There’s so much misunderstanding about search engine optimization that I felt the need to post again on this rapidly changing topic.

Put it this way: In the year since Google rolled out its newest algorithm update, called “Panda,” the world of search engine optimization has become infinitely more complex. The Mountain View, Calif., giant has always guarded its search algorithm like Fort Knox. It still does – and with Panda in place, it’s evolving and changing faster than ever.

SEO has become one of the most important investments in your marketing budget. With Google constantly changing, it’s never been more important to spend time focusing on how your website is doing.

Here are five ways to make friends with Panda:

1. Examine your content.

The foundation for good SEO is a well-structured website with excellent coding and content practices. If your website is more than three years old, it’s time to look under the hood and see if it’s up to Google’s new standards.

But even if it is, you’re still not guaranteed great results. You can only rely so much on organic search – which is the fancy term for “people finding your site after typing a search term into Google.” In addition to following good SEO tactics, you need to make sure you drive qualified site traffic – ideally as part of an overall integrated marketing plan. Your website needs to serve as the hub, not the engine.

A prospective client recently told us he was disappointed with the performance of his new website and asked if we could help. The site was up to snuff from a coding and design standpoint, but we saw missed content opportunities everywhere. A blog existed but was rarely updated, and the most recent case study was years old. While the site was built with SEO in mind, basic practices like image tags and proper page titles were absent. And there was no other active marketing activity going on elsewhere to drive traffic back to the site.

Remember, site architecture and coding is only the beginning. Google likes fresh, continuously updated content that provides value to site visitors. Make sure you provide it.

2. Watch those videos.

Google’s ever-evolving algorithms seem to be showing an increased preference for video. Fortunately, video technology has never been more affordable, and YouTube has made hosting videos a snap.

You should remember a few things when it comes to integrating video into your site. First, insert keywords into file names – “video4.mov” doesn’t cut it anymore. Second, take advantage of YouTube’s massive traffic and search advantages by hosting videos there. Finally, embed those videos throughout your site – and they’ll look better to Google if they’re paired with relevant text.

3. Play John Wayne.

Beware the “black hat” when it comes to SEO. Black hat SEO is a series of questionable practices – overstuffing keywords, endless lists of mismatched content, duplicate content, unrelated links building, negative keywording – designed to “trick” Google into sending visitors your way. Problem is, it may work in the short run, but in the long run it will only hurt your business. In addition to providing an awful user experience, it’s penalized by Google.

This year, examine your SEO practices. If it seems like you’re trying to get one over on Google, cut it out. “White hat” tactics – proper keywording, relevant content, good coding practices – will serve your business much better in the long run, and enable you to better adjust to changes in Google’s algorithms.

4. Think fewer – but better – inbound links.

There was a time when having as many other sites as possible linking to your site was a cardinal rule in the SEO world. But today Google cares only about the quality and relevancy of the sites that link back to your website. Ignore spammers who say they’ll get you to No. 1 through link building. You might see a temporary spike in traffic from such tactics, but the quality of visitors will be poor, conversion rates will be low – and Google will eventually catch up to you. You don’t want that. You won’t like Google when it’s angry.

5. Focus on quality, not quantity.

Here is, perhaps, the most important thing when it comes to SEO: The amount of traffic that your site generates is NOT the sole way to judge its effectiveness. Think quality and “conversions” – what you want a visitor to do once they arrive, such as filling out a form, downloading a white paper or requesting an appointment. No one would argue that it’s better to have 100 qualified people hit your site with a 50 percent conversion rate than 1,000 unqualified visitors at 1 percent.

We recently completed a six-month campaign for a client involving print advertising, PR, trade shows, sponsorships and pay-per-click ads. The client was underwhelmed when he saw a modest increase in traffic to his website – until he noticed a 22 percent increase in the number of visitors filling out a “request more info” form – thus becoming hot leads.

With a little bit of work, you can do the same thing this year. Your website is your business’ most effective selling tool – but only if you attract the right visitors. Use the right SEO tactics, and you can – Panda or no.

Scheetz is Altitude’s former lead designer and developer. His promotion, effective Jan. 13, reflects the fact that his responsibilities have increased in response to the continuing growth of Altitude’s client base.

“Justin has been with the company longer than anyone else besides the two founding partners,” said Stan Zukowski, Vice President, Creative Services. “His creativity, innovation and amazing work ethic have been absolutely instrumental in the company’s incredible growth and success in web design and development. He’s also our in-house photographer and is working on a full-scale web application for the company. When I think of what makes Altitude special, I think of Justin.”

Scheetz leads the design and production of all websites, e-newsletters and videos for Altitude clients. He also serves as the firm’s in-house tech guru, Apple fan-boy and overall I.T. problem-solver.

Stanten frequently speaks to small business organizations on the importance of a high impact elevator speech, including the Chamber of Commerce and Lehigh University’s Small Business Development Center. Stanten’s contribution can be found here.

An elevator speech is an attention-grabbing pitch for your company or service that can be finished quickly — in the length of an elevator ride.

Stanten recommends getting to the point as fast as possible — using the old journalism trick of the “inverted pyramid” to hit key points on the first floor, and getting deeper into the subject from there.

The position was created in response to Altitude’s double-digit growth and increasing client demand for integrated pay-per-click advertising and advanced organic search engine optimization.

Fred’s responsibilities include search marketing, SEO research, keyword analysis and reporting, and search strategy evaluation and development.

A 14-year veteran of the online marketing and e-business fields, Fred founded NetCrafter Solutions, an internet search engine marketing firm and a strategic partner of Altitude Marketing. He is a Google AdWords Certified Partner.

Fred is a different kind of search engine marketing expert. His methodical, scientific approach to search marketing is something any business could use.

“Search marketing is becoming increasingly more important for most businesses,” said Andrew Stanten, President, Altitude Marketing. “Fred’s knowledge of the complex and ever-changing world of online search is a tremendous asset for Altitude clients. In a world of ‘black hat SEO‘ methods, Fred is the real deal: Honest, knowledgeable, empowering and likable. A white hat all the way.”

“We’ve worked with Fred for years, so we know what he can do,” said Gwen Hoover, Vice President, Marketing Services. “He’s a different kind of search engine marketing expert. We’ve seen him take unsuccessful pay-per-click campaigns, improve them and then quickly show measurable ROI. His methodical, scientific approach to search marketing is something any business could use.”

Fred holds a BA from Penn State University and an MBA from DeSales University. He is an avid cyclist.

One of my favorite things about being part of the Altitude family is the attitude in the office.

There’s no selfishness here; it’s all “can do,” and “what can I do to help?” We work that way, we play that way, and we contribute to our communities that way.

As a board member of Easter Seals Eastern Pennsylvania, I work closely with the organization’s leadership to ensure that people with disabilities and other special needs receive exceptional services, from in-home early intervention to teen camps.

It’s good work, and I’m proud to do it. And I’ve never been prouder than when I recently attended Easter Seals’ holiday party, where I got a chance to meet some of the children we strive to help—as well as potential sponsors, donors, therapists and families.

I’m blessed that I’m able to give back. It’s a truly wonderful feeling—and it’s one you can have, too. As you look forward to 2012, ask yourself what you can do to lend a hand to those in need.

No matter who you are, there’s always something you can do to help.

Last August I took a month-long sabbatical from work to take a 500-mile bike tour of Italy and France. Throughout the trip I was reminded again and again that A) Italian food tastes better in Italy; B) French people don’t willingly speak English, even if they can; and C) certain marketing principles are universal.

1. Even small brands are global.

A “brand” comprises the visual, verbal and emotional attributes that define a company and differentiate it from the competition. Increasingly, whether we know it or not, we are all doing business globally. Satellite offices. Suppliers. Distributors. Competitors. Customers. How adaptable is your brand image and messaging to different languages and cultures?

I lost my iPod charger in the French Riviera city of Toulon. No one spoke English (at least voluntarily; see above) and I speak little French beyond “bonjour” and “baguette.” As I strolled the downtown area in search of an electronics store, from more than a block away, in a foreign language, I spotted a Mac store. Couldn’t miss it. That’s the power of branding.

2. Brands are social.

You can run but you can’t hide. “Social media” won’t go away, and it will continue to evolve dramatically. Customers have a louder voice than ever. And they’re talking to each other about your business.

Businesses must pay close attention to what real people are saying.

I spent five days exploring the city of Cannes–but not before I spent a good deal of time online, reading reviews of hotels, restaurants, attractions and shops. I picked my hotel in part due to location–but mostly because of the many positive customer reviews on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. Then I connected with my hotel of choice through Facebook, then email, exchanging a number of messages. When I checked in, I felt as if Monique, the innkeeper, already knew me. She greeted me warmly, asked about my trip from Philadelphia and already had some cycling routes mapped out for me.

The lesson? Businesses must pay close attention to what real people are saying. Monitor message forums, Twitter, Facebook and other social media venues where customers–and prospects–are talking. And remember: As Monique knows very well, good customer service is good marketing.

3. Ask for praise.

Happy customers are your greatest marketing tool. Enlist them as brand ambassadors. It is perfectly acceptable to politely ask (or nudge) customers to socialize their positive experiences with your brand on Yelp, VirtualTourist, Trip Advisor, Facebook, Twitter, industry-specific review websites and more. So go ahead and ask–customer praise is far more authentic than any advertising copy that a slick marketing agency can put together.

I had an amazing experience at a cooking school in Tuscany. As the evening wrapped up, the chef/owner gave us all a handout with recipes, photographs of the vineyard, a small bottle of his vineyard’s olive oil (which included a website to order more) and a gentle but pointed request to share our experience with others. Conversely, I stayed at a quaint bed and breakfast in the tiny Italian town of Bedonia. After reading the glowing reviews in her guest book, I asked the innkeeper if she encouraged guests to share positive feedback online. She felt that would be too pushy. I convinced her otherwise and posted my own positive review.

4. Do something to stand out.

It’s a crowded marketplace no matter what business you are in. You need to stand out, to differentiate from the competition–whether it’s a bold approach to your website design, a break from conventional trade show displays, or boldly defining why your products or services are better than theirs.

Happy customers are your greatest marketing tool. Enlist them as brand ambassadors.

Start by taking a hard look at your company messaging, positioning and image. Then study the competition. If it all looks, feels and sounds all the same to you, it will look, sound and feel the same to your prospects.

In Florence, with hundreds of options to drink within 10 square blocks, we stopped in our tracks when we read the sandwich board outside a pub that said, “Beer. Making sure ugly people have sex for more than 2,000 years.” Not only did my friend and I walk in and drop 40 Euros, we ended up talking with at least a dozen other tourists there, many of whom asked us to take their picture in front of the sign. Turned into one great happy hour!

5. America is not the world.

The advertising in France was a bit more, shall we say, risqué than in the U.S. The stuff I saw on billboards, buses and taxi stands would make many people’s jaws drop here. In addition, I encountered a host of country-specific social networking websites during my travels. Facebook, Google and YouTube may dominate the globe, but people are socializing online locally, too.

If you do business globally, take a hard look at the culture of the market. Pay a professional translator who understands marketing to convert your sales and marketing materials to the target language. Remove colloquialism that won’t translate well. Get counsel on cultural differences to know what is and isn’t acceptable. And realize that while even small brands may be global, not everything translates the same way in every country.

As I said, “This year—in addition to growing a pair of truly outrageous mutton-chop sideburns—I plan to shave the top of my head down to the pasty pale scalp in imitation of a certain male baldness pattern.”

And here I provide you with the proof. Be afraid. Be very afraid…

Elaborate intro screens, flashy animations and cheesy auto-playing music, all of which can take a full minute or more to load before the site itself is available.

And Flash. So much Flash. Everywhere.

Finding practical information—hours, location, prices—becomes a frustrating scavenger hunt. Even viewing menus is frequently a hassle, because visitors are often forced to download them as separate PDFs.

I’ve been working as an intern at Altitude Marketing for several months now, and that’s been long enough to learn this isn’t the way to do business online. People visiting restaurant websites want to use them as tools, not sources of entertainment. While glamorous images of empty restaurant interiors may whet the appetite, in most cases people want to find the restaurant’s address, telephone number and hours. Big difference.

Before coming to Altitude, I never really thought much about using Flash animation on a website. From a marketing standpoint, I realize I was wrong. Flash keeps visitors from copying and pasting important information from a site—kind of a big deal when it comes to transferring a restaurant’s address to a map site.

And Flash makes it impossible for smartphone users, who can’t quickly call for reservations or information—if they can even view the site. Unlike formats like HTML 5, Flash isn’t universally supported on mobile devices. Just try to look at a Flash restaurant site on an iPhone. You’re out of luck.

Finding practical information on a restaurant website—hours, location, prices—becomes a frustrating scavenger hunt.

Even Adobe, Flash’s creator, acknowledges the format’s inefficiencies. Earlier this month, they announced they are stopping development on the platform in favor of HTML 5. So why are restaurant websites still falling victim to bad marketing techniques like this?

Part of the issue may be that many restaurant owners are entrepreneurs with limited knowledge of marketing. These individuals can easily fall victim to web designers whose grand ideas and fancy design schemes often outweigh marketing properties of their site designs.

Our website design philosophy at Altitude is that form follows function. Great web designers (like the team under that “About” link up top) excel at creating sites that are both incredibly efficient for marketing and visually appealing.

I can only hope restaurants get the hint. I have to make reservations for Saturday, and I’m not really looking forward to it.

The position was created in response to Altitude’s continued growth and client demand for ongoing content creation.

Adam’s responsibilities at Altitude include writing, editing and repurposing copy for advertisements, press releases, e-newsletters, trade articles, print collateral, website content, case studies, video scripts and more. He will also be instrumental in initial branding efforts, leading client interviews to extract marketing messaging about the companies, their products, processes and customers.

“We’ve always prided ourselves in hiring the best people with a high level of experience and expertise,” said Stan Zukowski, Altitude’s Vice President, Creative Services. “Adam has an extensive background in writing for both digital and traditional platforms. He knows how to get to the heart of the matter quickly and create top-quality content on tight deadlines.”

Adam is a Lehigh Valley native and graduate of Northeastern University in Boston. In addition to volunteering for the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire, he has worked for publications such as The Morning Call, The Patriot Ledger, the Cape Cod Times and Metro.