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June brought the warm weather and also warmed up the old SEO vs. content marketing debate. Throw social media into the mix and you have a real quagmire. In that spirit, we’ve gathered up the best SEO, content marketing, and social media articles from June. After you’ve taken a moment to peruse our selections, let us know where you stand on the debate in the comment section below.

SEO

Keyword Research is now a Dirty Trick?

Since the announcement of a new Penguin Update 2.0 some people are running scare and others are shouting, “Keywords?! I don’t even know what keywords are. I just write for my audience!” What makes you think using keywords is some sort of dirty trick? Google wants you to use keywords to guide them in cataloging your content. How else would they know where to put your stuff?

The 5 Basic Fundamentals of Selecting Keywords that Rank

Optimizing your website and landing pages for search is critical for your brand’s online reputation and driving more traffic to your site to help your business get found. The value of having a high-ranking search result on the first page of Google results should be clear to marketers because the majority share of search traffic will to go just a few terms on the front page—and the valuable, attractive content they represent.

Keeping It Fresh: SEO’s Role in Content Creation

At Webtrends, we are lucky enough to work with world class enterprise SEO clients. For many of these clients, including search integration at the content creation level is a must. Many brands understand that SEO is not all about rankings, organic traffic to site, time spent on site and bounce rates.

The Deep, Dark Secret of SEO

During the last five years, many of the most successful content sites have been associated with — or pejoratively accused of employing — search engine optimization (SEO). The term itself is as common as it is murky. The gist is that most people find content they want using Google, and so if your website’s content is appealing to Google, then you will attract more visitors.

How Difficult is It to Rank?

In a new series of blog posts, I want to debunk a myth – a lie told by some people that SEO is easy or that you can make guarantees. Specifically, I want to explore the empty promise of ranking for a certain keyword in a certain position. These are sold to honest people that are looking to grow their business and this makes me angry.

Google aims to make mobile SEO mandatory

The world is growing increasingly mobile-centric and Google is more aware of this fact than most others. Google has high hopes for the mobile space, and not just because of its Android mobile operating system. The company has tied itself to the emerging mobile commerce field and has also been putting significantly more focus on mobile advertising.

Wow, A Lot Of Stuff Just Happened In SEO

It’s been a pretty big week for search and SEO news. There have been a lot of announcements, not only from Google, but from Google competitors. Let’s recap, and discuss in the comments.

Do I Need to Design With SEO in Mind? A Guide for Designers

You’re probably tired of hearing it, but search engine optimization is important. It can dictate and influence who visits a site, and how many people make it through to see your beautiful design work. It should be a part of the design process from the planning stages forward. So designers, unplug your ears and make it a priority to learn how you can start thinking about SEO in the design process.

How To Optimize Your Landing Pages (Infographic)

If your company is considering using a landing page, take a minute to browse this week’s infographic.  It’s important to know what they are and why they are essential to motivating leads through the purchase process. This week’s choice shows you How To Optimize Your Landing Pages.

Content Marketing

Infographic: Average Reader Will Only Read 20% of Web Content

I don’t know how accurate these statistics are (I’ve heard the 8 second observation from Sally Hogshead before), but I love this infographic for its underlying message: we oftentimes take readers for granted. Specifically their time and attention. A great reminder with some pretty great tips to regain perspective.

The 4 Types of Content Metrics That Matter

In a post last week, I talked about turning your content marketing upside down and focusing first on what behaviors you want your content consumers to perform. Once you’ve done that and created content that you think will drive the desired actions, you can start measuring the efficacy of your content program.

20 Ideas For Common Sense Content

Ah, COMMON SENSE. It seems somewhere along the path someone got it wrong; calling it COMMON sense, that is. What’s sensible to you may not be so sensible to me. And as for having sense in common? HA!

Content Marketing vs. SEO: The Truth Behind A Ridiculous Debate

The headlines read… Content marketing usurps SEO… Content marketing has killed SEO… Content marketing overtakes SEO… The word “versus” often appears between these two purported rivals. Shoot me now.Or, wait just a minute and shoot me after you’ve read (and have disagreed with) my strong point of view on the hyper-hyped topic du jour that’s come to be a showdown between content marketing and SEO.

Social Media

Social Media Winter is Coming – An Infographic

Inspired by Game of Thrones (because we’re all huge fans and can’t wait for the season finale!), the infographic below breaks down some of the significant “social media blockades” we’ve seen from the biggest Houses in the realm. Social media winter is coming. Are you prepared?

5 Tips To Grow Your Twitter Followers The Right Way

You’ve started your business, and you’ve heard that now you need to get on that whole Internet marketing thing. You’ve created your Twitter account, but need people to follow you. There are a lot of bad ways you could go about getting tons of followers, but if you want your Twitter account to be effective you need to get the right followers.

Drowning In Data – How Can Businesses Stay Afloat In The Sea Of Social Media? [INFOGRAPHIC]

In less than a decade, social media has evolved from an innovative, albeit fairly casual digital connection between friends to an all-consuming business and marketing powerhouse that can quickly overwhelm with the sheer number of options and data available to both the end user and brands of all shapes and sizes.

5 Social Media Tips to Ignore

We’ll finish up this month’s roundup with Matt Cutts answering the question, “Does using stock photos on your pages have a negative effect on rankings?”