Category Archives: ses

SES Chicago

Posted by on December 12, 2008 1 comment

Well another round of SES is over in the warm 15 degree city of Chicago. There is a definite change in focus from the retail segment, they seemed to have slowed way down in experimenting around and really focusing on their businesses with this new economic climate. I am not really seeing a slow down in spending online, but then my clients have a decent SEO strategy and are doing quite well with it.

I think we will not be able to see how 2009 is going to look until the end of Q1. But this should be a very interesting year to come.

SES NYC Party List is UP

Posted by on April 3, 2007 No comments

Joe Morin has done another smack up job of finding out where all the best parties are. Check out this post.

I hope to see you all there.

Danny and Crew announce Search Marketing Expo

Posted by on December 5, 2006 No comments

I am thrilled that someone is stepping up to the challenge of an advanced SEO/SEM Conference. Something this industry has needed for years. Hopefully a fresh perspective will help attract the older in-house SEO’s who have stayed away out of boredom. It takes a lot to convince management to send staff to conferences with the exact same lineup every single time.

I definitely hope to learn something new, so whomever he contacts for speaking. Get your thinking caps on and put some strong content together. It looks like the date is set for June 4th and 5th 2007.

I have been a huge fan of the SES up until a few years back, and have criticized the SES for not adding new content.

Some have given me dirty looks for even bringing up the idea of change for fear of loosing face with the empire. If Google can change their algorithm in a month and we do not have an open way to share it we will fall behind the times!

Search Marketing Expo

Danny Sullivan leaving SES

Posted by on August 29, 2006 No comments

I am very impressed that Danny Sullivan has decided to stay on with SES for this many years. All of the back and forth Trans Atlantic flights must have been brutal. When I actually worked at a search engine we where always wondering what he was up to and kept up with him on a regular basis. To have that level of following is a great industry totem to try and climb. My best wishes to Danny.

I am sure I am opening myself to massive criticism with this concept. But I think this is a great time to bring up the idea of radical change of the SES format. I find the courses to be far too rudimentary for my taste. Yes, its great to introduce the corporate crowd to search marketing, but the advanced tracks are terrible. There is hardly any real information that comes out of the seminars.

The Pubcon, put on by Brett Tabke’s Webmaster World in my opinion do a far better job teaching SEO/SEM, however still needs work. If I had the chance to make change, I would terminate relations with all speakers at the Webmaster World and start a one by one interview process. In my estimation 40% of the current speakers have interesting new data to release. The rest wind up tooting their own horn through the entire session, they love to say “I am so and so” and I did this and I did that. Not “I accomplished this and here is how I did it”.

Just my personal opinion, yes I know most of you think I am committing heresy by opening my mouth. But frankly a lot of the top players do not show up to these conferences, since they have nothing to learn.

SES San Jose – Day 1

Posted by on August 8, 2006 No comments

Ok, I admit it. I didn’t even go to the first day’s sessions but I spent the day with a few very talented SEO’s. It was quite refreshing to sit down with some bright people for a change who actually have some clue how search engines work.

Normally I sit at the sessions and hear the constant I am so and so, and I am the best SEO out there. These people are useless, most people wouldn’t hire them in a million years and the ones that do are desperate. As a friend of mine would say, “They couldn’t even close a door” let alone a deal.

Later I wound up at the ASK party, this one was insane. The drinks where flowing and the bar tenders where breathing fire with everclear, which both the everclear and the lighting drinks on fire are illegal in California. I thought one of the bartenders was drunk; he kept dropping the bottles when he threw them up in the air.

Unfortunatly my schedule once again has made it almost impossible to get to the SES today, so I will be attending the Google Dance. I will finally attend the conference on Wednesday.