SMX Advanced Recap & Social Media Expectations

June 16, 2010
 

Last week’s SMX Advanced Seattle was the stage for announcements and knowledge sharing of a premium level. Bruce, Susan and Virginia review some of the major news from the search engines and the advice shared at the SEO veterans Q&A panel. Bruce explains his strategy for SEO in the era of Caffeine, including increased opportunity for testing and a greater instance of result personalization and an improved ability to recognize semantic connections by Google. Bruce also considers the possible effects of the confirmed Mayday update on SEO efforts.

Kate Gardiner, social media director of the television show PBS NewsHour, has found success using social media to engage online with a TV audience. Since the inception of a formal social media program earlier this year, Facebook has been a platform that’s created big wins, often generating thousands of clicks on links shared on the fan page. Widgets, which generate inbound links and the resulting PageRank value, as well as a sense of interaction and authority for the organization, are another important facet of the online social strategy. Kate also shares her experience with being a personal brand ambassador and the metrics she pays attention to on various social networks.

Susan, Paula and Virginia round out the show with a look at search industry headlines. Even though summer has just arrived, it’s already time for paid search managers to start planning and executing a back-to-school season strategy. Searches for “back to school” are 15 percent above last year. Bing has released a software developer kit that will let developers create apps and overlays for Bing Maps. And the U.S. Department of Labor has begun an initiative to classify search marketers, based on the input of seasoned professionals. If you met the criteria and contribute to the survey, you are eligible for a $40 compensation.