Best of Google Tools & Tips for Internet Marketing Resource Center 

Matt Cutts is the head of Google's Webspam team and the go-to guy for webmasters, search engine optimization (SEO) people and tech reporters seeking his insider position on all things Google. Even his company calls him a "Google Guru." This link points to his personal blog, which mixes Google-specific links, tips and advice with personal observations. Check here first if you have a nagging question about how Google operates, and it's likely Matt has answered it with a relaxed, plain-talk explanation. Although Matt's blog has a distinctly personal tone, he organizes it like a pro, with a quick-reference guide organized by topic along the right side for those in a rush. Click the Google/SEO link to reach related interviews, presentations, tutorials and blog posts.

When you get past the direct-mail puffery that pervades this site, you'll find one-stop shopping for keyword research and management to optimize Website content and buy more useful keywords for niche marketers. You can toggle between "easy" and "pro" modes to view the site; the easy version appears easier to navigate. It supports a paid service (the 14-day demo is $1) but offers plenty of complimentary information and services including a blog, newsletter, five-part podcast on backlinking and a page full of related links to other resources. As expected, it's heavy on Internet/niche marketing, search engine optimization and Web design. (Scroll to the bottom of the homepage to find the link to that page.)

If you like the Alexa toolbar, you'll love SearchStatus. Configure this Firefox and Mozilla add-on to show Google PageRank, Alexa popularity or Compete.com ranking at a glance, then click again to get more info. Go right to Google Trends from the PageRank feature; click the Alexa bar to find traffic data and incoming, relevant or backward links; click the Compete bar to get a traffic count.

The sheer amount of information you can pull from one small source is compelling, such as meta tags, keyword density, keyword positioning and a Whois lookup. But it's more than just "ain't it cool?" This device shortens your commute from one ranking application to another and delivers everything you need to know, in easily readable formats, to measure a site's importance.

Google SearchWiki allows searchers to do their own rankings and share commentary on their search results.

Searchers who are logged into their Google accounts can move a result up or down (e.g., from the No. 7 position to No. 1, or vice versa), remove it or write comments on the entry and view comments from other searchers. That's the "wiki" aspect of "SearchWiki," since a wiki is like an open-source encyclopedia.

The changes don't make keyword rankings obsolete - yet - and only logged-in users have access to the tools. However, it's another reminder that being No. 1 on your favorite keyword isn't the only path to search success, and also to Google yourself more often to see what people are saying about you.