Achieving search marketing results in 2012 requires more strategic execution than ever before. And, assessing those results requires more sophisticated reporting than just traffic and rankings alone. Optimization - and integration - of search, social media, and PR 2.0 channels is now essential for generating and measuring the ultimate campaign outcome: targeted, right-fit conversions.

There are many ways known to gather information as to what is working for your search marketing efforts. By classifying them into easy to maintain categories, it's easier to take a methodical approach to realizing your conversions.

As the opportunities to reach customers grow with new technology, so do touch points with your brand. When consistent messaging is developed, remember that search is an important component of that branding initiative. This week's infographic shows how search fits into the customer influence line-up.

A lot of times paid and organic search campaign results can look very different. Especially at launch, organic conversion cost will seem much higher as rankings and, consequently, ROI take time to surface. This week's infographic demonstrates how organic search campaigns can show more cost-effective long-term performance.

Organic optimization brings more than just results in the search engines. This week's infographic illustrates the additional benefits and return on investment that comes along with properly optimizing a site and pursuing targeted keywords.

With so many tactical options available to today's search marketer, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which approaches are best for achieving specific goals. Should press releases be optimized for increased brand awareness? Or, will a PPC campaign achieve better results?

Keyword research involves so much more than just looking up search frequencies. Critical factors such as budget restrictions, competition levels, and business strategy must be considered in order to develop a results-driven search marketing plan.

Part 2 of our 3-part series infographic details an essential element of keyword research: exploring conversations that are happening on the web. By combing through competitive and industry websites, relevant blog postings, and popular tag sites, new phrases are discovered and search frequencies can be determined.

When you begin the process of keyword research, the first step is to think like your target audience and how they would enter the phrases for what they are searching for.

Collectively, segmented marketing initiatives will help increase your baseline traffic over time. The traffic bump infographic demonstrates the potential of gaining loyal readers with every marketing initiative.

The Optimized Press Release provides multiple benefits to your site. From a traffic perspective, you gain a boost on the day of your release, and in the long term you'll increase your daily visitor count to your site by a few readers per day. From a search perspective, you can gain in-bound links, "buzz" and long-term rankings for less competitive phrases.

The strongest search marketing campaigns pursue rankings for a combination of high-traffic phrases that are likely to bring many visitors to the site as well as highly-specific, 3- or 4-word phrases that are more likely to convert a targeted buyer.