One of my favorite features – and often talked about one – is our State of the Industry editorials and commentaries. We’ve had many top industry experts talking about the many issues that plague our industry today, regardless of how controversial they may be. Here is our top 10 list of our State of the Industry.  But one thing is certain, a code of ethics was certainly a hot industry topic!

Honorable Mention – Why Duane Forrester is a Fabulous Search Personality of the Year by Jennifer Slegg

Duane Forrester was crowned (literally) as the Search Personality of the Year earlier this year, and here was why he makes a fabulous personality in the search industry.

10. First Look at SEMPO’s Code of Ethics Plans by Jennifer Slegg

Everyone has been talking about SEMPO’s plans to create an industry code of ethics. Here was the first information the industry heard about SEMPO’s plans and how they planned to organize and facilitate it.

9. SEMPO Responds to Questions About the Proposed Code of Ethics by Jennifer Slegg

Chris Boggs and Tony Wright share their ideas and opinions about SEMPOs plans to bring about an industry Code of Ethics, and yes, we ask them the tough questions.

8. Dying Hard or Hardly Dying?  The Economic Viability of Live Digital Conferences by Andrew Goodman

In a series of State of the Industry commentaries, Andrew explores the role that live digital conferences has in the industry today and how different it is from the days when Search Engine Strategies (now ClickZ Live) was the premier search conference.  Many things have changed, especially from the sponsorship point of view, and what this might mean in the future.

7. 21 Non-Obvious SEM Conference Takeaways by Andrew Goodman

Andrew has been a frequent industry speaker at a variety of conferences, and tells it like it is… the value and insights you get (or don’t get) when you speak or attend an industry conference today.

6. SEM Conferences: Reflections at the Crossroads by Andrew Goodman

Andrew reflects on the changing landscape of search marketing conferences, particularly the fall of Search Engine Strategies / ClickZ and the rise of SMX, Pubcon and other brand conferences that have been popping up over the past few years, all from his perspective of well over a decade of conference speaking experience in the industry.

5. Industry Experts Respond to SEMPO’s Code of Ethics Plans by Jennifer Slegg

Everyone has an opinion about SEMPOs plans to create a Code of Ethics. We talked to 3 industry experts – Rhea Drysdale, Kristine Schachinger and Kim Krause Berg asked the many questions about the code of ethics and SEMPOs plan to create one, and these three didn’t hold back on their opinions.

4. Looking Into the Crystal Ball: 8 Predictions for SEO in 2015 by Samuel Edwards

Where will SEO be headed in the new year?  Samuel Edwards dives into 8 things he feels will be important or will change for SEOs in 2015.

3. Lifting the Veil on Those Secret SEO Chats: State of the Industry by Jim Hedger

Whether you belong to any secret SEO chats or not, Jim Hedger talks about the value and importance of these types of SEO chats that are hidden in various places on the web and why many of these places exist in today’s search marketing world.

2. Isn’t it Time We Start a Digital Consultant Code of Ethics? by Doc Sheldon

Well before SEMPO announced their plans to create a Code of Ethics, Doc Sheldon explored the idea of why we don’t have one, whether we even need to have one and what it could possibly include.  It was very interesting to read this and compare it to SEMPOs version they are trying to spearhead.

1. State of the Industry: Real SEOs Solve Problems by Jim Hedger

Our number one the state of the industry column was ironically the very first one we published on The SEM Post. Jim Hedger talks about how SEOs need to think of themselves as problem solvers and how important it is to understand how the industry has evolved, matured and changed so much over the years.