June 2013, Seattle, WA — This week, Top Of The List owner Bev Mapes attended the most notorious of internet marketing conferences in the world, the Search Marketing Expo, also known as SMX Advanced. The conference took place in Seattle, WA on June 11 and 12, and covered a wide range of important topics, from cutting edge SEO trends such as mobile and authorship, to the changing landscape of paid search advertising, and everything in between.
Speakers included the most influential leaders in search marketing, as well as representatives from the search engines themselves. A highlight of the week was a “You&A” keynote session with Matt Cutts, a Google software engineer who keeps the SEO world informed on major algorithm changes and webmaster issues. Cutts addressed some of the most pressing topics facing search marketers: recent and future Google algorithm changes, the “not provided” organic search term bucket in Google Analytics reports, how best to optimize for mobile search – and what NOT to do, authorship, structured data, importance of Google Webmaster Tools, and G+ effects (or not) on search results.
Mapes says of the conference, “an SEO company simply can’t succeed without having knowledge of the latest search engine algorithm changes. Attending conferences like SMX Advanced allows Top Of The List to hear what’s happening with search engines from their company’s representatives, giving us an edge over the competition, and allowing us to provide the best results to our clients.”
The conference also allows SEO agencies like Top Of The List to network with other industry leaders, and hear of their successes and failures. “Case studies are often used during presentations to show how SEO leaders have dealt with various challenges, from technical issues to analytics to implementation. This gives us insight into what works, and what doesn’t, making our services that much more valuable to our clients.”
Attending conferences is something Top Of The List will continue to do, and owner Mapes looks forward to seeing new advances in the SEO world for years to come.
About the Author
Nicole Vesota
Vice President & Project ManagerNicole has been working in online marketing since 2007 when she joined Top Of The List. She loves creative endeavors and spending time with her daughter.