Anyone looking to craft a solid search engine optimization strategy has a number of options at their disposal. For example, those new to the game may want to consult a reputable SEO firm, such as those ranked at bestseocompanies.com. But any business or marketer, regardless of their SEO prowess, should keep up with the times. Here are four great sites that disseminate information anyone with even a passing interest in SEO will find useful.

The Google Blog

Google enjoys a staggering 67% search engine market share, which places it well ahead of Yahoo! and Bing. That’s why Google tends to be the trendsetter in cyberspace. Their Panda, Penguin and Humingbird updates fundamentally changed how search engines deliver results to users. And because they penalize (and reward) websites more than the competition, it behooves marketers and SEOs to stay abreast of what they’re up to. Checking in periodically with The Google Blog is highly recommended, despite the fact it only covers Google-related news and issues. Still, it’s a good landing spot for those eager to know the thought leader’s take on issues as diverse as search trends, health info and online security.

Search Engine Land

See what we did there? Search Engine Land is so authoritatively nice we had to link to it twice. Because while Google is a great source for news, don’t count on them policing themselves anytime soon. SEL does a good job of holding the search giant’s feet to the flames by remarking on all relevant goings on, warts and all. They pride themselves on breaking major news before the other guys, which helps explain why they are arguably the most popular SEO site online. They also offer a wide variety of tidbits covering a diverse array of subjects, so pretty much any SEO-related question can be answered here.

Moz

Any new business or smaller local operation eager to understand the basics of SEO should make a beeline for this blog. The site itself has been around since 2004, (it began as an SEO consulting firm) and since that time it has provided countless tutorials, tips, lists and advice to online marketing newbies. And all of it is fairly sound. Of course the blog covers more advanced topics and ideas as well as the basics, so it will always be of major use to SEO warriors of all skill levels.

Search Engine Watch

This is another good site for beginners because it is easy to navigate, which makes finding certain topics a cinch. And despite Search Engine Land being known as the site that breaks the big stories first, the content on SEW is always meaty and, oftentimes, updated on a more frequent basis.

Serious online marketers should make the above-mentioned blogs part of their daily rotation. Because while success in SEO will always fundamentally be tied to solid advertising principals, the technical shifts in the landscape and ever emerging trends come at breakneck speed. Those who miss the news will likely miss the bus as well.