I scan a few hundred feeds and read dozens of articles a day so you don't have to. From measuring the effectiveness of social media to hiring a search engine optimization firm to getting in the video game, check out a roundup of half a dozen posts I classify as "must-read" for the day.

• If you caught the buzz around my article earlier this week on why social media mavens need to understand search engine optimization and the resulting critique of the new Lenovo Voices of the Olympics site, you may be interested in reading the excellent response from Esteban Glas, the prime technical lead on the Lenovo Olympic project.



• Amber Naslund over at the Brand Box recaps another great Plurkshop today. This time, the conversation centered around measuring the effectiveness of Social Media. There's some interesting debate in there on whether or not we should value the media (news, coverage, brand building) or the social (passion, evangelism, credibility) side of social media more. If you've been wondering how to justify social media, or are looking for a better idea of what exactly you should be measuring, it's worth a read. Connie Reece also has a great recap over at Every Dot Connects.



• If you are a small business and you've been kicking around the idea of adding video to your web site, there's a very interesting post over at Search Engine Land by Glenn Pingul. Glenn works for Mixpo, a company that specializes in online video ads for small business. His post cites a recent study that showed law firms who include videos on their web site increase conversion rates dramatically.



• Steve Woodruff asks for reader feedback on what you'd wish for in an online dashboard. How would you like to see the services and networks you use on a regular basis congealed into one, easy to access panel? Check out part three today (and parts one and two in the archives) and add your two cents. Then someone out there with some cash get to building this monster!



• I'm loving on Geoff Livingston's post today ranting against "social media experts" who tell businesses they need to be involved in a million different social media venues. Geoff makes some excellent points and gives small business a great reminder that it's more important to be in the right place than it is to be every place.



• Last but not least, if you're been thinking about hiring out your search engine optimization services, you simply must read an article over at Conversation Marketing. Ian Lurie cranks out a true winner with wit (and darn good advice) as he tells you what to do if you want to hire an awful SEO Company. (Hint: if you want to hire a good company, enjoy the laughs and then reverse his advice.)