Next week, a host of team members from Microsoft Advertising & Live Search will be descending on the Hilton Hotel in New York for this year’s Search Engine Strategies conference.
Sasi Parthasarathy & Todd Schwartz from Live Search, and James Colborn, Katherine Shappley and Stacey Helman from the adCenter team, will be speaking on a variety of panels over the three days on various subjects including Universal Search, SEO, duplicate content issues, PPC, keywords, ad copy and content writing best practice.
Check out the agenda for exact times of when they’ll be speaking.
Also, below is an interview I did recently with Matt McGowan who heads up the marketing for the show.
There’s a little surprise at the end of it!
For the un-initiated, what is Search Engine Strategies all about?
Education in digital, specifically search engine, marketing and advertising. The Search Engine Strategies Conference and Exposition Series is about educating marketing, web developer and executive teams on Search Engine Marketing (SEM, PPC & SEO), a subset within the digital marketing/advertising industry which includes, these days, Social Media. We make an absolute commitment to deliver the very finest speakers, the latest market intelligence and clear, actionable tips and tactics so that our attendees can apply them the moment they get back to the office. By attending an SES event, you give yourself a competitive advantage over your fellow marketers that can transform both your business and your career.
We have been doing this for 12 years.
It only seems like yesterday we were in London for the conference. Is an online marketer any different in the UK compared to the US compared to China or Japan?
We have held Search Marketing Conferences and Expositions in countries all over the word, Silicon Valley (San Jose), Toronto, Germany, London, Tokyo, and Chicago to name a few, in fact we are hosting our flagship event in New York City just next week (over 5,000 attendees expected & a 100+ sponsors and exhibitors)… so I have had a ton of exposure these last 3 years to online marketing professionals across the globe.
I can say that there are very few if any differences in what it is they are trying to accomplish à the establishment and fulfilment of realistic goals that will help them achieve their corporate objectives… the major difference is the vehicles they use to accomplish this.
Looks like Guy Kawasaki has recovered enough from interviewing Steve Ballmer to talk during the keynote about Twitter. We’ve noticed more and more sessions at conferences around the world devoted to social media. Is “social” the new “search”?
Just last week I hosted a webinar Q&A with Guy in preparation for this Keynote at SES New York, March 23-27. We spoke about his new book Reality Check, his new company AllTop.com and finally Twitter, the social media tool of the 21st Century.
As the Search Engines (SEs) have begun to include digital assets other than text on their results pages (what the industry calls blended search and Google calls Universal search) we have begun to see SEOs start optimizing everything from Press Releases to Videos (e.g. YouTube) and Pictures (e.g. Flickr) to Profile pages on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social networks. Why? Because the Search Engines are listing these results on their Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) and more importantly because these networks are beginning to become massive sources of referral traffic.
I wouldn’t say “Social is the new Search,” instead I would say that Social Media is becoming another weapon in the Search Engine Marketer’s arsenal.
Are you going to change the name of the conference?
It’s not in the plans. Search Engine Strategies, or SES as the industry refers to it, is well branded and a highly regarded product (many would argue the highest regarding learning opportunity around!). To re-brand would be expensive and tricky and not something we are looking to tackle at this time. We cover Social Media and Web Analytics, we even cover Display Advertising and E-mail, as it relates to Search Engine Marketing... its all there all you have to do is check out the agenda.
In London, the Web 2.0 Orion Panel cried that “It used to be so easy!”, is online marketing really getting harder or are we being presented with more choices?
Like any industry, when digital and search were in their infancy there was less competition and yes it might have been easier. One might say you could beat the SEs at their own game. The digital sphere has gotten crowded and the SEs have gotten a lot smarter so it just might be a bit harder these days to get noticed… that said, those who educate themselves on best practices and put some time and energy into growing their business online will have a very good chance of succeeding.
What are the “must see” sessions & speakers at this year’s conference?
If Social Media Marketing (SMM) is what you are looking to learn more about check out some of these sessions:
Facebook Workshop: Harnessing the Social Graph
An Update on Social Media Optimization
4 Views of Social Media: Planning a Successful Social Media Strategy
Online Communities: A Bonanza of Content for Searchers and Search Engines
Social Media Marketing for Brand Building
… and here are some other “must see’s”:
Tuesday, March 24
Extreme Makeover: Conversion Edition
Searching for a Solution: The Impact of Today's Economy on the Search Landscape
The Dozen Most Common Search Marketing Mistakes That CMOs Make
Every Day in Every Way: Search Marketing as a Business Activity
Wednesday, March 25
Four Paths to Success in a Tough Travel Economy
Search on a Dime
Small Voices, Big Impact: Social Media for the Little Guy
Discover the Power of Linking: Link Building Basics
Thursday, March 26
Independent SEM/SEOs: Issues & Answers
Advanced Keyword Research
SEO Tools of the Trade: What's in YOUR toolbox?
Now finally the good part… If you made it this far, please use priority code 20SESMSF2 to receive 20% off you pass to SES New York, this March 23-27 at the NY Hilton in midtown Manhattan and please do stop me in the halls to say hi.
Cheers Matt!!
Hoping to see some of our readers at the show!
Thanks
Mel
[cal]03/23/2009[/cal]