Here’s a list of who’s included in 2010.

• Yodle
• ReachLocal
• WebVisible
• YP.com (formally YellowPages.com / AT&T Interactive)
• Dex One
• Idearc (SuperPages.com)

Unlike last year the above mentioned companies will be graded on service offerings, value, community contribution, customer service and sales ethics.

You can follow the 2010 SEM Showdown at www.semshowdown.com.

“We are humbled and honored to be in the company of so many truly world class businesses,” said Court Cunningham, CEO of Yodle. “This kind of recognition would not be possible without the hard work and dedication to excellence of the whole team at Yodle. The team’s continued drive to provide the best possible results for our clients and deliver unparalleled customer service amazes me every day .”

Yodle’s debut at number 35 comes on the heels of an extraordinary three year growth rate of 5,958%. In its fifth year in business, Yodle grew nearly 150% in year over year revenue from 2008 to 2009, making it the third year in a row with triple digit growth. The company also added more than 100 employees around the country.

This year Yodle introduced multiple new product innovations including Yodle Organic, a low-cost optimization solution designed to help local businesses build their web presence and generate more website traffic. A recognized industry leader, Yodle wrote the book on local online advertising when CEO Court Cunningham co-authored Local Online Advertising for Dummies, the first ever comprehensive guide to online advertising for local businesses.

The 2010 Inc. 500|5000 list is often considered a barometer of entrepreneurial success, and Yodle is proud to be listed. Started in 1982, Inc. introduced the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States. Since then, this prestigious list of the nation’s most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success and the place where future household names first make their mark. Oracle, Patagonia, E*Trade, Zipcar and numerous other well-known brands have been honored by the Inc. 500|5000.

About Yodle Yodle, a leader in local online advertising and named fastest growing local online advertising company by industry analyst Borrell Associates, connects thousands of local businesses with consumers in a process so simple and cost-effective that business owners can’t imagine any other way to advertise. Yodle has developed an integrated approach to signing up and serving local businesses that are transitioning their marketing budgets online. Yodle is headquartered in New York, NY with a presence in 25 major cities across the United States.

About Inc. Magazine Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC, Inc. (www.inc.com) is the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies that delivers real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. With a total paid circulation of 712,961, Inc. provides hands-on tools and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology. Visit us online at Inc.com.

About the Inc. 500|5000 Conference Each year, Inc. and Inc.com celebrate the remarkable achievements of today’s entrepreneurial superstars—the privately held small businesses that drive our economy. The Inc. 500|5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony brings together members of the Inc. 5000 community, both a new class of Inc. 5000 honorees and the list’s alumni, for three days of powerful networking, inspired learning, and momentous celebration. Please join us September 23-25, 2009, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. For more information about the 2009 Inc. 500|5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony, and to register, visit www.Inc5000event.com. Stay connected with Inc. Events by following @IncEvents on Twitter.

Media Contact:
Kara Silverman
212-542-5403
ksilverman@yodle.com
www.yodle.com

… and here it is!

When did this change happen anyway?

Q: What is iClick Media Group?
A: iClick Media Group is a full service national locally focused internet marketing and media/ad buying agency.

Q: You write a lot about Yodle & ReachLocal – wouldn’t Yodle, ReachLocal, Dex, AT&T, Idearc etc be considered competition? If so why do you promote them so heavily?
A: All the above mentioned businesses would not be considered competition – in fact they could be considered partners. We are a full service ad/media buyer and because of that if we feel any of the above businesses provide any kind of value to our clients we may at anytime subscribe to their services as a partner.

Q: How much does an average website cost?
A: That’s a tricky question… Our websites range from affordable performance websites which range in cost from $100-$200/mo all the way up to full custom software and automated web solutions which can carry a price tag of $10 – $50K depending on the bells and whistles attached.

Q: Isn’t your iClick Live Product a lot like Yodle Organic?
A: Yes and No. Both products share similarities in the fact that they promote organic search engine optimization, user experience etc… Other then that… that’s about it.

Q: What’s the motivation behind iClick?
A: I actually started a very similar business model in 2004 when I launched Think Thinker. Think Thinker promoted lead generation websites which can now be associated with our iClick Performance Websites. We also offered Organic SEO services, PPC Management and Budget – Custom web Development. If you haven’t noticed I am very passionate about the local ad space… I’ve been involved with SEO for going on 10 years as well as user experience, high performance CPA Websites and various other strategic marketing strategies that cost business owners less while driving greater ROI and performance. It’s fun to watch our clients succeed while we do.

Q: Who is your typical IMG consumer?
A: iClick Media Group has two types of customers. The first type of customer we cater to is what consists of roughly 70% of of our business. This customer is either a start-up or classified as a true small business. Most of these are mom & pop shop’s or general businesses who bring in less than 1 Million in revenue per year. Our second target customer are mid-size to large corporations. These are typically businesses who market either on a large local scale or national scope. Most of these businesses drive well in excess of 10 Million + per year, some of our clients are well into the $200/million + annual profits.

Q: Can we expect your company website to be completed anytime soon?
A: I know this sounds like mush but the only people who would know I’m shooting straight with you is our current clients and/or employees… we’re busy – in fact busier than we have ever been. That being said Yes – we hope to have our company websites live  no later than June 1.

Q: Is the gossip true? Are you going to be a Dad soon?
A: Thanks for asking – yes! I am thrilled to be a new Daddy! I am expecting a baby boy with my lovely wifey on May 5 (few days away…)

Q: The SEM Showdown seems bias – do you still own it?
A: The SEM Showdown is very bias but I am hoping by adapting new contributing writers it will become less bias. I still own a portion of the website but the majority of it is now owned by a local Denver search marketer who goes by Mike.

Q: How as Local Online Advertising for Dummies by Yodle?
A: Court Cunningham CEO of Yodle did a great job – what a fantastic book… I actually just finished it a few days ago. This book is a great read for any small business owner looking to educate themselves on the art and mythology behind local advertising. You can read a sample chapter here: http://www.yodledummiesbook.com

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Yodle, a leader in local online advertising and the fastest growing local media company in the United States, is proud to announce the publication of Local Online Advertising for Dummies, which is available nationwide today. The book is co-written by Yodle CEO Court Cunningham and is an all-inclusive guide to local online advertising. It will give local business owners of all sizes the tools they need to find new customers through the Internet.

“Local Online Advertising For Dummies helps companies plan and launch effective local advertising programs, draw traffic to their websites, create compelling social media campaigns, and more”

“Local business owners are the hardest working people I know, so I am excited about the opportunity to make their job easier in taking that critical step online,” said Yodle CEO and co-author of the book, Court Cunningham.

“Yodle believes strongly in educating local business owners about the value of online advertising, and this book will empower them to make the best possible marketing decisions.” He adds, “A large number of people on the Yodle team contributed to this book, and I could not be more proud of the result.”

In the span of a decade, the number of consumers searching online for local businesses has gone from virtually nothing to more than 80%. Despite this shift in consumer behavior, there remains a significant amount of misinformation in the local business community about how to capitalize on this trend. This book is the first of its kind to take a holistic approach to educating local business owners on how to make the right advertising choices for their business. Other books have covered Facebook, website design or paid search advertising independently, but this book brings all of these topics and more into one complete marketing strategy.

“Local Online Advertising For Dummies helps companies plan and launch effective local advertising programs, draw traffic to their websites, create compelling social media campaigns, and more,” said Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Wiley Technology Publishing. “Co-Author Court Cunningham is a leader in the advertising industry and has included loads of practical how-to information and real-world advice.”

About Yodle: Yodle, a leader in local online advertising and named fastest growing local online advertising company by industry analyst Borrell Associates, connects thousands of local businesses with consumers in a process so simple and cost-effective that business owners can’t imagine any other way to advertise. Yodle has developed an integrated approach to signing up and serving local businesses that are transitioning their marketing budgets online. Yodle is headquartered in New York, NY with a presence in 25 major cities across the United States. For more information on the book or to purchase a copy, please visit the Yodle Dummies® site.

For Dummies®: With near universal name recognition, more than 150 million books in print, and over 900 + topics, For Dummies is the world’s bestselling reference series. With loyal customers around the globe, For Dummies enriches people’s lives by making knowledge accessible in a fun and easy way. Described by the N.Y. Times as “more than a publishing phenomenon, but a sign of the times,” For Dummies span every section of the bookstore, covering everything from health to history, music to math, sports to self-help, technology to travel, and more. The Dummies brand has expanded into new products and categories with an extensive licensed product line, including fitness and hobby DVDs, grilling kits, business software, cleaning products, automotive kits, craft kits, and apparel. For more information, visit Dummies.com. For Dummies is a branded imprint of Wiley.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6246678&lang=en

Does ReachLocal offer SEO Services?

Since Yodle announced the launch of Yodle Organic, there seems to be a greater interest in weather ReachLocal has plans on launching a comparable SEO service..

Today: ReachLocal DOES NOT offer SEO services…

But – if you’re looking for SEO services, ReachLocal has a plethora of qualified vendors ready to help your small business compete online with a combination of PPC through ReachLocal’s powerful SEM services and outsourced SEO.

SEO + PPC + LANDING PAGE OPTIMIZATION + SOCIAL MEDIA is in high demand, especially within the local online advertising & marketing field.

ReachLocal has a platform not to be reckoned with so it wouldn’t be a far stretch to say that SEO is in their future…

Liberty Bell in Denver, CO takes a stab at online services for small biz.

Liberty Bell, a Denver Telecommunications provide is one of those businesses who I don’t think would be doing well if they hadn’t landed a sweet investment deal with popular T.V and Radio, Denver Consumer Advocate – Tom Martino.

Founded in 1995 by Nigel Alexander and Shawn Stickle, Liberty Bell was setup to be a one-stop shop for ‘ALL’ small business telecom and computing needs including Broadband Internet Access, Phone Lines, Computing Services, and Internet Growth Consulting.

Because this blog is dedicated to Online Marketing, I am going to skip talking about Broadband Internet and Phone Lines which I know very little about and focus more so on their internet growth consulting and see how their services actually stack up.

Before I get started… I emailed Christina Neher, Liberty Bell’s Chief Operations Office  (COO) several times and received no response, not even a, ‘hey thanks for writing I’m busy and ill get back to you later,’ response. Oh well, this blog will only appear to anyone and everyone who is looking for information on the Liberty Bell Denver…

Let’s get started.Web Design & Development:

Liberty Bell’s first service offering on their website for Business Growth Services is Web Design & Development. The first thing that comes to mind is… yuck. The website has a cluttered design and resembles one of those free flash templates you can grab and quickly edit off of TemplateMonster.com.

Because Liberty Bell never responded back, I have to go dig around and see if I can identify a true Liberty Bell Client’s website to determine if the product / service they are producing is quality, in my eyes… Based on their business website I am going to guess they are not producing very quality websites…

Video Production:

This is a particular service that doesn’t interest me. From what I’ve seen off of their business website they do some decent videos… If you’re looking for affordable Video Production I would check out Jobing.com a local job board who from what I understand does or at one point did video production. I have seen their work and it’s quite impressive.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

Everyone wants to be an SEO, and rightfully so – it’s a hot industry. Unfortunately there are more and more companies who are coming out of the woodwork claiming to be SEO Experts yet fail to perform. Similar to the web design review, I am going to have to do some digging and update this blog to reflect my findings so in the meantime let’s have a look at Liberty Bells company website…

The first thing I noticed is that LibertyBellTelecom.com and 303Bundles.com are duplicate websites. This is the first indication that their true ‘seo knowledge’ might be less than par. The second indication that that they might not have the best ‘seo skillz‘ is the fact that their website is done in Flash. Though Google claims to now crawl flash, I wouldn’t suggest taking them up on it and creating an entire website in flash while hoping to have  rich index-able content.

Liberty Bell’s, 303Bundles.com ranks better then their duplicate website – LibertyBellTelecom.com. This is based on the fact it has more authority links pointing in, probably yet another benefit of having Tom Martino on the investment board.

The only way I can see this website ranking at all is based on it’s authority links and simple Meta Element changes to reflect keywords like Denver Phone, Internet and T.V.

Would I trust them with my personal SEO – doubtfully.

Google AdWords Management:

Google is great, but advertising in solely Google alone might not be in your small businesses best interest. Before you consider jumping into PPC Management I would recommend reading my tips on setting yourself up for realistic PPC Expectations to see if PPC is right for you. If you think it is, I would suggest talking to ReachLocal or Yodle first… These are two companies who have mastered Search Engine Marketing and are some of the better PPC Management Firms for  Small businesses out there.

Yodle & ReachLocal offer advanced tracking systems that will allow you to easily monetize your investment – this is technology I doubt Liberty Bell has, if so I wouldn’t know because I can’t seem to get a hold of someone who will respond.

Social Media Marketing:

Hiring an outside company to handle your Social Media Marketing is simply said; a waste of money. It’s a free service that you can setup and run. In fact, if you’re considering on hiring a Social Media Expert, or Social Media Marketing Company – STOP. Go to www.ping.fm, sign up for a free account. Once you do you will see massive list of popular social networks which all can be managed by one website, Ping.fm. It will also give you a list of Social Networking websites worth checking into.

Before you hire someone… Google ‘top 100 social networking websites,’ or something along those lines and sign up for  yourself. If you don’t have time, ask your nephew or niece to do it. You don’t need to spend big bucks on Social Media Marketing… there are too many resources and tools to do it yourself, quickly.

Yodle

The big question is: Does Yodle Organic Actually Work?

There is a large amount of speculation in the seo world, and rightfully so. Small businesses owners are being smothered with seo garbage that promises the world and delivers nothing – is Yodle any different?

I took 10 Yodle Organic customer websites and thoroughly analyzed them for best SEO practices and how their rankings & traffic really stack up – can you expect Yodle Organic to work for you?

Company Name: Lone Star Roofing
Yodle Organic Website: www.flatroofspecialist.net

I’ve been watching the progress of FlatroofSpecialist.net for several weeks and have been closely monitoring their SEO progress with regards to both off-page seo and on-page SEO, link building while monitoring ranking progress in  Google, Yahoo and Bing.

Gradually Increasing Ranks with the Major SERPs represent Positive SEO

GOOD & BAD SEO IS EASY TO MEASURE…

I monitored 32 keywords in the top 3 search engines and found pretty good progress for most of them…

The graph to the left indicates continual growth in Google for one of the 32 keywords monitored. This specific keyword grew 47 positions in two short days – pretty cool eh?

Of the 32 keywords monitored, 3 landed prominent first page positions in Google, 13 in Bing and 4 in Yahoo.

The remaining keywords will most likely land 1st page positions with a little bit of link love and a few on-page SEO enhancements…

Steadily increase in rankings = good SEO!

IS YODLE ORGANIC WORTH THE $$?

You can’t beat a Good SEO campaign for under $1K/mo, it just doesn’t happen, until now…

Most small business owners cannot afford to hire local seo agency’s who in many cases cost well  over $1,000/mo for an aggressive seo campaign.

Yodle’s found a niche… and that niche is leveling the playing field for small businesses.

Prior to Google, Yahoo, Bing etc… the only businesses who survived were the companies who had the cash on hand to dump into their advertising, luckily that has changed and companies like Yodle allowing small business owners the chance to compete with their largest competitors for the first time ever.

2 SEO Tips I would use to enhance organic SEO rankings  for FlatRoofSpecialist.net

• Add Dallas to your H1 tags…
• Add rel=”nofollow” to outgoing links…
  There is a general misconception on how to link to outside websites. Many think that linking to an authority website will help your rankings… I am not entirely sure what Yodle’s thinking is behind this but my personal recommendation, especially to newer websites which don’t contain much authority is to preserve it using the rel=”nofollow” attribute to outgoing links.

That’s all for now.. Stay classy.

Related Posts:

• YODLE CONTINUES INNOVATION WITH LAUNCH OF YODLE ORGANIC
• Yodle Goes Phishing – Twitter Account Hacked
• Yodle Raises $10 Million in Series D, Financing
• Setting Realistic Expectations For Outsourced PPC Management
• Is Yodle a Scam?

hey, i’ve been having better [removed] and longer with this here http://someURL

Obviously this wasn’t Yodle so it’s important that all you kids and businesses protect your brand by learning how to avoid Twitter Scams and Phishing Attempts.

Has your Twitter Account been hacked? Click here get advice on fixing it.

Yodle

New York, NY – (February 9, 2010) Yodle, (www.yodle.com) a leader in local online advertising, is proud to announce Yodle Organic (http://www.yodle.com/whatwedo/organic), a new offering specifically designed to help local businesses build their web presence and generate more website traffic for less than $500 per month. Yodle Organic, along with Yodle’s industry leading online paid search offering, Yodle Sponsored, will form a winning combination to offer a robust marketing solution for local business owners that is easy, affordable, and effective at driving relevant traffic and leads. Yodle Organic makes the marketing process used to drive organic rankings and non PPC listings across the web both transparent and easily understood. All marketing activities are tracked in a simple interface and include:

• Personalized consultation with a dedicated marketing specialist to optimize a site for organic search rankings
• Website designing and coding with search engine prescribed best practices
• Video creation and syndication to sites such as YouTube, Metacafe and others
• Custom content creation and syndication across the web
• Distribution of a local business profile to Google, Yahoo and Bing and over 75 local search sites and directories.
• 24/7 access to a performance dashboard that measures progress against goals and much more (http://www.yodle.com/whatwedo/organic)

Yodle Organic supports the company’s mission to transform online marketing for local businesses making it simple and cost effective.   This new offering will provide the local business owner with a powerful package of marketing best practices and technology to help them navigate an increasingly complex online marketing landscape.

“The local business owner is being overwhelmed by the many options to develop their web presence.  Yodle now brings these together into a simple and easy to use package.” said Court Cunningham, CEO of Yodle. “Search engine optimization has been a complicated, expensive, and mysterious concept for the local business owner. Yodle Organic will fundamentally change that by clarifying and demystifying the process.  This launch represents another important piece of our ongoing strategy to find new methods to help local businesses to be found online cost effectively and to build and maintain their brands online.”

###

About Yodle:
Yodle, www.yodle.com, a leader in local online advertising and named fastest growing local online advertising company by industry analyst Borrell Associates, connects thousands of local businesses with consumers in a process so simple and cost-effective that business owners can’t imagine any other way to advertise. Yodle has developed an integrated approach to signing up and serving local businesses that are transitioning their marketing budgets online. Yodle is headquartered in New York, NY with a presence in 25 major cities across the United States.