Would you subscribe or read a print SEO pub? Options

[cre8pc]

Thanks Andrey! Can't wait to get this issue.

I noticed, on your website, that Barry Welford has an article as well. He's a moderator here. And, member David Temple has the cover story!

We're so proud!!!

[Kal]

Kim and Barry have articles in this issue? Yay! I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at David's cover story and it's FAB! I'm pretty excited about this issue as Search Engine College has an advert in it. It was quite an investment for us, but I'm hoping it will pay off with the larger circulation and quality content. Like others in this thread, I've been more and more impressed with the quality of the mag each new issue. Great going Andrey and Boris

[sanity]

An article from both Barry and David, wow I'm glad I subscribed!

Kal I'll look forward to your ad too. I hope it goes well for you, which I'm sure it will.

[Kal]

It's looking good already - at least one student who signed up today came directly from the ad referral!

[Jozian]

Hey! I didnt realize this was out yet!

I just ordered a years subscription.

-Jeff

[Andrey@SMS]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Drop your feedback here or send an email to andrey at smstandard dot com once you get your copies.

Thanks,
Andrey

[meriweather]

I subscribed way back and have the first 3 or is it 4 now, issues.
Have found it great for those times when a computer is the last thing in the world I want to see and the articles have been informative, well researched and thought out. We have used it as an educational tool on several occasions to help inform clients, and potential clients if the basics of SEM.

Just for the record though, there is a competitor in the works whose title "Website Magazine" may not say it but by the looks of the first issue it is devoted over 60% to search and search marketing. Website Magazine Worth a look and their online version is way-kool.
Doc

[Andrey@SMS]

Thanks for your kind words, James.

Website Magazine has been around for a while. They used to be called "Website Services Magazine". As far as I remember, they released their first issue about 6 months before we did.

However, their focus is very broad. Obviously, you can't talk about a website without mentioning SEM these days but we do not view them as our competitor.

[Kal]

Website Mag are also aggressively promoting themselves to SMS advertisers . Another new mag in the works is Visibility. This is being put together by the crew at TopSEOs. I don't think the first issue is out yet but I'm interviewed in it .

[Andrey@SMS]

Yeah, we've noticed that at the SES in NY. And we've heard about Visibility Magazine.

I think competition will only make us better and give you more options and better content. The last issue of the Website Magazine was definitely on our turf but I was pleased to see the quality of their articles improve.

As far as the content is concerned, I think we are on the right track. We'll continue publishing quality articles and increase the amount of content in each issue. So far, other magazines in the field have some catching up to do.

I am a big believer in quality content. Readers should come first. What's the point of advertising in the magazine that people don't read? I really can't imagine 120,000 people being excited about getting their copies of the Websites Magazine and reading it from cover to cover. I haven't seen many discussions about their magazine and posts about how much people love reading it...

Those advertisers that do not pay attention to the quality of content simply don't know how to market themselves properly. If people don't read the magazine, they won't see the ads. Period. Our advertisers understand and appreciate that.

And I'm sure our readers do too.

[Kal]

Just got the Summer issue - wow! I was so excited to see our ad. I think it looks fabulous and the placement was perfect. I love the new Conference Guide and Industry stats sections - they're a great idea. There are some terrific articles too, especially the Industry Analysis section with Kim and Barry's contributions.

Just one complaint, which is going to sound funny coming from an advertiser, but I think the ratio of ads to editorial is still too high for the number of pages you have, particularly as there are so many 1 or 2 page ads. With the amount of advertising revenue you are obviously pulling in, you might want to consider paying some freelancers to produce more editorial content, or encouraging more article authors to volunteer.

Great job though - best issue yet!

[Andrey@SMS]

Hello everyone,

Just a quick update. The Winter 07/08 issue is done, finished, finito, fini, fertig (how do you say it in Spanish?) and has been sent to the presses. Once again, your very own Kim Krause Berg and David Temple are contributing.

For this issue we've decided to focus on in-house SEM because that's the topic that does not get enough attention. Of course, as the luck would have it, in the 3 months since, there was a renewed interest in the topic. Nevertheless, I think that Jessica Bowman, the author of the article, brought something interesting (and unique) to the table.

Besides Kim's article we have another article on usability, dealing with urgency in your sales copy. There is one SEO article by Eric Ward (great as always), PPC, social media and another article (plus interview) focused on PR. I think we've managed to fit even more content in this issue, even though the number of pages stayed the same.

But you'll judge it for yourself once it arrives some time in the second half of November.

[cre8pc]

Once again, your very own Kim Krause Berg and David Temple are contributing

Two great people I might add

Looking forward to seeing the next issue. I make Eric (hubby) take the pile you send me to his job at NutriSystem (IT Group)

[FP_Guy]

I just wanted to drop a note saying how much I'm enjoying the latest issue and that I am glad that they are keeping up with the times!

It is a great source for up-to-date information!

By the way Kim, nice blurb on you. I recognized your picture right away from meeting you in Philadelphia that one time.

Michael

[Andrey@SMS]

Hi Michael,

Glad you've enjoyed the latest issue. For the cover story on video search marketing you should thank Grant Crowell. Grant is a video search genius. The original notes on the article were 46 pages long!!! Had to cut it down to 5

Thanks for reading us.

Andrey

[cre8pc]

Thank you!

I'm a huge fan of SMS.

My husband passes out free copies I get (as a columnist for it) to his co-workers and he reports back to me that they now come looking around for the next issue. They're all IT guys and not even SEO's but they seem to enjoy every issue.

[FP_Guy]

Hey Andrey,

What are the chances in getting the 46 pages of notes?
I'm a huge fan of soaking up as much knowledge as I can. Too bad there isn't enough time in the world for me to learn everything.

Michael

[Andrey@SMS]

Hello, everyone!

I've decided to continue the longstanding tradition of posting important announcements about the magazine on the Crea8asite Forums.

As we have announced today, the Search Marketing Standard magazine has been acquired by iNET Interactive. iNET Interactive has a huge experience running community sites and portals for online professionals. Their properties include major sites like Web Hosting Talk and Hotscripts.

Our whole editorial team is staying on board and we'll continue bringing you the quality content you've come to expect from the magazine. We are all very excited to have the iNET Interactive team bring their expertise to the magazine.

Interestingly enough, one of our first contributors, Kevin Gold, is a director of marketing at iNET Interactive and is now in charge of the magazine. After years of me telling him what to do (at least when it came to content for the magazine), Kevin can now get back at me

One thing we've learned since starting the magazine is that it's all about the right people. That's why I want to thank Kim, Barry and the rest of the Crea8asite community for contributing content, subscribing and supporting us in spirit over these years. We are looking forward to serving you for years to come.

Best Regards,
Andrey Milyan
Editor-in-Chief
Search Marketing Standard

[cre8pc]

I'm happy you keep us updated Andrey!

Will SMS continue with the blog?

Print magazine changes, if any?

Too early to know?

What does this news means in terms of readers...what can they expect to see changed, if anything?

[Andrey@SMS]

Hi Kim,

It is really too early to know for sure. Nothing is off the table right now, everything is being reviewed and considered.

SMS will most definitely continue to post fresh articles on the site and I'm already recruiting more contributors for the site. To be honest with you, our website has been pretty weak, and that's something we are looking to change with iNET's help.

So it is likely that online properties will see a makeover first. For the magazine, we'll see. we know a lot of our readers want to see the magazine published more often and that's something we are keeping in mind.

We'll keep you guys posted.

Andrey