As the newly minted marketing manager for MarketingProfs University, I thought it would be fitting to share about our upcoming MPU course, Search Marketing School---and why it's a big deal.

So, here are five reasons to get excited about Search Marketing School.

1.) Google's Changes (again): If there's one constant that can be said about Google, it's that they're always changing. From the Panda update, dropping the Wonder Wheel (one of my personal favorites), the +1 feature, Sitelinks changes, and more, Google is always on the move, ever in search of that elusive perfect search algorithm. And that algorithm, as it stands now, is so complex, so convoluted, so wildly untamable that there is no single person who knows or understands all of it. So, what are we, as marketers, supposed to do to master this and make the most out of our search marketing? Lucky for us, we have Maile Ohye from Google presiding over our kick-off class. She'll tell us everything we need to know (and probably more) about taming the beast that is Google.

2.)  LinkedIn: Yep, good old LinkedIn. Once the provenance of job hunters and recruiters, LinkedIn has become an integral part of any search marketing strategy worth its salt. Along with a strong corporate profile page, there's a lot of search engine goodness to be gained from employee pages as well.

3.) Geometry (angles, angles, angles): Geometry, just like search marketing, is all about angles. Every distinct tool has its own angle: Facebook, Twitter, email, videos, LinkedIn, paid search, and landing pages---but how do they all come together? Where's that elusive meeting point where they all combine into an actionable marketing plan that will help drive results?

4.) Pandas: Not the cute and cuddly kind, but the Google update kind. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past several months, you know that Google made a significant change (codenamed Panda ... I still don't know why) to their search engine algorithm in an effort to help people find more high-quality sites. What this ostensibly did was to make link farming a thing of the past---or at least it took a few steps in that direction. So while it's still possible (and necessary) to build credible inbound links, how do we do so under the strictures Google has put in place?

5.) Morality & Ethics: There are thousands of SEO companies out there who will take your money, show you some fast results, and move on. I'm not kidding here. Yes, thousands. And you'll likely see some pretty impressive numbers quickly, but you'll be hurting yourself more in the long run by employing these tactics and methodologies. So, how do we know what's good vs. no good?  Right vs. wrong in the SEO world? (Yes, Virginia, it really is possible to get black-hat results using legitimate white-hat techniques, and, most importantly, they won't put you on anyone's bad side.)

If you're interested in joining me or have any questions regarding MarketingProfs University or Search Marketing School specifically, check out the pages or feel free to ping me on Twitter.