Sample Sessions
The sessions below are samples of the topics typically covered at SES. The complete agenda will be posted here as soon as it is available.
Beginner Sessions
Introduction to Search Engine Marketing
This session will provide a clear and concise overview of the key concepts involved in Search Engine Marketing. Who are the major search engines and how can you best optimize them to gain "natural" or "organic" traffic without cost? Learn how to achieve top ranking or placement by utilizing search engine advertising opportunities. This is a must-attend basic session for anyone new to the Search Engine Strategies event.
Information Architecture, Site Performance Tuning & SEO
The technical and navigational foundations of your website can significantly impact search referral traffic, either directly or indirectly. Experts explain why all of this matters, and offer tips on how to organize, label, and prioritize your content; how to speed up your site; and how to assess and fix bloated code that may impact the user experience and search rankings.
Search Advertising 101
Paid placement is a form of search advertising that provides a top ranking in return for payment. Every major search engine offers a paid placement program. Learn what's available in this session that is especially geared toward beginners, with details on programs from major providers and advice on how to succeed.
Intermediate Sessions
Video: The Next Marketing Frontier
Video has found its way into the daily routines of most Internet users. YouTube now boasts more than 100 million uniques and streams more than 6 billion videos monthly, according to the latest numbers from Nielsen. Meanwhile video ad networks and premium sites like Hulu have begun to establish real reach. This panel will cover the latest developments in video-based marketing, including:
- Discovery: What factors make your video assets visible to web surfers?
- Ad networks: How can you make the most of these vehicles, and what can you safely ignore?
- Formats: pre-roll, overlays, interactivity, and in-page video
- YouTube: The elephant in the room during any discussion of online video.
Universal & Blended Search
Search result multiplicity is not a new phenomenon, but recent advancements will guarantee the world of search and marketing will be changing forever. Before you attend this weeks optimization and best practices sessions, hear from industry gurus about how search, marketing and information seeking is changing the industry that follows the search. Our ongoing series on universal search will include research data available only at SES.
Twitter Nation
Within the dramatically expanding social network space, Twitter has become everybody's darling ever since major companies like Dell publicized how many millions of dollars they are actually making via this 140-characters-is-enough micro blogging platform. Of course, the real question is how to bring your message across this huge stream of endless tweets and how to actually be heard in an ocean of white noise without breaking the bank. Obviously, automation is key here - but it does require a lot of insight into the actual mechanics of Twitter in general and online conversations in particular: which automation tools to use? How can you prevent getting your account banned? Treading the fine line between ripping success and utter failure - it's about the right kind of credible interaction. Learn why subtle, "suggestive marketing" works best on Twitter - and how to automate that effectively, too. Plus, effective strategies to outpace your competitors.
Site Clinics
This interactive session takes volunteers from the audience and examines their web sites live to provide general feedback about improving them to gain more traffic from search engines.
Advanced Sessions
Advanced B2B Marketing
Forget consumers. You want leads! Leads that become opportunities that convert into booked business! Join our seasoned panel of B2B marketing professionals as they share the latest tips and trends in using search to find those niche decision-makers that drive your business.
Meaningful SEO Metrics
As knowledge of SEO practices moves from the offices of the optimizers to the board room, the standard metrics used by the practitioners of this former dark art are straining under the weight of the all powerful bottom line. The days when upper management was impressed by subtle changes in Page Rank have been replaced by questions of LTV and ROI. As more resources are being dedicated to creating the perfectly optimized and keyword rich landing page, C-level executives are demanding proof of the return they are receiving from these resources. This panel will discuss a myriad of ways to move beyond Page Rank, indexed pages or linked sites and into metrics that can make you a hero and, better still, get your budget increased to a respectable level.
Duplicate Content & Multiple Site Issues
More and more site owners are concerned that they might get penalized accidentally or overtly because of duplicate content. If you run mirror sites, will search engines ban you? If you have listings that are similar in nature, is that an issue? What happens if you syndicate content through RSS and feeds? Will other sites be considered the "real" site and rob you of a rightful place in the search results? This session looks at the issues and explores solutions.
Black Hat, White Hat: Playing Dirty with SEO
Some say that "black hat" search marketers will do anything to gain a top ranking and others argue that even "white hat" marketers who embrace ethical search engine optimization practices are ultimately trying to game the search ranking system. Are white hats being naive? Are black hats failing to see the long-term picture? This session will include an exploration of the latest black and white issues with lots of time for dialog and discussion.
SES Chicago 2010 »
SES Chicago 2009 »
SES Chicago 2008 »
SES Chicago 2007 »
SES Chicago 2006 »
SES Chicago 2005 »
SES Toronto, Jun 13-15
SES San Fran, Aug 15-19
SES Chicago, Nov 14-18 SES Singapore, Nov 22-23
Marketing Manager/Director
Supervisor
Creative Director
E-Commerce Manager
Brand Manager
Director, Business Analytics
Media Buyer
Media Planner
SEO Specialist/Consultant
PPC Analyst
Junior Account Manager
Associate/Assistant
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Chief Executive Officer/President
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Managing Director (MD)
Senior Vice President (SVP)
Vice President (VP)
IT/Web:
Executive Director, IT
Webmaster
Web Developer
Web Designer
IT Project Manager
