Copyblogger says that shorter is better. Hrm, maybe I should stop dating guys who are over 6 ft tall...
• Speaking of guys over 6 ft tall, my boyfriend Jason (aka MansteryGuest) has been blogging over at ThinkBasis. His posts are good but poorly trafficked, so humor me and check out some of his best stuff:
  • Things Diggers Hate (That Always Get Dugg)
  • So You've Decided to Spam Digg: 8 Signs You Haven't Really Thought Things Through
  • When You Think I'm Full of Shit, Please Tell Me: 4 Reasons to Embrace Dissenting Opinions
  • Small Business Approaches to Online Marketing
  • Does Ego Kill the SEO Star?
  • And, of course, an interview with me :)
• This is an oldie but a goodie from Pubcon 2008: how to boost affiliate revenue using eBay, Facebook and TinyURL.
• SEOgadget talks about how to recession-proof your e-commerce website. I'm told that working for AIG helps...
• Need a new logo? Here's some info on how NOT to design one.
• Widgetbox has 8 Google Search and Google News widgets. Check 'em out, yo!
• Mashable brings us the top 10 social networks for Generation-Y. Great, more sites for old fuddy-duddy business owners to get confused about.

• Gyutae Park from Winning the Web launched a tool called IM Top Blogs. It tracks top Internet marketing blogs (SEOmoz is ranked 5th, suckas) and is a great resource of reading material and Internet marketing stuff.
• Rae Hoffman has a handy post about how to promote a brand new blog. She has really solid recommendations that any new blogger should keep in mind.
• DelimitDesign has over 35 social media tools that should make your life easier.
• Tamar Weinberg came up with the ultimate social media etiquette handbook. The first rule of the handbook is that you do not talk, blog, or tweet about the handbook.
• Pinny Cohen examines shopping cart abandonment and other e-commerce site metrics you should be aware of.
• Smashing Magazine highlights breadcrumbs in web design, providing examples and best practices.

YOUmoz entries:

• One-Time or Ongoing SEO - Is it a Yes or No Question? IgniteMedia ponders the pros and cons of ongoing vs. one-time SEO.
• How Paging Improves or Worsens Your Website. Michael Sparer talks about various pagination options for websites and their SEO implications.
• Is Google's Yo-Yo Effect the Evidence of a New Algo? ActiveMind analyzes fluctuating Google results and wonders if it's indicative of a new algorithm/algo tweaks.
• Lots of Page Views - Good or Bad? IgniteMedia wonders if it's more important to keep visitor length low or if you should focus on gauging visit length based on what your site offers.
• Stop Nickel-and-Diming Your SEO Clients: Give Them Means, Not Just the Ends. Alhan Kesar talks about SEO information that SEO companies should provide to their clients and provides instructions on how to properly use it.
• Wanna Crowd Source a Link Building Reporting Tool? Bookworm SEO encourages the SEOmoz community to help him crowd source a link building reporting tool.
• Has Google Given Up Trying to Police On-Page Ranking Factors? John McElborough wonders if Google's been phoning in detection of spam lately.
• Content Syndication and How to Look Good Doing It. Webwordslinger gives some tips on how to get a bigger bang for your syndicated content.
• 6 Must-Have SEO Tools. ViciouslyCold shares some of his favorite SEO tools.
• Killing Your Competition: Martial Arts and SEO, What I Learned in Judo/Karate. Joshua Sciarrino combines his love of martial arts and Internet marketing to create some interesting parallels between the two.
• Something's Up with Live Search. Period. Jac shares some brief wonkiness she noticed in Live Search.
• Hot or Not: Manipulating Query Suggestions. Mitch Turk wonders if one could lure users away from their original queries with a "preposterous train wreck of a keyphrase."
• Widget Marketing Model. Timoon talks about the history of widgets and gives some good reasons for widgetizing your marketing.
• Should SEO Agencies Exist and Are Their Days Numbered? Bloom Media thinks that specialist SEO agencies are facing an assult on their market space.
• Google Resellers Spamming Google SERPs? The Lost Agency wonders if there's some spamming afoot courtesy of Google resellers.
• Things I Hate About Internet Advertising. Paz shares some gripes about Internet advertising.
• Content with the Content Network? Yoshimi shares some thoughts on how to approach the Google content network as an affiliate.
• Why Search Engines Make It Hard to Plagiarize. SEO Columbus reminds us how hard it is to plagiarize content nowadays.
• Offline Keyword Research for Local Languages. Budiwaluyo shares some of unconventional but great keyword research tactics.
• Help Future Search Marketers! Chenry pinged the YOUmoz community and asked them for a list of SEO resources for up-and-coming marketers.
• Will Internet Marketing Companies Survive in the Future? Kenneth Dreyer wonders what the future holds for Internet marketing companies.
• The New Easiest Trick to Increase Conversions. Brettster shares a Firefox add-on that smushes image file sizes.
• It's All in the Name. IgniteMedia debates the term "SEO" and brainstorms better names for our profession.
• Be Quantitative. DanCrean talks about the need to adopt quantitative habits to succeed in this industry.
• Moneyball and the Search Marketer. DanCrean blogs again, this time about how buying advertising is like buying baseball players.
• Search Motivations and Personalized Search: A Half- or Fully-Baked Idea? Webwordslinger talks about "search with intent" vs. "search with interest."
• Google, This Relationship Just Isn't Working for Me...Isn't Communication Key? ToddE writes a letter to Google, suggesting that they need to communicate better with website owners.
• Growing Your Internet Marketing Business in a Down Economy. AlanBleiweiss talks about how he grew his business and provides some examples of how you can help your clients see how successful their marketing iniatives are.
• Why Your Public Relations Department Should Be Great at Link Building. HannahS talks about how to brief the PR team and encourage them to build some links to your site.
• Google This Christmas: Was It a Missed Opportunity? Andrew@Objective checks out the term "christmas" in Google Adwords and notices businesses' lack of optimization for holiday search terms.
• Update the Copyright Year on Your Website. Interactivevoices reminds us all to make sure our website's copyright year is updated.
• Is There Bias with Google Chrome? Paz wonders if Google Chrome shows preference with Google properties.
• SEOmoz Tools ~ The Best Out There. Rob Dalton gives a shout out to SEOmoz and our toolset.
• Reputation Management 101: When Community Spirit Turns Bad. Pete Wailes talks about how to manage your reputation in online communities like blogs and forums.
• Taking a Deep-Dive Approach to Competitive Analysis for SEO. Filipe Santos provides a list of starting points for competitive analysis.
• Link Building: Mislead to Believe. Tripti talks about several link building myths and misconceptions and provides an alternate viewpoint.
• Top Collegiate Marketing Programs Get an 'F' for SEO. SEMCommonSense analyzes some of the top university marketing programs in the nation to see if they offer any sort of Internet or web marketing course.
• Effective Linkbaiting and 48 Hours Can Drive Your Website Viral. Sameerf shares a linkbait/viral marketing case study with us.
• Why the PPC-SEO Disconnect is Shrinking (For Now). Bookworm SEO talks about why paid search is embraced differently than organic SEO and provides some action points for us.

Best of YOUmoz:

• Reputation Management Theory. Developdaly asks that instead of creating a network for his client, would it be better to "create two or more networks that compete with each other, avoiding linking the sites together and, if possible, avoiding the overlapping of their content category."
• Microsoft Forces Me to Hate Internet Explorer. Darren Slatten talks about his issues with trying to optimize a site for IE6.
• Social Media + Viral Social Engineering = More Traffic and Links Than GOD. DanielTynski talks about viral marketing and breaks it down for the average Internet marketer.
• Tips for SMOs and SEMs Working in a Traditional/Transitioning Ad Agency. KatFrench shares some tips on how to succeed as an Internet marketer in an old-school advertising agency.
• 8 Arguments to Convince Jaded SEO Clients That You Are Trustworthy. Alhan Keser shares a few tips on how to stand out among your competitors as an ethical SEO.
• Google Analytics Javascript is Broken. Stephen_T highlights javascript errors with Google Analytics.
• MozPoint Distribution: A Case Study (Sort Of). Chenry analyzed the distribution of mozpoints across our users and created a blog post full of neat stats.
• Using SEOmoz Linkscape to Troll for Terrific Link Prospects. Tom Schmitz takes us through a step-by-step of how he uses Linkscape to find links.
• Visitor Statistics after 1 Year of Business. Mintyman tracks his traffic growth and shares his findings with us. 
• Do Not Overlook the Importance of the Display URLs in PPC Ads. RandyP shows some PPC stats and clickthrough rates based on some tests he ran.

New additions to the SEOmoz Marketplace:

Featured job postings:

• SEO specialist for Big Fish Internet in Lancaster, UK
• Interactive account director for an agency in Chicago, IL
• SEO manager for Agenda21 in London, UK

Featured companies:

United States:

• Indexed Content in Mesa, AZ
• Media 1 Designs in Huntington Beach, CA
• Handmade Interactive in Los Angeles, CA
• Clark SEO in Newport Beach, CA
• Palmer Web Marketing in Orange, CA
• Golden State Communications in Orange County, CA
• Deographics in CA
• Digital Operative in San Diego, CA
• Excel Your Business in CA
• Hey Dude, Where's My Site? in CA
• iSynergy Webdesign in CA
• SEO90.com in CA
• Precis E-Business in Englewood, CO
• SEOMatrix in New Haven, CT
• SearchWiz in Boca Raton, FL
• Refuge Design in Florida
• Atlanta SEO Works in Atlanta, GA
• Saltech Systems in Ames, IA
• Digital Third Coast Internet Marketing in Chicago, IL
• Searchite in Chicago, IL
• Shout Productions in Chicago, IL
• SEO Logic in IL
• Hanapin Marketing in Bloomington, IN
• 7strategy in KS
• Louisville Web Group in Louisville, KY
• Online Marketer in Boston, MA
• Exclusive Concepts in MA
• Get Noticed on Google in Baltimore, MD
• GR Web Designs in Grand Rapids, MI
• Nina Hale Consulting in Minneapolis, MN
• Bradish Enterprises in Woodbury, MN
• Rosman & Associates in Missouri
• Impact Web Design in Charlotte, NC
• OverIt Media SEO in Albany, NY
• Web Design Library in Brooklyn, NY
• Blue Fountain Media in New York, NY
• SAP User List Appenders in New York, NY
• Software Products in New York, NY
• WannaDevelop.com in New York, NY
• Unstuck Digital in Ronkonkoma, NY
• Upright Communications in Cincinnati, OH
• KoiFish Communications in Portland, OR
• SwellPath Interactive in Portland, OR
• Searchlight Interactive in Charleston, SC
• Factor 360 in South Dakota
• HigherVisibility in Memphis, TN
• RefreshWeb in Austin, TX
• Level3Logic in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
• IMMIX Productions in Houston, TX
• Listorbit in Houston, TX, as well as the UK
• CAP Digisoft Solutions in Irving, TX, as well as India
• W3trends in Texas
• Expert Web Management in VA
• Whatcom Web in Bellingham, WA
• Duo Web Marketing in Olympia, WA
• aSEOpro in Washington
• JH Specialty in the US
• LangfordSevier in the US
• LikePhate in the US
• ProspectMX in the US
• S.E.O Tap located in cyberspace

Canada:

• Better Search Solutions in Cochrane, AB, Canada
• snap! Virtual Associates in Alberta, Canada
• X-Jay Technologies in North Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Brenelz Web Solutions in Winnipeg, MB, Canada
• Burst Web Solutions in Winnipeg, MB, Canada
• K'nechtology in Toronto, ON, Canada
• Egographik in Laval, QC, Canada
• Neowebmedia in Montreal, QC, Canada
• SEMATTIC in Canada

Central/South America:

• SEO Sapien in Escazu, Costa Rica

UK / Europe:

• G-Forces Web Management in Bearsted, Kent, UK
• Utopia Creative Solutions in Croydon, UK
• Receptional Internet Marketing in Flitwick, Beds, UK
• Affiliate Marketplace.net in Kingston Upon Hull, UK
• Logoinn in Leicester, UK
• Bloom Media in London and Leeds, UK
• Prospero Digital in London, UK, as well as the US and Canada
• Weboptimiser Media in London, UK
• Xcede Recruitment Solutions in London, UK
• Cube3 Marketing in Manchester, UK
• Electric Studio in Oxford, UK
• Oxford SEO in Oxford, UK
• Web Results Direct in the UK
• Outsourcing4U in the UK
• 1 Seo in Vilnius, Lithuania
• MaxROY in Poznan, Poland
• SeoPlus in Bucharest, Romania
• Edopine in Palma de Mallorca, Spain
• Factory Aurum in Prague, Czech Republic
• Innova Limited in Gibraltar

Asia:

• cyberThink in Ahmedabad, India
• ZealousWeb Technologies in Ahmedabad, India
• GetHighRanks Solutions in Bangalore, India
• Zitz Solutions in Bangalore, India
• SEO India in Chd, India
• Agriya Infoway in Chennai, India
• dmaxonline.com in Chennai, India
• PKWebbS in Chennai, India
• Submit Elite Services in Gurgaon, Harya, India
• icsonweb in Hyderabad, India
• SubmitINme.com in Nagercoil, India
• HostingITrust in New Delhi,  India
• Ray Creations in New Delhi, India
• Mosaic ITES Services in Noida, India
• Browsewire Consulting Group in Shimla, India
• Afzalkhan.org in India, the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia
• Minerva Infotech in India
• Key Scouts in Israel and the US
• neoCortex in Japan
• SirSEO in Karachi, Pakistan
• SEOWizzards in the Philippines

Australia:

• Dejan SEO in Brisbane, Australia
• Sumo Group in Perth, Australia
• SEORank in Australia and India
• WebSight Australia in Melbourne, Australia

Featured resumes:

Currently looking:

• Nicholas McDonough is "seeking a senior search marketing position with a progressive company that offers a high level of challenge, responsibility, and career growth." He has previously served as a marketing campaign manager and is also an alumnus of Yahoo! Search Marketing.
• Sarah Farrow is a copywriter who is also experienced in SEO/SEM, PPC management, site reviews, and web analytics.
• Jason Volk is a Sales and Business Marketing grad who is looking for a full-time search marketing position. His previous experience includes working as a search account manager at Blue Tent Marketing in Boulder, Colorado.
• Bavajan is an Internet marketer who has over 3 years of experience with SEO, PPC, affiliate marketing, and advertising.
• Frank Hobson is an SEO with a team of marketers who is offering his marketing services for a reasonable price.
• Cory Bagley is an informations systems manager for American Safari Cruises in Seattle. He has been studying and practicing search engine optimization and paid search for the last six years and is looking to take the next step in the progression of his career by moving into Internet marketing on a full-time basis.
• Brian Kenyon is looking to obtain an online marketing consultant, account manager, webmaster, or interactive producer position that will utilize his web design/development, information architecture, project management, customer service, and online marketing experience to effectively and profitably grow a business’s web services while increasing relevant traffic to its clients’ websites.
• Hunter D. Willis is the owner of Webstore Solutions and has business skills, marketing savvy, and technical knowledge to help clients improve their online sales and marketing efforts.
• Eric Pender is an Internet marketer in Chicago, IL. He specializes in SEO and PPC account management for clients and is also experienced in local search optimization and reputation management. Eric is also Google Adwords certified.
• Ariella Robison is an experienced SEO/SEM/web marketer with eight years of experience in online campaign strategy in execution.
• Bradley H. Knell has over 5 years of experience developing and maintaining successful PPC campaigns and handling SEO for small businesses in Canada. He's currently seeking distance contract opportunities that will best utilize his skillset.
• Jacob Landsman is an online advertising sales expert who is seeking a position that leverages his skills, experience and interest in digital and interactive advertising.
• Zach Thompson is the owner of Glorify Enterprises, an Internet marketing company that specializes in the nutrition field. He is experienced in developing new business and marketing and specializes in SEO and various aspects of Internet marketing.
• Christy Correll has seven years of professional experience in search engine optimization, nonprofit marketing/public relations, and newspaper journalism. She specializes in SEO copywriting and editing, social media marketing,keyword research, blogging, and SEO content management.
• Marek Wawrzyniak is an interactive marketer with 15 years of solid Internet marketing experience. For the past 7 years he has been an SEO strategist for a Fortune 117 company, and he is an advanced SEO/M marketer and social media strategist.
• Joseph Maresca is an SEO and PPC expert with experience in affiliate marketing, email marketing, A/B testing, improving conversion rates, and more.
• George John is a marketer with over 4 years of SEO experience and 10 years of web design and programming experience. He's proficient in all forms of advertising.
• Keli Best is looking for a position as a PPC/SEM specialist. She has 2 1/2 years of experience in the field and is a good multitasker.

Happily Employed:

• Paul Broomfield is an SEO/PPC engineer for MAD Productions. He would like to pursue a career in online marketing which will lead him to a "position of responsibility where the rewards and satisfaction gained will justify the commitment and dedication [he is] prepared to offer."
• Afzal Khan is an SEO and marketing expert as well as a professional blogger who specializes in SEO, SEM, PPC, social media marketing, blog marketing, and search marketing strategy and positioning.
• Amjad Puliyali is a search marketing enthusiast from Dubai who has more than 2 years of experience in search marketing, SEO, and paid search. He's also specialized in Arabic Search Marketing and search in the Middle East.
• Edopine Design is a design agency active in all areas of strategic visual communications, including corporate identity, branding, print communications and advertising, web design and development, electronic presentations and other digital media.
• Abdul Malick is an SEO analyst who works for Agriya in India.
• Jolie du Pre is a content creator, ghost writer, and editor who is available for SEO content.
• Piar Ali is a professional SEO/marketer in Pakistan.
• Anthony Verre is a senior search marketing specialist for Top Floor Technologies.
• Ian Hill is an Internet marketing manager at Xensys.