5 for Friday — Links, Stories & Posts For Your Weekend, 5pecial Graph 5earch Edition!

In a special edition of 5 for Friday, we’ve compiled the best articles about Facebook’s new Graph Search, which was released for beta testing on January 15!

Facebook Graph Beta Offers Multidimensional Social Search, New Networking Capabilities — Search Influence

Hold Off on the Half-Baked Google+ Local Merge

This weekend while shopping for Christmas presents, I found this ad at one of the booths. The flyer advertises a seminar that will teach business owners how to claim their Google Place Page and Google+ Business pages. While we do encourage small businesses to claim these pages, we recommend holding off on attempting to merge the pages into a Google+ Local page.

Google+ Local Pages were released with the intention of replacing Google Places as an accessible enhanced business listing to be used across search, Maps, mobile, and Google+. Unfortunately, the transition has been anything but smooth. Months after the release, Google Places for Business has lost its functionality, Google+ Local is riddled with bugs, and the only advice we’ve received from Google is to “Sit tight!”

5 For Friday — Links, Stories & Posts For Your Weekend

No, Content is Not the Only Way – Whiteboard Friday – SEOMoz

While well-written content earns links and establishes your authority on a subject, it is not the be all and end all of SEO. Whether you have a great reputation and reviews, your team creates inherently viral products or services, or you’ve built up a community of retweeters, +1’ers, sharers, and pinners, each company should play to its strengths — which doesn’t always mean paragraphs on paragraphs of content.

How to Make Readers Do (and Buy) What You Want – SEO Copywriting

5 For Friday — Links, Stories & Posts For Your Weekend

• Why Traditional Marketers Are at a Crossroads — Hugo Guzman

According to Hugo Guzman, the “Mad Men” days of marketing are over. Of course, marketers no longer smoke cigarettes and guzzle bourbon in the office (or do we?), but Guzman also asserts that marketing professionals are foregoing creative brainstorming sessions in favor of statistical, analytical approaches to advertising.

• Facebook’s New Custom Audiences: What They Are and How You Can Use Them – Part 1 — SEOMoz

Out of Site, Out of Mind? The Benefits of Remarketing Campaigns

In advertising, the Rule of Seven states that a potential consumer must see or hear your ad at least seven times before taking action and actually purchasing your product. While this rule is not set in stone, it establishes that you cannot simply engage your target market a single time and expect to stick in their minds. With the sheer volume of ads we see daily, people have adapted to an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality with products and brands.  In order for you to obtain optimal results, the Rule of Seven asserts that your marketing campaign must include continual efforts towards staying in the forefront of people’s minds.

5 for Fridays — Links, Stories, & Posts for Your Weekend

12 Most Valuable Personality Traits of Top SEO Consultants — 12 Most

This article is an oldie, but a goodie on the 12 best qualifications for a top SEO consultant. Sure you are driven, intelligent and articulate, but if you do not feel that you combine your technical, artistic, and analytical sides, perhaps it is time for a refresher course.

Google Glasses: Don’t Plan on Buying Them for Christmas – Washington Post

5 For Friday — Links, Stories & Posts For Your Weekend

Have You Been the Target of a Google Places Hit Job? —Search Engine Land
If your company is receiving mediocre/poor reviews on your Google Places page, it is possible that a competitor is sabotaging you. In order to determine if your review is spammy, you should check the source, the volume and validity of the reviewer, and the content of the review. Whether it is spam or a legitimate bad review, you should confront it head on.

Five for Friday—Links, Stories, and Posts for Your Weekend

Google’s New Privacy Policy May Violate HIPAA, Congresswoman Says - Search Engine Land
Because Google’s new privacy policy intends to make its services more user-friendly by integrating all of its privacy policies into one.  Some members of Congress, however, fear that this single new policy will violate HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Google states that ads will not be associated with sensitive issues, such as religion, sexual orientation or health, but should Google be forced to comply with HIPAA regulations?