Aol. is still around folks. Back in June I heard CEO Tim Armstrong speak at the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s content focused Innovation Days event. He was passionate about Aol. as a comeback story and was intent on focusing on how it would be generating a lot of custom content from real journalists. Honestly, I am not sure where that is at some 1 ½ months down the road but I’m sure Aol. will let us know of there is any success.

For now, though, there is a need to get their future search partners in order since the current $700 million a year deal with Google is set to expire in December. It appears as if Armstrong is looking to get creative which could mean more than one search partner for the company.

If you’ve been involved with SEO or online marketing for any length of time, chances are you’ve escaped the confines of your office and ventured out into the real world to meet like minded marketers. Perhaps you’re a conference regular attending events like Pubcon, SES, or SMX. If you’re like me and tens of thousands of other online marketers, you’ve also checked out your local meetup scene.

Meetups are gatherings of people who all share a common profession or interest. There are meetups covering almost every aspect of online marketing including SEO, SEM, Affiliate Marketing, Publishing, and Programming.

Most online marketing meetups are organized by local marketing organizations or specific individuals or companies looking to increase exposure for their own services. While motives may vary, most meetup organizers provide a valuable service for their local marketing community by offering insightful presentations, information sharing, and networking.