SEO Upset- the Google Penguin release

I chatted with a colleague this morning who works with SEO and he said that the new Penguin release of google search has really upset the SEO Professionals.

Interesting article on this:

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/shift-in-seo-knowledge-experience-priorities-in-a-post-penguin-and-post-panda-world/44471/

It seems that each time Google changes it's algorithms, it can impact SEO results and SEO experts struggle to find strategies to help their clients.

The article says that quality content and natural links are the 2 key principles for SEO overall.

Article for online discussion: how to review a potential SEO agency

The real title for this article is jazzed up to be, "6 Sure-fire signs that your SEO sucks". The article, though, is really about the challenge that most marketing professionals have when reviewing and hiring firms that claim to be SEO Experts.

Please check it out here.

A question to ponder - how would you assess a potential vendor to handle your company's SEO efforts?

A key risk with outsourcing these efforts is mentioned in the article; the firm may use blackhat strategies which may backfire and have google blocking your site.

Article: What's the Future of Mobile Search & SEO

In this article, on SEOMOZ, the blogger takes a stance that is slightly cynical with regard to mobile marketing. He thinks that mobile marketing is important, but that there isn't really a need to create a completely different mobile version of your website to be effective.

Furthermore, he says that the types of searches on mobile are very similar to those run on laptops or desktop computers-- usually local searches.

Here's the article on this week's theme of Mobile Marketing:

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/whats-the-future-of-mobile-search-and-seo

A few questions to ponder via this blog:

1- Do you agree with the author that most companies don't need to spend money or time in creating a mobile version of their site?
2- Why/why not?
3- Do you think that web searches on mobile devices are as similar to desktop searches, based on your personal experience?