In just a few days, Irma and I will be heading to San Jose for this years Search Engine Strategies conference. It is the last conference that Danny Sullivan will be chairing. Actually he is co-chairing with Chris Sherman. I am fortunate enough to be presenting for the first time in a session entitled "So You Want To be a Search Marketer?" which is scheduled for Wednesday, August 22nd at 1:30pm. Thanks, Chris! While I have sat in sessions as a Q&A participant twice and held a site clinic one other time, I have never done a formal presentation at an SES. I am excited and a bit nervous at the same time.

I will also be live blogging for a total of five sessions for Search Engine Roundtable. This is where we take notes and post them to the SE Roundtable blog almost immediately after the session ends. It provides an opportunity for those who cannot attend the conference or simply could not make that session to see what is being presented and spoken in each session. Taking notes like that also provides opportunities to turn them into articles for later posting which if I do not do for SearchDay, will most likely do for this blog.

Here is a list of sessions I'll be covering:

Monday, August 20, 2007

"Search Term Research and Targeting" - 11:00am-12:30pm
"Benchmarking An SEM Campaign" - 2:00pm-3:30pm

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

"Web Analytics and Measuring Success" - 10:30am-12:00pm
"Fun with Dynamic Web Sites" - 3:15pm - 4:30pm

Thursday, August 23, 2007

"Meet the Crawlers" - 10:45am-12:00pm

While I have not made up my mind as to what sessions I might attend to see, listen and learn, I do know I will catch the "Keynote Conversation With Jim Lanzone, Ask.com" on Tuesday from 9:00am-9:45am as well as the second "Keynote Conversation With Marissa Mayer, Google" on Wednesday from 9:00am-9:45am.

As for fun activities that go along with the conference, Irma will be attending the "Women's Luncheon at SES San Jose!" on Monday, both of us will attend a private luncheon for Search Engine Guide bloggers/moderators on Tuesday where we get to meet the elusive Robert Clough for the very first time (it is Robert's first industry conference), the Google Dance that is held every year and the WebmasterRadio.FM SearchBash on Wednesday. I wish I could get on the VIP list to attend the Vintage Tub & Bath private dinner party Alan Dick throws every year. Can anyone help me out on that one? Other than that you can probably find me and my lovely wife, Irma at one of the hotel bars or at Original Joe's munching on some tasty Italian food.

After the conference is over, we head up to Napa for a couple days to enjoy wine country and then back down into San Francisco for two more. We typically go to Sonoma County and the Russian River area in particular so it will be nice to enjoy the Napa region for the first time.

Blogging may be light next week, however I will probably post a summary of each session I cover and will also make my a best attempt to post all the pictures we take to our Flickr account (if I can get Irma to do it). The week after we return, I will then put together a recap of the entire trip. I may also try to bring back some of the nice weather the Bay Area has to offer as it is typically 110 degrees here in Phoenix during the summer.


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