In my last post - "Search Engine Marketing, Inc." - I made a small comment on how after browsing through the pages of Mike and Bill's new book that it could very well be the finest SEM playbook that I've ever come across yet. Well, in just under 24-hours later... I stand corrected.

First off let me say that this is nothing against what Mike and Bill have done - in fact I have yet to read their book - so in no way is this even an applicable comparison. However, I am quite confident that "The Internet Marketing Handbook" by Danny Dover and SEOmoz is well deserving of the "Finest SEM Playbook" title. I just came across this online resource today and while I haven't had too much time to review it, it appears to be a very complete relevant resource for search marketers. I encourage you all to have a look.

I was lucky enough to receive this draft manuscript version of Mike Moran's and Bill Hunt's newest book "Search Engine Marketing, Inc." in the mail a few weeks ago. While I haven't quite had the time to dive into it just yet, it does however look to be a very intriguing book. On the surface it appears to be a decent read and should be full of SEM goodies. Quickly browsing through it, I see several in-depth updated topics including social media marketing, keyword research tools, and advanced PPC bidding to name a few. This could very well be the finest SEM playbook that I've come across yet.

"Mike and Bill thoroughly cover both the business and technical aspects of contemporary search engine marketing, walking beginners through all the basics while providing reliable, up-to-the-minute insights for experienced professionals. Readers will be walked through every facet of creating an effective program: projecting business value, selling stakeholders and executives, building teams, choosing strategy, implementing metrics, and above all execution."

Thank you Mike, Bill, and IBM Press for providing me with this advanced copy of the book. I will no doubt have a reader-review posted before long. For those of you interested in checking it out for yourself, the book was released on September 29th and is available now.

My friend Taylor Pratt shot me over this question via LinkedIn:

"On his most recent post, John Ellett asks the community 'why do advertising agencies neglect search marketing?' Why do you think that is?"

You can read John's full post here. BTW, I read a few of John's other posts too... a fantastic marketing blog. It would also appear that it's a relatively new blog, so let's help him out will a little RSS love, shall we?

In any event, in addition to responding to Taylor, I also thought it maybe worth it to my readers if I publicly weigh-in on this topic as well. Here is my response:

"In my opinion, advertising agencies neglect search marketing because they fear it. Simply put. Search marketing, as we know, is a very powerful marketing channel for both small and large businesses as it is able to provide what most other forms of marketing are not able to... relevant, targeted advertising. Search allows businesses the ability to place paid ads or organic listings directly in-front of the most-appropriate audiences, and only charging for those instances too.

In addition, due to multiple advances in our industry, search marketers are capable of tracking a search marketing campaign from search to click to sale. Meaning, we have the ability to provide our clients with revenue data and the necessary information needed to help them to fully understand the return on their investment. Try getting television, radio, and newspaper marketers to do that.

It is for these two reasons (targeted marketing and ROI tracking) that advertising agencies fear search marketing and will probably never incorporate such services into their offerings. If they did, they could pretty much kiss their hundred-thousand dollar commissions good-bye because I believe their client's, after learning the benefits of search marketing, will put all or most of their marketing dollars into search, and very little into traditional marketing channels."

Not to steal the thunder from John's post, but let me ask all of you that very same question. Why do you suppose advertising agencies neglect search marketing? I'm very curious to know what you readers think?

Just now, while trying to access my Twitter account, I was interrupted with a weird login session (for employees only) as well as another screen prompting a 401 Authorization Error. Weird. Maybe Twitter has had its last Tweet.

Here are a couple of screen shots.

Hat tip to Peter.

UPDATE: Twitter is up and Running Again.