Good morning readers! It’s late December again and the search conferences have come to a finish, which means like in 2005 and 2006, Search Engine Journal will be hosting and holding our annual Search Blogs Awards.
Our last two years of Search Blogs Awards were a grand success, with corporate, industry and private bloggers walking away with the honor of top blog of their niche search marketing grouping, as voted by their peers.
Search Engine Journal is now opening nominations for blogs to be included for this year’s Search Blogs Awards in the following categories:
- Best SEO Blog
- Best SEM Blog
- Best SEO Plugin for WordPress
- Best Search Agency Resource Blog
- Best Link Building Blog
- Best Social Media Marketing or Optimization Blog
- Best Local Search Blog
- Best Video Search Blog
- Best Mobile Search Blog
- Best Google Blog Not Owned by Google
- Best Search Engine Corporate Blog (owned by the search engines)
- Best Contextual Advertising Blog
- Best Affiliate Marketing Blog
- Best Search Engine Community/Forum
- Best New Search Engine of 2007
- Best Search Engine Research Blog
- Best Search Linkbait of 2007
- Breakout Blog of 2007
- Best Search Conference Coverage of 2007
- Best Search Conference Coverage in Photos
- Best Search Marketing Facebook Group
- Most Giving Search Blogger
- Best Independent Search Blog (not owned by media company or marketing agency)
- Best Search Blog Post of 2007
To nominate blogs, please leave a comment below with the category and your favorite blogs : You can nominate as many blogs as you want (but if someone has already listed one, please don’t feel like you have to list it again).
Nominations will be open until December 21st and voting will being on December 26th and run until December 29th. We’ll then make the winning announcements on January 2nd, 2008.
We’ll be adding some surprise categories into the mix again which should spice up the competition a bit and like 2006, we’ll be giving away blog badges to the proud award recipients.
Best Google Blog Not Owned by Google: http://www.wolf-howl.com
Best Search Conference Coverage of 2007:
http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/
Best Affiliate Marketing Blog:
http://www.cpa-affiliates.com/
This was one of my favorite posts..
http://blog.linkworth.com/my-open-proposal-to-mr-danny-sullivan-build-a-search-engine/
Best link-buidling blog:
http://blog.linkworth.com
* Best SEO Blog – SEOmoz.org
* Best SEM Blog – smallbusinesssem.com
* Best Link Building Blog – seobook
* Best Google Blog Not Owned by Google – GoogleBlogoscoped
* Best Search Engine Corporate Blog – Google
* Best Search Engine Community/Forum – sphinn
* Best Search Engine Research Blog – seobythesea
* Best Search Conference Coverage of 2007 – Bruceclay – Lisa Barone
* Best Search Marketing Facebook Group – SEM whores
* Most Giving Search Blogger – Barry Schwartz
Best Search Engine Community/Forum
http://syndk8.net/forum/
Best SEO blog
http://searchengineland.com
Best SEM Blog
http://www.semscholar.com
Best Search Agency Resource Blog
http://www.toprankblog.com
Best Social Media Marketing or Optimization Blog
http://www.toprankblog.com
Best Local Search Blog
http://gesterling.wordpress.com/
Best Mobile Search Blog
http://www.gomonews.com/
Best Search Engine Corporate Blog (owned by the search engines)
http://yodel.yahoo.com/ (CEO and other unique annoucments)
Best Search Engine Community/Forum
http://sphinn.com
Best Search Engine Research Blog
http://www.seobythesea.com/
Breakout Blog of 2007
http://www.aimclearblog.com/
Best Search Conference Coverage in Photos
http://www.toprankblog.com
Most Giving Search Blogger
Gary Price http://www.resourceshelf.com
Greg Sterling http://gesterling.wordpress.com/
How about David Dalka’s Create Value for Best Mobile Search Blog?
http://www.daviddalka.com/createvalue/
Wow, I can’t find any others that weren’t nominated. Surprise category? How about “Best Global Search Blog”? I nominate (selfishly of course) with stories about China, Japan, Bulgaria, Israel, Portugal, Brazil, Asia, Russia, and Sweden in the last couple of months that incredible blog, Multilingual Search.
http://www.multilingual-search.com/
Since I’ve been tracking/listing my favorite blog posts all year long, here are a couple suggestions for the Post of the Year:
The Future of Communications – A Manifesto for Integrating Social Media into Marketing
http://www.briansolis.com/2007/06/future-of-communications-manifesto-for.html#links
Web Strategy: How to evolve your irrelevant corporate website
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebStrategyByJeremiah/~3/120534555/
The Link Baiting Playbook: Hooks Revisited
http://www.stuntdubl.com/2007/01/12/linkbaiting-hooks/
Top 21 Signs You Need a Break From SEO (2007 version)
http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/top-21-signs-you-need-a-break-from-seo-2007-version/529/
How to SEO Your Site in Less Than 60 Minutes
http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/how-to-seo-your-site-in-less-than-60-minutes/593/
Whoops. Didn’t realize I had a Feedburner link in there. Here’s the direct URL:
http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/05/29/web-strategy-how-to-evolve-your-irrelevant-corporate-website/
Rand makes a good point about link bait by asking, “how many links?”
Here are a few of ours from this past year:
RSS Buttons Tool
http://www.toprankblog.com/tools/rss-buttons/ 422,000
BIGLIST of SEM Blogs
http://www.toprankblog.com/search-marketing-blogs/
37,400
Social Bookmarks tool
http://www.toprankblog.com/tools/social-bookmarks/
49,700
Those numbers are not as good as the SEOmoz web 2.0 awards, but not bad either. :)
Best SEO Blog: threadwatch.org (RIP – and i know it’s only sorta a blog, it still deserves this)
Best SEM Blog: redflymarketing.com
Best Search Agency Resource Blog: toprankblog.com (netconcepts close 2nd)
Best Link Building Blog: thelinkspiel.blogspot.com
Best Search Conference Coverage of 2007: bruclay.com (Toprank also awesome, but they already got nominated above)
Most Giving Search Blogger: possibly bluehatseo.com (seobook.com close but has been more theory)
* Best SEO Blog – SearchEngineGurus
* Best SEM Blog – SearchEngineWatch Blog
* Best Search Agency Resource Blog – ClickZ Blog
* Best Search Engine Corporate Blog (owned by the search engines) – YSM Blog
* Best Affiliate Marketing Blog – A4U
* Best Search Engine Community/Forum – SEW Forums
* Best Search Linkbait of 2007 – Men > Woman
* Breakout Blog of 2007 – SEW Blog (who would have guessed!)
* Best Search Conference Coverage of 2007 – TopRankBlog
* Best Search Conference Coverage in Photos – TopRankBlog
* Best Search Marketing Facebook Group – SES
Loren, ya scurvy linkbaiter ! I nominate you for most scurvy! lol jk
Anyways, I want to nominate Sebastian and his sexy, crabby pamphlets for best Technical search blog, and if you can’t make that a category (it would fit in Bill Slawski and suchlike), then create a Best Sui Generis Search Blog and put him in the running. (Sui Generis is a fancy legal term I learned this year that means unique in its genre, one-of-a-kind, not fitting other moulds. Like aboriginal property claims, which don’t fit neatly in common law or civil law.)
Best SEO Blog
smallbusinesssem.com
Best SEM Blog
searchengineland.com
Best Local Search Blog
http://www.blumenthals.com/blog/
Best Search Engine Community/Forum
cre8asiteforums.com
Most Giving Search Blogger
Bill Slawski
I think that everyone I would want to nominate has been done already, although I’ll add Rand, Becca, Jane & the Mozzers as most giving chaps in the business.
And if anyone wants to nominate our little blog for something like:
Best blog with retro flash games in the header, which doesn’t really fit any of the categories but is kinda pretty cool despite that, then I wouldn’t hold it against them!
# Best SEO Blog
# Best SEM Blog
I would like to nominate http://www.straightupsearch.com for both of these categories. Thanks!
Best Search Engine Research Blog
AltSearchEngines.com
Most Giving Search Blogger
Charles Knight, AltSearchEngines.com
Best Independent Search Blog (not owned by media company or marketing agency)
AltSearchEngines.com
Best Search Blog Post of 2007
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_100_alternative_search_engines.php
Does “honorable mention” count as a nomination for something?
Best Search Engine Research Blog
AltSearchEngines (www.altsearchengines.com)
Most Giving Search Blogger
Charles Knight, AltSearchEngines (www.altsearchengines.com)
Best Independent Search Blog (not owned by media company or marketing agency)
AltSearchEngines (www.altsearchengines.com)
Best Search Blog Post of 2007
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_100_alternative_search_engines.php
Best SEO Blog Search Engine Land
Best SEM Blog Search Guide Guide
Best Search Agency Resource Blog Top Rank Blog
Best Link Building Blog The Link Spiel
Best Social Media Marketing or Optimization Blog http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com/
Best Local Search Blog http://www.smallbusinesssem.com
Best Google Blog Not Owned by Google Google Blogoscoped
Best Contextual Advertising Blog http://www.traffick.com/
Best Search Engine Community/Forum Sphinn and Highrankings forum
Best Search Engine Research Blog SEO By The Sea
Best Search Linkbait of 2007 http://tropicalseo.com/2007/andy-hagans-ultimate-guide-to-link-baiting-and-social-media-marketing/
Breakout Blog of 2007 http://www.emomsathome.com/blog/
Best Search Conference Coverage of 2007 SERoundtable
Best Search Conference Coverage in Photos Search Marketing Gurus (Liana)
Most Giving Search Blogger Aaron Wall/Bill Slawski/Barry Schwartz/Loren Baker/Jeremy Shoemaker
Best Independent Search Blog (not owned by media company or marketing agency) SEO-Scoop/Search Engine Journal/SERoundtable/Stuntdubl
Best Search Blog Post of 2007 http://searchengineland.com/071007-173841.php
Best SEO Blog (tie) – SugarRae.com / Wolf-Howl.com
Best SEM Blog – SearchEngineLand.com
Best Search Agency Blog: – TopRankBlog.com
Best Social Media Marketing Blog – 10e20.com/blog
Best Search Engine Community/Forum – Webmasterworld.com
Best Search Engine Research Blog – SearchEngineJournal.com
Best Search Conference Coverage of 2007 – SEOMoz.org
Best Search Conference Coverage in Photos – TopRankBlog.com
Most Giving Search Blogger – Todd Malicoat
Best Independent Search Blog – MarketingPilgrim.com
Best Search Blog Post of 2007 – http://www.botwblog.org/best-photo-ever/
* Best Google Blog Not Owned by Google
Googlewatch Blog Germany
http://www.googlewatchblog.de/
* Best New Search Engine of 2007
http://hakia.com/
* Best Search Engine Research Blog
SEO by the Sea
* Most Giving Search Blogger
Bill Slawski
* Best Independent Search Blog
altsearchengines.com
* Prettiest Green Fairy in the Website Logo
http://alphanemoon.com
Best SEO Blog – http://Sebastians-pamphlets.com
Best Search Engine Community/Forum – http://Sphinn.com
Best Search Engine Research Blog – http://Seobythesea.com
The Most Giving Search Blogger – http://www.doshdosh.com/
Best Social Media Marketing or Optimization Blog and Breakout Blog of 2007 – http://collective-thoughts.com/
Tons of good stuff already nominated. Here are my additions:
Best SEO Blog
http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog (was nominated for another category, but not this one … also, yes, I write for this blog on a regular basis)
Best SEO Plugin for WordPress
http://www.joostdevalk.nl/wordpress/meta-robots-wordpress-plugin/
(Already nominated by Joost de Valk, the author, but you might not count that …)
Best Contextual Advertising Blog
http://www.jensense.com/
# Best Local Search Blog: Kelsey Group Blog has good coverage related to all things local, tends to be newsworthy due to conferences and more
# Best Video Search Blog: Search Engine Watch Blog covers video search, optimizing pro and user-gen video, video monetization, etc. (Yes, I write for this blog.)
# Best Social Media Marketing: ClickZ Blog covers a lot here, especially the advertising and creative sides as well.
# Best New Search Engine: If you call this Best New Search Engines Blog, then could be RRW/AltSearchEngines and maybe TechCrunch because they list or mention so many new ones.
(Still Dec 19th on the left coast)
Here are our nominees:
* Best SEO Blog: http://www.searchengineland.com
* Best SEM Blog: http://www.pagetrafficblog.com
* Best Search Agency Resource Blog: http://www.bruceclay.com/blog
* Best Google Blog Not Owned by Google: http://blogoscoped.com/
* Best Search Engine Corporate Blog (owned by the search engines): googleblog.blogspot.com/
* Best Search Engine Community/Forum: http://sphinn.com
* Best Search Conference Coverage of 2007: http://www.searchengineroundtable.com/
* Best Independent Search Blog (not owned by media company or marketing agency): http://blog.searchenginewatch.com
Loren, please add me to the long list of people whose long list of nominations didn’t make it.
In short, readers should know Best Conference Coverage: AimClear Blog. Marty’s extraordinary energy, questions during sessions, and participation in Sphinn put him up there with the big media companies like Third Door Media: Barry Schwartz, SEROundtable/SearchEngineLand/Sphinn
Kevin,
Third Door Media does not own the Search Engine Roundtable.
LOL, next there will be rumors Google owns 3DM. :)
Barry – we missed you at IMNY last nite. Your sense of humor’s MIA. :-)
I have a sense of humor? I am often a no show a these get togethers… I send Tamar for me…
Best SEO Blog – SEOMOZ
Best SEM Blog -Search Engine Land
Best Link Building Blog – Stuntdubl
Best Search Engine Community/Forum – Wickedfire
Best Affiliate Marketing Blog – Pepperjam
Most Giving Search Blogger – Barry Shwartz / Rand Fiskin
Best Social Media Marketing Blog – Pronetadvertising.com
Thank you everyone for your nominations. We’ll be closing the nominations today and opening up voting next week on the 26th. Voting will run 3 days via a SurveyMonkey form.
Looks like we’ve identified some very useful blogs in this list, and most search blogs should be covered in this year’s contest.
Thanks, Loren
Hope I can sneak my nominations in…
Best SEO Blog – Sebastians Pamphlets
Best SEM Blog – Blogstorm
Best Search Engine Research Blog – SEO By The Sea / Andy Beard
Best Search Engine Community/Forum – Sphinn
Best Google Blog Not Owned by Google – Google Operating System
Best Search Engine Corporate Blog – Matt Cutts Blog (yes I’m being sarcastic)
Most Giving Search Blogger – theGypsy (huomah.com)
Best Search Blog Post of 2007 –
http://andybeard.eu/2007/11/optimizing-html-links.html
Loren,
Are you opening up voting for the awards?
ALERT : Voting has started!!
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/vote-for-the-search-blogs-awards-of-2007/6153/
Please vote for your favorite blogs and if you’re nominated, be sure to tell your friends and readers!
good luck on the awards!