EUREKA! SEO GURU AT SES

Day Two at the Search Engine Strategies Conference (SES) in New York launched with a brilliant keynote address by Avinash Kaushik, author, blogger and Analytics Evangelist for Google.

If you can manage to hire away this brilliant mind from Google, do it! Avinash's take on the use of data analysis to build on business intelligence was short of super-genius.

At one point, the SEO Guru used Kodak as an example of poor (very poor) search marketing, focusing on the lack of keyword intelligence by their marketing department. If Kodak was in the audience they got a free analysis and examination of their search tactics (or lack thereof).

Go out and buy his book, Web Analytics 2.0 now.

Unfortunately, the afternoon keynote panel qualified for a big YAWN as the audience trickled out of the ballroom in search of caffeine. Topic -- Video Marketing. Ian Schafer, CEO of Deep Focus and part of the panel, attempting to start controversy, was trapped by a mediocre moderator and fellow panelists. Sorry, Ian.

Rounding out the day, a session on "Selling The C Suite" helped bring life back to the day with thoughtful tips by Kevin Lee, CEO of Didit and Fionn Downhill, CEO at Elixir Interactive. Suggesting what motivates the C suite --- Greed, Fear, Vanity, Loss and Competition were top of mind for Kevin. I would have added blackmail to the list!

ATTENTION! INDSUTRY UPTICK AT SES

The Search engine Strategies (SES) Conference in New York kicked off today with a blow out crowd estimated to be 5000 plus, signaling an approaching business turn-around.

The opening keynote by David Meerman Scott, author of the just released "Worldwide Rave" immediately connected with his audience focusing on the issue of content creation and its impact on attention. The content of his presentation held the attention of his audience with the video that follows as part of his "act". The video is for a German company (CWS) that manufactures self-cleaning toilets, generating attention and a viral connection with over 2 million views through "Word Of Mouse".



The mid-day keynote panel, moderated by Henry Blodget, CEO, The Business Insider, as no less impressive with a lively exchange on stage and with the audience. Jonathan Blum, CEO, Blumsday LLC, lit up the audience with witty no holds barred exchanges calling out iTunes as a "restrictive, clumsy, dumb product" and suggesting the web is becoming a "content slum". Blodget, ripped mobile advertising as just a "crappy medium".

Waiting for Day 2 to be just as lively.