SMX Local-Mobile was last Thurs and Friday and most of what I’ve heard has been positive. I’m also very open to constructive feedback (except about my appearance). Anyway, David Mihm had a terrific presentation on SEO ranking factors for local. He and Mike Blumenthal have also more or less “cracked the code” on local ranking and the definitive considerations and their relative weight. If you want any insight into this I suggest contacting Mike via his blog.
Here’s David’s discussion of the event and his “takeaways”:
So I’ve just returned from SMX Local in San Francisco and my head is still spinning. Chris Sherman, Greg Sterling, and the rest of the Third Door Media team did an amazing job with this conference, and if you are at all inclined towards Local Search, I’d highly recommend attending next year.
Pros:
- Amazing collection of talent recruited to speak
- Probably “got more” out of this conference than any other, in terms of actionable tips
- Incredibly tight networking due to small size (you could have met almost ANYONE you wanted in Local Search)Cons:
- Venue too expensive for many small business owners to attend
- Some sessions mis-titled
- Would have been nice to have a pre-conference networking event Wednesday night, a la SMX Seattle
July 30, 2008 at 11:23 pm |
Hey Greg,
I couldn’t agree more with David on the pros. I got more actionable information from this conference than any in recent memory.
Thanks again for involving me!
Will
July 31, 2008 at 2:24 am |
Greg,
I still think Will Scott was the best dressed at the conference.
Steve
July 31, 2008 at 2:34 am |
Steve,
I promised Greg no more profanity on his blog but you’re pushing it buddy.
Will
July 31, 2008 at 11:13 am |
That’s great Will. And thanks for the Jeopardy theme whistling. Very impressive.
July 31, 2008 at 12:43 pm |
Greg, thank you! I try to make the most of my few talents
July 31, 2008 at 1:23 pm |
Agreed, Will Scott is a superb whistler, very funny, and has a voice that could be on radio. He and I had some good laughs at Marty, who is always hilarious.
And Greg ran a great session for the panel I was on… I had a great time. David Mihm and Mike Blumenthal’s info was killer- I so respect when we all get nerdy and dive into research projects and come up with useful intelligence.
July 31, 2008 at 8:01 pm |
Geez. Don’t say that anyone “cracked the code”. That is the day Google starts changing the algos.
I’ve only heard great stuff about the conference. Congrats. Wish I had been there.
August 1, 2008 at 5:22 am |
OK. I won’t say it. I think that Mike had gained some genuine insight into the factors Google is using to rank local business listings.