Continental Breakfast

Local Search Engine Marketing 101
Mary Bowling, Blizzard Internet Marketing

Search Engine Optimization Workshop
Shari Thurow, Omni Marketing Interactive

Lunch Break

Advanced Keyword Research
Ron Jones, Symetri Internet Marketing

How to Effectively Use Social Media for Search Marketing Campaigns
Liana Evans, KeyRelevance

Local Search Engine Marketing 101

SEO and SEM for Local Search

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Spaces Limited

8:00am-12:00pm

Everyday more and more people turn to the Internet to find information about products and services that are nearby. Local businesses that do not appear where they are looking have zero chance of being found in these queries. This course will give you the knowledge you need to compete effectively in the local online marketplace and get found when and where potential customers look for you.

Everyone who is interested in learning how Local Search works and how they can maximize their local presence on the Internet should attend this session.

Brick and mortar businesses and in-house marketers will learn how to best compete online and the most effective methods of promoting their products, services and locations across the Internet.

Search Engine Marketing agencies will get a clear understanding of how they can best help their clients with physical locations and defined service areas to prosper online. They will also learn why the Internet Yellow Pages are such fierce competitors in Local Search markets and what they need to do to compete more effectively with them.

Internet Yellow Pages marketers will learn how Local Search works and that a little Search Engine Optimization can go a very long way. They will better understand the areas at which the Search Engine Marketers currently excel. Learning more about Local Search will enable them to communicate more effectively with their clients and to improve their own marketing mix.

Learn only what you need to know - no fluff and no filler. We'll get right to the heart of how Local Search works and what you can do right now to maximize the presence of your business - or your clients' businesses-on the web.

You'll get a jump start on Local Search in just half a day!

What is Local Search?
Definitions of Local Search and why Local Search success is critical for brick and mortar businesses.

How People Search
People search in many different ways and in many different places on the web for the same thing(s).

• The ways people look for local businesses online - it's not all about the Internet Yellow Pages and it's not all about Search.
• The web places where people search for local businesses.
• How to determine where your business needs to be listed.

Keyword Research
Keyword Research is the foundation for all SEO (and most SEM). Get it right and you can easily build upon that foundation. Get it wrong and you'll waste valuable time and resources going down the wrong road.

• Finding the right terms - The criteria for good keyword selection
• Resources - Free and paid tools you can use along quick demos and evaluations.
• Can I compete? - How many others are trying to rank for your terms(s)? Who are they? What do you need to do to beat them? More tools and demos.
• The Long Local Tail - what these terms are, how to find them, and when, where and how to use them effectively

The Search Engines
What the Search Engines want and how they reward you for giving it to them.

• It's all about relevance - What determines relevance? What determines Local relevance?
• The rewards of relevance - What high rankings can mean
• Concentrate on Google - Why? How?
• The other players - Yahoo, MSN, Ask - what you need to know

The ABC's of the Algorithms
While there are more than a hundred factors that we believe influence Search Engine rankings, some are definitely more important and more powerful than others. Which ones should you concentrate on?

• On page optimization - title, tags, headers, content, links
• Off page optimization - links, links, links - quality, quantity and reputation
• Slam dunks - easy-to-do things that can give you an edge

Local Pay Per Click Campaigns
Explain geo-targeting, why local businesses should use it and the most effective ways to use it.

Site Evaluations (time permitting)

• Site evaluations for class members. Take a look at students' sites and give them some quick tips on how to improve their Local Search presence

Mary Bowling is the senior SEO consultant for Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc, a mid-sized agency that specializes in providing complete online services to a select group of clients in the Hotel, Hospitality, and Resort Industries.

This niche of Travel and Tourism has always had a primary focus on location, so Mary has developed special expertise in Local Search Optimization. She researches, develops, implements and tests SEO techniques across a wide range of clients in many different places on a continual basis. She then establishes best practices and trains others on them.

Mary performs Research and Development functions for her company, has written several free marketing whitepapers, moderates online chats for Search Engine Workshops and EMarketing Talk Show and contributes numerous articles on Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing to blogs in the marketing and travel industries.

Mary presented on the Convergence of Travel Search, Local Search and Mobile Search at the inaugural SES Travel Conference and regularly attends conferences like Webmaster World PubCon and SMX Local Mobile Summit to keep up with industry trends and stay at the front of the SEO pack.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Workshop

SEO Training

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Spaces Limited

8:00am-12:00pm

A search-engine friendly Web site is a user-friendly, search-friendly, and persuasive site that converts visitors into buyers.

In order for a site to be search-engine friendly, it must meet the terms and conditions set forth by the search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, Ask, etc.) Additionally, the site must satisfy the needs of site visitors. Ultimately, the site must be profitable for the Web site owner. Can a single site satisfy all of these groups?

This presentation will show these skills are essential for building a user-friendly, search-friendly, and persuasive site that converts visitors into buyers.

Everyone who promotes Web sites as part of their work should attend these workshops! Web marketers should understand all parts of a search marketing campaign - optimization, shopping search, paid inclusion, and pay-per-click solutions.

For new and experienced marketers
Whether you are a new marketer or a seasoned veteran, our search engine marketing workshops will help you take your campaigns to the next level of effectiveness.

For new and experienced web designers
Minimize advertising expenses by creating search-friendly and cost-effective site designs. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls early in the design process.

Attendees come from many different industries, including:

• Web site designers and developers
• eCommerce
• Business development
• Web site usability
• Direct marketing
• Media buying
• Affiliates
• Public relations
• Web analysts
• Sales and marketing consultants
• Non-profit agencies
• Or any job that requires site development and promotion.

Many search engine marketing speakers are new to the industry or merely repeat information disseminated by more experienced professionals. Why learn search-friendly design from speakers who do not design for a living? Learn from the leading industry expert on search-friendly and user-friendly interfaces in the field of search engine marketing industry.

• Build a Web site that satisfies both your site's visitors AND the search engines
• Design dos and don'ts
• Successful Web site information architecture - learn what search engine marketers don't know
• Avoid costly copywriting and design mistakes
• Link development research: tips and tools
• Learn proven techniques and strategies for long-term results

Understanding search engines:

• The major search engines and how they work
• Anatomy of search engine results pages (SERPs)
• Types of search engine marketing
• Questions and answers

Understanding search engines:

• Defining the full SEO process:
  • Keyword analysis
  • Site optimization
  • Submission
  • Monitoring - managing expectations
• Web positioning vs. Web analytics software
• Questions and answers

SEO Process - Site architecture and page design:

• Site architecture vs. page design (interface)
• Why architecture and design are important for search engine visibility
• Components of an optimized site:
  • Site navigation schemes
  • Other types of page links
  • Types of Web pages and how to optimize them
  • Web address
• Questions and answers

SEO Process - Link development:

• What is popularity?
• Why link development is important for search engine visibility
• Characteristics of effective link development
• Competitive link development strategies
• Submission guidelines
• Questions and answers

Shari Thurow is Founder and SEO of Omni Marketing Interactive. She has been designing and promoting web sites since 1995, and is outsourced to many firms throughout the U.S. The firm currently has a 100 percent success rate for getting client sites ranked at the top of search engine and directory queries.

Acknowledged as the leading expert on search engine friendly Web sites worldwide, Shari is the author of the top-selling marketing book, "Search Engine Visibility" (www.searchenginesbook.com). The book teaches Web developers how to build a site, from concept through promotion, that pleases both site visitors and the search engines. She also writes a bimonthly search-engine marketing column for Clickz.com.

Shari has been featured in many publications, including USA Today, PC World, Internet Retailer, MacWorld, and Crain's Chicago Business. She has also received numerous design and content awards including top site honors from Lycos, Business 2.0 and Computer User Magazine.

Advanced Keyword Research

Keyword Research Training

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Spaces Limited

1:00pm-5:00pm

In this 4 hour training session, attendees will explore the tools available for identifying, researching and zeroing in on the right keywords for your SEO or PPC campaign. We will walk through the process in theory first and then work on a real world example that leverages the latest tools available. Students are welcome to bring their laptops to this session. Wireless access will be provided.

This program is intended for SEO/SEM consultants, site designers, developers, in-house search engine marketing specialists, Internet consulting professionals and entrepreneurs who want to make the most of the opportunity search engines offer.

After attending this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand the role of Keyword Research/Discovery and how it is integral to SEO and PPC Campaigns
• Identify and refine the initial set of possible keywords for any campaign
• Analyze the initial set of keyword to identify and target the most popular keywords for your site and understand the difficulty of achieving top rankings for each search term.
• Be able to score your keywords and sort them in order of which are most likely to lead to a conversion
• Know where to place your keywords for maximum effect, and how to mix in additional search term modifiers that will let you leverage your targeted search terms for greater traffic.

Keyword Strategy and its role in SEO and PPC

• Overview of importance of Keyword Research
• SEO and PPC Comparisons
• Developing a strategic keyword campaign

Keyword Identification

• Customer analysis
• Competitor analysis
• Wordplay exercises
• PPC Provider Suggestion Tools

Keyword Research Tools

• Keyword Discovery
• Wordtracker
• Other Tools

Competitive Research

• Learning competitors' keywords
• Identifying broad, phrase, & exact match bids
• Following competitors' ads

Organizing and Scoring Keyword Lists

• Popularity
• Specificity
• Long Tail, Short Tail Keywords
• Effectiveness Scoring

Analytics & Feedback Metrics

• Converting Terms
• Integration of SEO & PPC keywords
• Learning which keywords convert

Ron Jones is an Internet marketing consultant, trainer and owner of Symetri Internet Marketing, who has provided strategic consulting and Internet marketing solutions for companies like Sealy Inc., Broyhill Furniture, Kimberly Clark Healthcare, Wachovia, Shaw Industries, and Kayser Roth since 1998.

Ron is actively involved in the SEM community and speaks at conferences and seminars. He hosts regional SEM events where he provides participants with SEM training and education best practices. Ron also serves on the marketing and education committees for SEMPO, and chairs the event subcommittee. Ron is also one of the authors of the SEMPO Institute Fundamentals and Advanced courses.

Ron is a columnist for Search Engine Watch and writes the SEM.edu column.

How to Effectively Use Social Media for Search Marketing Campaigns

Social Media Training

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Spaces Limited

1:00pm-5:00pm

Over the past year, social media has experienced a virtual explosion and has become a major piece of the search marketing puzzle. Companies are amazed by the influence that social media is having upon the industry and and want to understand how to use it effectively. From capturing traffic and links, to effectively converting the traffic, there are many aspects of social media that need to be considered. Figuring out which type of social media is right for your business is another factor in the search marketing mix. Do you sacrifice your steady customer base for a 1-day hit of traffic from Digg or do you focus on a more targeted blog or forum audience and educate them about your services and/or products? How do you combine this with your PPC and SEO efforts? All of this and more is covered in this course.

Beginners in Search Marketing to experienced Search Marketers looking to understand more about social media and how to use it effectively.

This session will show you the entire realm of social media and how to use it effectively as part of a holistic marketing campaign. While many people think of "Digg" as the big player that they need to be working with, Digg is just one of many facets of social media. From social communities to photo sharing, blogging and forums, the Internet offers a world of opportunity waiting to be explored. You'll come away with great ideas on how to effectively leverage your brand, services and products in different social media environments.

Attendees will:

• Understand the "Rules of Engagement"
• Learn the difference that participation in social media will make
• Gain understanding as to why keyword research is important in social media
• Gain understanding as to why not every form of social media is the "right one"
• Gain insight into the different types of social media such as
  • Social News
  • Social SharingSocial Bookmarking
  • Social Networking
  • Stumbling, Wikipedia, etc.
  • Forums & Message Boards
  • Ratings & Reviews
  • Blogging

Social Media Agenda:

• Overview of What Social Media is
• What are the different types of Social Media
• Why Use It
• What does it take to be successful
• It's not a flash in the pan
• Overview of Social News
• What is Social News
• Who uses Social News
• How do I Use It?
• Overview of What Social Sharing
• What is Social Sharing
• Who uses Social Sharing sites
• How do I use social sharing sites effectively
• Overview of Social Networking Sites
• What are Social Networking sites
• Who uses Social Networking sites
• How do I use social networking effectively
• Overview of Social Bookmarking Sites
• What are Social Bookmarking sites
• Who uses Social Bookmarking sites
• How do I use social Bookmarking effectively
• Overview of Forums & Message Boards
• What are Forums & Message Boards
• Who uses Forums & Message Boards
• How do I use Forums & Message Boards effectively
• Overview of Rating & Review Sites
• What are Rating & Review Sites
• Who uses Forums Rating & Review Sites
• How do I use Rating & Review Sites effectively
• Overview of Other Social Media Sites (StumbleUpon, Wikipedia, Yahoo! Answers, LinkedIn, etc.)
• What are Other Social Media Sites
• Who uses these Other Social Media Sites
• How do I use these Other Social Media Sites effectively
• Overview of Blogging
• What is Blogging
• Who is Blogging
• Should I be blogging
• How to effectively interact with Bloggers

Liana "Li" Evans is the Director of Internet Marketing at KeyRelevance. Since 1999 Liana has been active in the search marketing arena, becoming well-versed in all avenues of search marketing, but having a particular focus on natural search optimization, vertical search, social media and word of mouth marketing. She has also become well-versed in areas of the retail industry that are regulated by the FTC. Liana helped to design, plan & implement an Internet Retailer 500 company's efforts into natural search optimization, totally revamping out of date navigation and site architecture, with very successful results. Since 1992 Liana has been active in the technology fields being both a well-versed programmer and database programmer/designer, which lends well to her technical expertise in dealing with large scale retail sites and their dynamic nature.