There are a ton of search engine marketing newsletters, and if you're just starting out, you may not know which are worth subscribing to. Nobody wants their email boxes stuffed with junk. Here are the things to look for when deciding which free internet marketing newsletters and publications to subscribe to:

1. Are you looking for a monthly or weekly search engine marketing newsletter?

2. Are you looking for SEM blogs by real people like you who are out in the jungle of search marketing? Or would you rather read advice from people who represent big search engines or marketing firms?

3. Are you crazy about 2.0, what it means to search engine marketing, and want to throw your hat into rings like Twitter?

Although there are thousands of newsletters and blogs out there, the ones in this guide are focused on paid search and my personal favorites.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Subscribe to a marketing newsletter for search engine optimization ideas

Subscribe to search engine optimization newsletters to improve or learn about your search engine marketing campaigns.

I recommend: SearchEngineWatch.com gives you the option to subscribe to different types of SEM newsletters depending on your interests. The au Natural newsletter focuses on organic search engine optimization, and SearchDay is one of the most subscribed-to newsletters in search engine marketing. ClickZ has multiple SEM newsletters to subscribe to - some of them are divided by interest (mobile marketing, ROI marketing, etc.). Marketing Experiments Journal is an absolute must for all marketers - the geniuses at the journal make the mistakes in the whole trial and error of search marketing, then share their findings. Marketing Sherpa is another oldie but goodie on the SEM frontier.

Read search engine marketing blogs

By now, you're probably reading blogs or have one of your own. Search engine marketing blogs are great ways to keep others updated on your successes and failures, and read about what's going on from the experts you admire.

I recommend: Matt Cutts of Google (you may have heard of it) keeps search engine marketers abreast of new happenings at the ubiquitous search engine. Go to 3 Dog Blog for frequent updates on the world of search and online trends. PPC Hero, a search engine marketing newsletter devoted to PPC campaigns, is a favorite of mine (I like the idea of a Pay-Per-Click Superhero!). The PPC Hero blog has great links to the top things you need to know when running campaigns on Google and Yahoo! If you are running B2B campaigns, you can't do any better than the blog at Komarketing Associates.

Get information about search engine marketing events

It's easy to find out about SEM events you should be attending by subscribing to marketing newsletters that give you the scoop on upcoming events.

I recommend: Go to MediaPost Publications and subscribe to MediaPost Events. You'll receive regular updates on SEM conferences and seminars happening all over the world. It's probably the best, most comprehensive list of SEM events. Search Marketing Now and Search Marketing Expo also promote great events and free webinars on search engine marketing.

Get SEM newsletters to stay on top of trends

Search engine marketing newsletters are the best way to find out what's going on in search marketing - if you are running any kind of campaign, it's essential that you stay informed about new optimization techniques, search engine platform updates and more.

I recommend: SearchEngineLand has great monthly and daily search engine marketing newsletters - check out their selection. SearchCap in particular is a must-read for all SEMers.

Find SEM experts on Twitter

Twitter lives up to its hype - sign up now, and start following the experts!

I recommend: Follow Matt Cutts, Matt McGowan, 7Search Guys, Scott Allen, Anita Campbell, Andy Komack (for you B2B search engine marketers), DewDropSEM, Barbara Boser and Clay Schulenburg. One of the rewards of using Twitter is getting updates on the latest updates to Google almost as soon as they're made, not to mention instant access to a ton of networking opportunities with other search engine marketers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Not every search engine marketing newsletter or blog will be to your liking - each has a different voice and different opinions on various subjects. Subscribe to a bunch at first, and then whittle your way down to a few. All the newsletters and blogs mentioned here are reputable, so they comply when you ask to unsubscribe.