TESTIMONIALS:

Larry Chase is publisher and editor of Web Digest for Marketers, one of the web's longest established marketing newsletters. He is also the author of Essential Business Tactics for the Net.

As Publisher of Web Digest for Marketers, many people ask me to review their books, in hard copy or digital form. I may review 1 in 30. "Search Engine Marketing" by Mike Grehan was one I took the time to review.

Inside this electronic book I was impressed and absorbed. The author obviously performed his due diligence. He spoke to key people at all the search engines and found exactly how each engine ticks and how they evolve and why. It took Mr. Grehan the better part of a year to put this work together. Jill Whalen, Paul J. Bruemmer and Stephen Mahaney gave glowing endorsements or testimonials for it, and for Grehan as well. He really "wonked out," as this volume gets as technical as you can imagine. In fact, he seems to be a type of "musician's musician" for other Search Engine Marketing (SEM) gurus.

But it isn't necessary for you to get down into the deepest nuts and bolts of his exhaustive research if you don't want to. Here are a few examples from the Table of Contents you might find compelling:

The Monetisation of Search
Pay per Click
Pay for Consideration
Pay for Inclusion
Submitting to the Major Players
Keywords and Writing for Search Engines
Creating the Perfect Page:
Learning from the Blind
Spamming:
Doorway pages,
Hidden Text,
Keyword Stuffing,
Over-Submitting
Page-Jacking,
Bait and Switch
Fear of Frames
Low Budget, No Budget:
How to Do It for Free.

This ebook is for the "do-it-yourselfer," though if you do hire a Search Engine expert you may want to have this work on hand to make sure your expert knows what he's talking about.

"Search Engine Marketing" is not in the ubiquitous pdf format. Rather you download it along with a special application called eBook Pro, which you can also download separately. I called Mr. Grehan in England to ask him why he went this route. He explained many people pirated his work and even gave it away as a free bonus to something they were offering. eBook Pro offers protection from burglary and pirating.

I normally hate anything that makes me work harder than I have to in order to access that which I've bought, be it a piece of information, software or clothing. In this case, I must say it was well worth the extra effort and really not much bother in retrospect.

One more thing: SEM is a rapidly changing field. I asked Mr. Grehan if people who buy his work are entitled to free upgrades. He said yes. In fact, he just issued one last week. So, if you've already purchased this volume, be advised you can get the free update now. If you're buying it now, know you'll be staying on top of SEM as you move forward in time. As this issue of WDFM goes to bed, I am already making plans to make changes to WDFM's website, based on what I've learned in "Search Engine Marketing".

Allan Gardyne is publisher of Associate Programs Newsletter and highly respected online marketing veteran.

"Search Engine Marketing" earns rave reviews:

A search engine optimization book which has been getting rave reviews from search engine experts is the new "Search Engine Marketing" handbook by Mike Grehan.

What makes this second edition special is that Mike grills major figures in the search engine industry, including scientists who have created search engine technology.

Instead of just telling you how to construct pages that will be found in search engines, Mike explains how search engines have evolved, what they are trying to achieve, and how they do it. The "How search engines work" section alone is more than 60 pages.

Among those interviewed are:

* Andrei Broder and Chris Kermoian of Alta Vista.

* Brian Pinkerton, WebCrawler/Excite.

* Google's Director of Technology, Craig Silverstein.

* Yahoo!'s Head of Surfing, Marylynne Wrye.

You'll probably also recognize many of the other experts whom Mike interviews: Ralph Tegtmeier (Fantomaster), Brent Winters of Web Position Gold, Danny Sullivan of SearchEngineWatch, David Notestine of Zeus, Detlev Johnson of i-Search, John Heard of Planet Ocean/Beyond Engineering, and Roberto Grassi of GR Software.

For some readers, the information Mike provides will be more than they ever expected or wanted to know. Transcripts of the 14 interviews are included in the 300+ page book, so you can ponder these experts' exact words and see if you reach the same conclusions as Mike. For example, I was startled when Mike told me: "One of the important issues in my guide is dispelling the myth of 'themed web sites' which has pervaded in SEO circles for a while now."

This book isn't for someone who's simply looking for 10 quick tips on how to build a page to be found in search engines. It's not for someone who ignores off-page factors.
It's for the really serious marketer who's seeking subtle clues dropped by the people who design search engines. It contains material you won't find anywhere else.

MarketingSherpa calls Mike's book "the best handbook on the market today for do-it-yourselfers".

Debbie Weil is Publisher of WordBiz Report :

You'll get over 300 pages packed with information on how to get listed in the top ten results in the major search engines.

Mike is the rare techie who also knows how to write. Along with techie stuff like how search engines and directories really work and what's wrong with doorway pages and keyword stuffing, he includes interviews with top execs at Google, Yahoo, etc. and experts like SearchEngineWatch's Danny Sullivan.

You get step-by-step instructions on how to submit your site plus copywriting tips "for man and machine," as he calls it.

Mark Sceats, Viz Marketing, leading search engine marketing firm, New Zealand:

This guide by leading UK search engine marketer Mike Grehan is truly outstanding. It's factual, refreshingly free of Internet hype, well written and provides in depth information you simply won't find elsewhere. In a word. Exceptional!

There's a lot of mis-information and BS peddled on the Web about search engine marketing by self-professed 'gurus' and con artists. This guide arms you with the real facts and includes interviews with key experts from major search engines and directories. For this reason it's received numerous accolades from all the leading search marketing experts and been described universally as the number one handbook to search engine marketing.

Frankly, if you were to invest in nothing else in search engine marketing then this is the one investment you should make.

Steve Harrison is Principal of Web Merlin Marketing and author of Mastering The PPC's

"To describe the new second edition of Search Engine Marketing as the definitive work on the subject would be to risk slighting its significance. For webmasters and even those who consider themselves SEO pros, expect something like "biblical" to become the description of choice. Easily the most sensible and informative guide to search engines and web directories, its practical value is exponentially greater than its snap-it-up price tag. Recommended, to say the very least."

Neil Shearing is owner of Scam Free Zone and a top online marketer.

"Save time by finding out the *real* scoop on the search engines. Mike Grehan, a fellow Brit, explains exactly how the search engines work and how you can use that knowledge to your advantage. Build pages which get top rankings and get into the engines within weeks or even days. He's received some incredible reviews from people *within* the search engine marketing field...that's right... even his competitors love this book, it's that good!)"

Eva Almeida Bsc(Pharm) is publisher of eBooks N' Bytes Informer, nominated for "Best Ezine" in the Independent Ebook Awards for 2002.

"Your book is fabulous! What a resource! Thanks for writing the best book on search engines that I have ever read!"

Rachel von Speyr is Corporate Marketing Manager of Reed Exhibitions, the world's largest exhibition and trade show organiser.

"Having seen the proof, I don't envisage using any other company to get our web sites noticed."

Richard Gay is Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University.

"Mike Grehan provides his audience with the essential link between marketing principles and the application of new technology. His 'up to the minute' presentations for the University and Chartered Institute of Marketing have drawn record attendance's and have demystified search engine optimisation for diverse audiences."

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