In recent months social networks have increased in popularity against the traditional email, however, according to one sector commentator, this is a point that many businesses have failed to grasp.

Companies looking to embrace social media in the new year may be interested to know that Erik Qualman, writing on the online pages of Search Engine Watch, claims that such firms still believe they need to get users into their databases in order to market to them.

Several sector commentators have been busy looking back at the predictions they made for the growth of search engine optimisation and social media in 2008.

One such individual is Noah Mallin, writing on the online pages of SearchViews, who stated that one prediction he believes came true was the movement of RSS feed adoption into the mainstream.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) has had a "rollercoaster of a year" according to one sector commentator, who has used the festive holiday as an opportunity to reflect over the predictions he made for search in 2008.

William Flaiz, writing on the online pages of Search Engine Watch, said that this year SEO expanded its reach beyond the results pages of search engines as handheld devices such as the BlackBerry and the iPhone increased in influence.

With a whole 12 months before Christmas, many workers may feel this is needed to get the turkey out of their systems but with a new year on the horizon, one sector commentator has offered a host of tips to improve search engine optimisation (SEO) without exerting too much energy.

Writing on the online pages of SEOmoz, Randfish advises that businesses and individuals locate the pages that have gathered the highest search engine rankings and add links to the vital content that needs a further boost.

According to one sector commentator, social media marketing is the new search engine optimisation (SEO).

Writing on the online pages of Stuntdubl.com, the blogger notes that social media has become a "cornerstone" of the strategy used for launching websites or improving their link popularity.

Businesses should aim to design their websites in a way that gets consumers excited about the brand they are offering, one sector commentator has claimed, advice which may also be used to improve search engine optimisation.

Thomas Herbert, product manager at Hostway, said that online marketing was all about keeping a consumer on a website and making the content engaging.

When it comes to search engine optimisation, businesses planning their marketing campaigns may be inclined to create content that is Google-friendly.

However, although Google makes up some 70 per cent of the total search marketing share, firms should also remember the 20 per cent of all internet queries that go through its competitor Yahoo!, one sector commentator has claimed.

Many businesses and brands may be fearful of any negative situations that should befall their company, however, one sector commentator has claimed that the rise in social media has meant that firms are "no longer the sole owner".

Writing on the online pages of Search Marketing Gurus, Li Evans explains that this means embracing social media can be a scary idea.

One new year's resolution that is being recommended for small businesses to take up is utilising some form of web analytics, one sector commentator has claimed.

Matt McGee, writing on the online pages of Search Engine Land, said that once the analytics have been installed, companies should pay close attention to what the data tells them.

One sector commentator has claimed that while his clients understand how important link building is to organic search engine optimisation (SEO) rankings, many are unwilling to consider social media as part of this process.

Writing on the online pages of Search Engine Land, Michael Gray said that this was because they did not feel it was worth the "time investment" or that the quantity or quality of links will have an impact on SEO.

Companies and brands that are keen to increase their search engine optimisation may wish to consider hosting productivity services on their websites, following the recommendations of one sector commentator.

Martin Warner, co-founder of TalkBizNow.com, explained that business networking was not just about connecting people and that there was greater value to be gained from bringing individuals together on one single platform where they could collaborate, network and work online.

Websites that have in the past used blackhat techniques to improve their search engine optimisation (SEO) are increasingly turning to whitehat methods instead, according to one sector commentator.

Writing on the online pages of Search Engine Roundtable, Rusty Brick explained that at the recent Search Engine Strategies Chicago show, this may be because practitioners of the two techniques have a better understanding of each other or it may be because the lines have become blurred.

The IT, Legal & eCommerce site Out-Law have reported that Interflora is taking legal action against Marks & Spencer for bidding on the keyword 'Interflora' using Google AdWords.

In May 2008 Google allowed PPC customers to bid on somebody else’s brand name.  Previously this kind of bidding was strictly forbidden. 

Free delivery is a crucial element in gaining online sales, according to a new report from e-commerce provider GSI Commerce.

The company's 2008 Consumer eTail Report indicates the ways in which websites can be made more likely to achieve a sale.

Businesses which produce and host a blog on their website may find there is something they can learn from journalists, according to one sector commentator, which may result in improved search engine optimisation (SEO).

Writing on the online pages of SEO by the Sea, Bill Slawski explains that when blogging, it may prove useful to provide links to the sources used for the content, such as original white papers and patents.

Two industry professionals recently had a debate at SES Chicago, it has been reported, but were found to be in some agreement over the two search engine optimisation techniques, it has been reported.

Search Engine Watch notes that Dave Naylor - director of search marketing at Bronco - along with vice-president of search at Position Technologies Todd Friesen represented black hat, while president of Stone Temple Consulting Eric Enge and Doug Heil, owner of ihelpyou were on the side of white hat.

The key to effectively utilising social media sites as part of a search engine optimisation (SEO) campaign is doing it right, according to one sector commentator.

Ann Smarty, writing on the online pages of Search Engine Journal, explains that by just spamming, businesses and brands will get links from the sites but it is also important that they contribute and investigate social media.

The tasks that need to be carried out to run an effective search engine optimisation (SEO) campaign and the best way of doing them are considerations that are constantly evolving, according to one sector commentator.

Writing on the pages of online resource SEOmoz, Duncan Morris claims that starting from scratch on each process is "fantastic" from a creativity point of view but from the perspective of management and consistency, it can be a "nightmare".

Social media has been described as the People's Choice Awards of the internet, by one sector commentator - a US ceremony where the public votes for their favourite films and actors of the year.

Writing on the online pages of SEOmoz, Rebecca explains that many online professionals today are happy to criticise social media websites and claim that they are the reason why web content is not as good as it was ten years ago.

During a recent discussion on an online webmaster forum, one user spoke of a test he carried out to examine how linking to his homepage affected his search engine optimisation (SEO), it has been reported.

According to online resource Axandra, the webmaster first monitored the effect of internal links - both with and without keywords - carried on the subpages of his website.

Social media is a people-based phenomenon built by internet users for internet users to share - and brands and businesses which want to utilise these individuals need to be aware of this, one sector commentator has claimed.

However, writing on the online pages of e-consultancy, Karl Havard said that any firms which have not yet tapped into this resource should take the chance to do it now.

Some companies may have found in the past that they came high up Google's ranking pages in terms of search engine optimisation (SEO) but may now be realising that these rankings have dropped.

An article on the online pages of Axandra explains that this may have been caused by one of three reasons.

Many businesses may already have implemented the use of keywords and terms in their website content in order to increase their search engine optimisation (SEO).

However, according to Ann Smarty, writing on the online pages of Search Engine Journal, such firms should be careful to eliminate any risk of internal keyword cannibalisation.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a tool that forces a change in the work process, according to one sector commentator.

Writing on the online pages of SEO Book, Peter Da Vanzo explains that when changes need to be implemented to a search strategy, the three "crucial" factors which need to be identified are starting at the top, addressing the human side and approaching the change systematically.

The average searcher is not ready for Google's new tool SearchWiki, according to a recent survey.

Google in recent weeks announced that it would be allowing all of its users to promote, delete and comment on the rankings pages they get back if they are signed in.

Small businesses may wish to use web analytics to calculate the amount of content they need to host on their websites.

Thomas Herbert, product manager at Hostway, said that when it comes to video content, such firms must be "very selective" over the things that they do.

The last thing that businesses should currently be looking at cutting back on is digital marketing - where techniques may include search engine optimisation or pay per click - one sector commentator has claimed.

At a recent seminar at the Business Startup show titled An Introduction to Digital Marketing, Andy Cummins, managing director of CJV Digital, said that it was the firms which increased their advertising and marketing campaigns that would end up being stronger.

With the Christmas period fast approaching, search engine optimisation (SEO) campaigns will prove most effective if they are subject to "little tweaks" now, rather than "big fixes" that take longer to take effect, one sector commentator has claimed.

Writing on the online pages of Search Engine Journal, Dev Basu explains that seasonality has a big effect on every industry but that when it comes to SEO it is important to keep in mind that these trends may be unique to the festive period.

When it comes to implementing search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques, honesty is the best policy, according to one sector commentator.

Kevin Gibbons, director of search at SEOptimise and writing on the online pages of e-consultancy, said that when someone is an expert in the field it can be difficult to explain the finer points of the technique.

The worst mistake a business or individual website owner can make is to ask visitors to come and look at it in order to assess it, according to one sector commentator, as this is akin to asking someone "do I look fat?".

Kim Krause Berg, writing on the online pages of Search Engine Land, said that rather than requesting this type of feedback, companies should assign tasks for their users in order to receive honest answers.

In order to improve the search engine optimisation (SEO) of a landing page, it is important that businesses take time to find an experienced webmaster and graphic designer, one sector commentator has claimed.

Tim Ash, writing on the online pages of Search Engine Watch, explains that webmasters may be involved in quality assuring and testing all new content and should therefore be involved in the uploading of any new pages.