Sunday, January 13, 2008

Have a few minutes? Want to spend some time checking out fascinating websites that relate to your specific interests? Maybe you want to see what is out there on astronomy, the environment, or even the entertainment industry. StumbleUpon is an amazing one-click stop to meet your curiosity needs. With over 4 million users already, StumbleUpon makes it easy for people to surf the web in a care free, channel flipping sort of style, stumbling on the most interesting material the web has to offer.

How does it work? After downloading the toolbar and setting up your personal category preferences on StumbleUpon, you are ready to go. With a single click on the Stumble Button, you are launched to one of many extremely high-quality web pages recommended by thousands of similar users. This creates an extremely valuable content source by sending StumbleUpon users directly to sites that match their personal interests. Not only that, but these sites have also been approved by like-minded individuals.

Many people might say that this is just one more of many social media sites that doesn’t really do anything. On the contrary, it has become one of the most enjoyable searching tools I have. I spend at least a few minutes every day “stumbling,” just seeing what is out their in my world. Everyone should give it a try. Once you have learned to truly enjoy this unique Internet community, you will also quickly realize its value for Internet marketing and search engine optimization.

As the number of “Stumblers” increases and ratings become even more relevant, StumbleUpon will increasingly impact search engine results as well as wide spread viral marketing. If your company provides content that is considered valuable by the relevant web community, features on social media sites like StumbleUpon will certainly increase exposure by introducing your brand as well as baiting valuable links. Social Media is the wave of the marketing future, and familiarizing yourself with StumbleUpon is just one way to capitalize on the ever-changing information age.

About the Author: Peter Hamilton is the Project Manager in charge of the Seattle office of ArteWorks SEO. He has a Bachelor's degree in radio, television and film and extensive experience in social media optimization. Mr. Hamilton also heads up the ArteWorks SEO educational video series on topics related to Internet marketing and search engine optimization. If you would like to view the free educational SEO video series, please visit www.arteworks.biz.