Search Engine Strategies  2010

I was fortunate enough to attend Day 1 and 2 of the Search Engine Strategies Conference in New York City.  It was my first SES conference, so I really didn’t know what I was getting into, plus it was my first time in NYC. I came with high expectations that I was going to learn a lot about search engine marketing.

The great thing about this conference was you got a very good feel for where you are in the scheme of things.  There are some very brillant people out there and some not so brillant people.

Loved, loved loved Avinash Kaushik.  He used a common sense approach to explaining keyword research and analytics.  He actually had me crackin up with his great sense of humor.

The thing I didn’t like at the SES Conference is the fact that I felt like I was in with a herd of cattle going from one session to another.  Not only that, but some of the sessions just didnt’ capture the attention of the people in the room.

Maybe I just didn’t get the overall intention of the conference. I certainly left with some direction on where to go to do more research into what I should do, but  I would have preferred to have learned what I should do…make sense?

There were some very dynamic keynote speakers and I enjoyed the roundtable discussions very much. Unfortunately, the session speakers had limited time to talk and just when things were getting good with some, time was up and then on to the next speaker.  I found myself frustrated at times and wanting more.   

I loved the people who didn’t refer to notes and just talked from the gut. There were some speakers who were simply dull and referred to notes.  These people really shouldn’t be speakers, because frankly, they suck at it.

High Rankings Seminar 2006

I attended a High Rankings seminar in Dallas in 2006 and it was pretty great because they talked specifics. It wasn’t about their philosophy on things, but actual meat and potatoes. They gave me so much information that I could really chew on.

I went into the High Rankings seminar with many dots that needed to be connected and I left with a complete picture.  Also the great thing at the High Rankings seminar was the fact that at the luncheon we actually sat with the speakers and got to pick their brain and talk shop.   

I do understand that things have completely changed since 2006, however, the idea of learning the tips and tricks to blogging, twitter and video, etc. could have been taught better at the SES Conference if they used the same intimate approach.

Bottom line is when I left the High Rankings seminar in 2006, I went back to work and was a machine.  When I went back to work after the Search Engine Strategies conference 2010, I went right back to doing my own reasearch to find out the answers.  Don’t get me wrong I did get direction and am grateful, but I have a lot of research to do yet people.

My focus when attending these seminars is to learn as much as possible and then implement those ideas into my business and help others.  Although I understand that I was at a different level with each of these conferences, my expectations were still the same and I believe the SESNY conference fell short.