The big SMX Advanced preview

Search Engine Land’s always sold-out SMX Advanced, the only search marketing conference designed exclusively for experienced search marketers, returns to Seattle June 12-14.

Keep reading to find out what’s in store this year. Then register; fewer than 200 spots are left!

New trends, new opportunities and new challenges

Change is constant in search marketing. Opportunities emerge faster than they can be absorbed: new targeting capabilities, new mobile-first indexes, the explosion of voice search. Even veteran marketers are perpetually catching up with what is possible.

SMX Advanced delivers expert-level tactics you’ll put to work immediately to harness the opportunities and cope with the challenges. It’s your survival guide to the dynamic and tumultuous world of search marketing.

Advanced SEO for fun & profit

We’ll kick off the SEO track by unveiling of The Periodic Table Of SEO Ranking Factors: 2017 Edition, our comprehensive examination of search ranking factors that are influencing results. Our panel of organic search experts will weigh in on what’s on the rise, what’s on the decline, what still works and what doesn’t. They will parse the data for you and focus on the key elements that deliver maximum SEO success.

After digesting the big picture, AMP For Advanced SEOs takes you deep inside accelerated mobile pages: implementation techniques, display issues, measurement capabilities and more.

The buzz this year is that Google is now using a mobile-first index based on how mobile devices crawl the web. If you’ve optimized your site, this shouldn’t impact your traffic, but there are steps you can take to capitalize fully on the opportunity presented by this radical new approach to indexing content.

In Mobile-First For The Advanced SEO, our panelists will discuss techniques for performing an audit in a mobile-first world to ensure that content, links, metadata and structured data are compliant, regardless of how your site is accessed by users. We’ll also discuss tactics and techniques to improve the mobile user experience and potentially boost your rankings.

These days, Google rarely confirms algorithm updates. In fact, the Panda algorithm runs continuously and evolves. Likewise, the Penguin algorithm runs in real time, and it’s common to see ranking and traffic changes on a daily or weekly basis.

Without guidance or transparency from Google, how should SEOs react to ranking changes or possible penalties? How can you manage your bosses’ or clients’ expectations? Dealing With Algorithm Updates: What Advanced SEOs Need To Know explores essential tactics to help you survive and thrive.

Want more advanced SEO content? Feast on these sessions during SMX Advanced:

• Local Search Braintrust: Open Q&A on Local SEO
• How Progressive Web Apps May Kill App Indexing
• Ask The SEOs

SEM for pros

Google and Bing continue to launch new paid search capabilities with new extensions, retargeting options and more. The lines are blurring between “simple” text-based paid search and other forms of online advertising such as display, video, social and emerging formats. Because the world of SEM is always changing, we’re always adjusting the agenda and working with our speakers to including breaking news and insights. For example, you’ll hear about recent changes in AdWords that may be impacting your performance, including a shift in Ad Rank thresholds and the introduction of historical Quality Score data.

The SEM track kicks off with the now-infamous Mad Scientists Of Paid Search. While most of us spend our days toiling away in the deepest details of paid search campaigns, the Mad Scientists are running experiments, testing regression models and analyzing larger trends to unlock the fundamental secrets of paid search auctions, attribution, economics and search behaviors. Grab your safety goggles and bunsen burners and hear what’s happening in the lab.

With all of the new options available to advertisers, you need new approaches to gain maximum return from your campaigns. Forget about better than average click and conversion rates. The only things standing between you and breakthrough campaign success are your ads. Our experts in Conversion Optimization: Turning Quick Wins Into Winning Streaks will show you how they write great ads, how they test quickly and effectively, and will give you insights into the proven processes they use to maintain high performance day-after-day and month-after-month.

Audience targeting allows you to be precise in choosing who sees your ads and the bids for each group. Enhance your toolbox with targeting options such as demographics, similar lists, in-market audiences and CRM data. Create custom combinations and fine-tune the displays for your audiences, or even exclude audience groups.

In Taking Audience Targeting To The Next Level, you’ll learn to use advanced audience targeting to identify prospects and customers and ultimately maximize the ROI of your campaigns.

Additional paid search sessions include:

• Paid Search & Social: Twin Children Of Different Mothers
• Protecting Your Brand In The Era Of Fake News
• The Neverending Quest For Better Paid Search Campaigns
• A Year of Change In The Online Ad Universe
• SEM Analytics: Giving Your Educated Guesses An Advanced Degree
• Ask The SEMs

Unique keynotes for SEOs and SEMs

For SEOs, Advanced kicks off with our keynote conversation AMA With Google Search. Search Engine Land founding editor Danny Sullivan will talk with Google’s Gary Illyes in an open, freewheeling and entertaining discussion about the most burning topics in SEO today. Your participation is essential to this PowerPoint-free discussion.

At the same time, SEMs can join Search Engine Land’s paid search maven Ginny Marvin, who will be hosting keynote conversations with Jerry Dischler, Vice President, Product Management, AdWords, Google, and Steve Sirich General Manager, Global Search Ads Business, Microsoft.

Here’s who speaking

Advanced offers keynote-level, solo presentations focusing on forward-looking themes and trends wrapped in actionable takeaways you can use immediately. Speakers are selected for their thought-leadership, unique perspective and insights into digital marketing.

You’ll hear from:

Strengthen your search marketing skills with a workshop

Looking for even more training in a smaller group setting on particular topics? Come a day early, and choose from one of our six all day in-depth workshops and training workshops:

• Bruce Clay Advanced SEO Training
• Certified Knowledge Advanced AdWords Training
• Content Marketing Mastery
• Mastering Google Analytics
• Mastering Social Media Advertising
• Search-Engine Friendly Mobile Design & Development

You’ll save $400 off on-site rates by registering for an All Access + Workshop combo pass.

Quality programming

I’ve covered most of the show, which has over 35 editorial sessions in all. All the SMX sessions I’ve described above are what we call editorial sessions. People are speaking on them because we feel they have great information to offer. No one bought their way onto a panel.

Each session is developed by a “session coordinator” who reviews speaking pitches and reaches out to knowledgeable people to assemble a panel. The session coordinator works with the speakers to create a session where presentations support each other, rather than overlap. In most cases, the session coordinator is also the session moderator.

Formats also vary. Sometimes we have panels with multiple people. Sometimes we have only one or two speakers. Some panels are all Q&A. Some feature presentations. We don’t lock ourselves into one particular format, because different topics require different approaches. Instead, we focus on creating a great overall experience.

The entire editorial portion of the show is overseen by myself and my co-chair Danny Sullivan. We’ve been organizing search conferences longer than anyone in the industry – more than 18 years and counting!

Expo hall & solutions track

Our many SMX Advanced sponsors & exhibitors also have great information to share. That’s why we provide several ways for attendees to hear from them.

As part of the SMX agenda, you’ll also have access to our Solutions Track. Unlike our editorial sessions, these are created and produced by sponsoring companies. These sessions offer you an opportunity to learn even more from the vendors you already work with or who you are considering. We work closely with each solution provider to make sure that plenty of great information is offered.

Outside the Solutions Track, you’ll have opportunities to meet these vendors and others at the Expo Hall. For two days, you’ll get industry-leading demos and solutions from exhibitors and sponsors to make you a better search marketer.

Special thanks to our Premier Sponsors Bing and Google, our Gold Sponsors Bruce Clay, Inc. and Stone Temple Consulting.

Expand your professional network

SMX Advanced brings together the most accomplished search marketers in the world, and we provide plenty of organized and social networking activities for you to connect with your peers.

Even before you arrive, you’ll have access to our official event app and a private Facebook group that will let you connect, network and plan your show. We kick off with the SMX Meet & Greet reception, sponsored by Bruce Clay, Inc., Brightedge and Majestic. This informal reception takes place outside, on the top of the Bell Harbor building and offers incredible views and plenty of engaging conversations with your fellow attendees and speakers.

The Meet & Greet reception is followed by the popular Janes Of Digital evening panel and group discussion event, covering topics in equity, diversity and inclusion. Join us for small bites, drinks, connecting and engaging discussion between industry leaders and the audience. Sponsored by Bing and SMX, Janes of Digital takes place just blocks away from the Bell Harbor at the Olympic Sculpture Park on the Seattle waterfront.

Next up is the SMX Expo Hall Reception, which is on Tuesday, June 13 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. The reception offers another chance to mingle and check out best-of-breed marketing solutions from our exhibitors and sponsors.

If you prefer some structure during lunch, we offer “Obsessed with…” lunch tables, where attendees can network with each other and discuss specific topics. Being grouped with people who share a common interest is a great icebreaker. Table topics are published several weeks prior to the show.

You won’t want to miss SMX After Dark at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop) on June 13th. There’ll be music, drinks, munchies, and plenty of time to explore the gallery exhibits. You’ll have access to the “South Galleries” which includes the Science Fiction, Mystery and Horror exhibits.

Finally, don’t miss wrapping up your SMX Advanced experience by attending the Closing Night Bash on June 14th, including billiards, bowling and more networking, sponsored by Moz.

All the networking info options can be found our networking page.

Stay productive, fed and cool at SMX Advanced

I love a good meal and I’m sure you do too. Don’t expect a soggy sandwich or boxed lunches at SMX Advanced. Instead, you’ll be well fed, both breakfast and lunch are provided as part of your All Access pass. You’ll also get refreshments and snacks throughout the day.

We’ll also keep you connected, providing free WiFi in cool, air controlled conference rooms.

Join us in Seattle!

If you found this preview useful and are ready to attend, register today and pay only $1,995 for an All Access Pass. You can register online or by phone at (877) 242-5242 between 9am-5pm ET Monday thru Friday. Do it before June 12 to save $300 off on-site rates.

P.S. Don’t miss your only opportunity to attend SMX Advanced this year! 76% of tickets are sold. Once they’re gone, they’re gone! Register today.

About The Author

Chris Sherman

Chris Sherman (@CJSherman) is a Founding Editor of Marketing Land. He also programs and co-chairs the Search Marketing Expo – SMX and Marketing Land SocialPro conferences.