E-commerce is up, and now the state governments seem more determined than ever to get their “share” of the sales taxes.

Looks like they’re getting serious.

I mentioned Seth Godin’s blog during the class for our course on Business Blogging tonight. (Seth is always a great example.)

Then I noticed his post about how sometimes people like to see ads. Of course, this is what I’ve always said about search marketing. If people are actually searching for what you sell, you must learn to be there when they’re searching.

But how about when people come to your blog?

Are they bothered by ads? Do they think less of you as a result?

I think not. As Seth points out, the #1 blog in the world has 25 ads. #2 only has 1. #1 makes more money from ads, wich is good for them and doesn’t hurt their readers a bit.

Blogs are cool because anyone can publish, with few constraints.

Not because they’re ad free.

Email spam, which everyone hates, is bad because it’s horrible. It’s irrelevant, completely bogus, stupid, and often offensive.

People I barely know often send me email jokes — sometimes they’re actually hilarious and I forward them to a few people. Really, it’s the same as spam.

Both interrupt me, I asked for neither. But one is somehow ok and the other is the bane of the internet.

It’s not that email is a “tool,” it’s that spam has no editorial filter.

Like the quality of the ads in Vogue, and the booths at a trade show, bloggers maintain standards for the blogs on their sites. (Of course just the cost to advertise necessitates a certain standard.)

Evil email spam has none of that.

Perhaps it’s not the idea of ads on his blog that seem to bother Seth, but more the “self promotion.” For such a great marketer, he hates to say, “Buy my book; it’s great.” [Note: they are.]

I think the academic author and high-minded thinker, Seth, thinks self promotion is a little too crass. And if he can’t push his own stuff on his blog, then no one else should either.

My hunch is that none of his blog readers would be bummed if he had some sponsors on the site. In fact many people might want to support the sponsors that think Seth’s cool, too. No doubt many interesting people would love to advertise there. I know I’d check them out.

What are your thoughts about ads on blogs? [Note the irony of the question asked by the guy with the first (as far as I know) totally gaudy blog pixel ad at the very top.]

Personally, I think the pixel ads are more fun and interesting than the boring AdSense ads that used to be at the top. But I’m biased; pixel ads brought in more the first day than AdSense did all year, especially since Patrick Gavin has hijacked all SEO sites everywhere with his AdSense ads
And while we’re proting things, don’t miss our Seminar in China.

Seth Godin noticed the fast acting AdWords players today.

In explaining to a reader that Google doesn’t put those ads there, advertisers do, he brings up a good point.

AdWords often give any quick thinker a chance to shine. Notice that there are only 7 ads showing for “new york strike.”

How many people must have searched that today?

Your ad could be there for five or ten cents.

Have anything that might appeal to those who can’t make it into the city?

Christmas is about children, and of course, one child in particular.

This holiday season, what can you do to encourage a child?

And before you make your New Year’s Resolutions, stop and think, how can you think more like a child yourself? Often, our only limit is our own imagination.

For a little insipration to imagine a little bigger, watch this video. “Today draw anything that comes up in your mind.” (Windows Media Player required, didn’t work in FireFox for me.)

I met Erik Qualman when he was the Director of Online Marketing at Earthlink and he wanted a Stomper. I figured the guy in charge of internet marketing at Earthlink would be cool to meet so I hand delivered it. (Earthlink’s HQ is here in Atlanta.)

His novel, Crisis, makes a great stocking stuffer. It’s $17.99 at Amazon, but you can get it online for $10 at www.american-novel.com, and 100% of the proceeds go to charity.

Title: How to get de-indexed and re-indexed in 10 days.

Subtitle: An experiment not for the faint of heart.

Just in time for Christmas, it’s the Restroom RSS Reader.