Search Engine Optimization Journal wrote a terrific post on Gene Marks, a columnist for BusinessWeek. In his article, Gene Marks makes disparaging remarks about a number of Internet marketing strategies, including SEO. Here are some of the topics he says small business owners don’t need to know anything about:

• RSS Feeds
• Spam Filters
• Antivirus Software
• Blogs
• SEO
• Mobile Applications
• CRM Software (interestingly, Gene Marks works for a company that sells CRM software)
• AdWords
• Online Video
• Web 2.0

Wow. It makes you wonder why he even has an Internet connection. You might as well just say small business owners should fold up shop and take up working in BusinessWeek’s mail room.

Judging from the 56 comments on the article, I’d say I’m not the only one who thinks Gene Marks is an idiot. Kalena Jordan and Jaan Kanellis, two of my favorite SEO bloggers, both were among the first to weigh in with comments and left links to their blog posts about Gene “the genius” Marks.

Other articles about Gene Marks can be found at the following websites:

• Currybet
• CNET
• Blog Content Provider

It seems that the entire SEO community has banned together against Gene Marks. Is it surprising? When it comes to giving advice to small business owners about SEO and Internet marketing, keep one thing in mind: Just because the guy has written books and articles in the mainstream press doesn’t means he knows what he’s talking about. Don’t throw your laptop out the window just yet. It looks like Internet marketing might be here to stay.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 at 5:10 pm and is filed under Internet Marketing, SEO. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.