Dixon Jones
  Marketing Director
  Majestic

Dixon Jones, Marketing Director for Majestic, spoke about the research his brand has been doing into the role of backlinks and their impact on site success. They found that when brands were grouped by industry and they focused on trust flow, there was a high correlation with performance.

 
   Mark Munroe
   Founder and CEO
   SEORadar

Mark Munroe is the Founder and CEO of SEORadar. He reminded us that sometimes it can feel as though you have too many cooks in the kitchen when you are trying to design a website. Munroe also spoke about how easily things can go wrong with websites, but that sometimes it can be hard to understand what exactly changed. He recommends implementing monitoring processes and having deep visibility into the website.

  Chad Hallert
  Director of Digital Strategy
  Noble Studios

Chad Hallert is the Director of Digital Strategy at Noble Studios. He explained to the room the importance of genuinely integrating your teams. Integration requires actual change in your output, not just adding numbers together in a document. When paid search and SEO work together, for example, they can achieve great results. The data we get from the various silos and departments in our organization can all benefit others. Looking at the micro-moments in the consumer journey can also help brands identify opportunities for integration by understanding the types of content most likely to benefit customers.

  Jeff Selig
  VP Earned Media & Analytics
  Overdrive Interactive
 

During this session we heard from Jeff Selig, the VP Earned Media & Analytics of Overdrive, and Brian Moore, the Director for Client Services at BrightEdge. They spoke about some of the metrics that executives want to see and how to make the value of SEO clear to those on the board or in the C-suite.

  Steve Krull
  CFO
  Be Found Online

Steve Krull, the CEO and founder of Be Found Online, described how "sustainable content marketing" can be used to understand content promotion. "Solar" refers to shining light on existing content. "Wind" means creating momentum, and "water" describes pulling customers through the funnel.

 
  Dan Toplitt
  Associate Director, SEO
  Resolution Media

Dan Toplitt, the Associate Director of SEO at Resolution Media, delved into cross-channel content and uncovering the metrics that matter. He described four key components of a holistic content marketing program: insights, content, distribution, and measurement.

 
  Chris Attewell
  SVP Americas, Search Laboratory
  Search Laboratory

Chris Attewell, the SVP Americas at Search Laboratory, described the results that can be achieved when SEO and PR are brought together. When brands correctly factor PR into the rest of the marketing discipline, they can produce great results in key areas such as awareness, engagement, and market share. Attewell believes that brands should not let themselves get lost in flashy campaigns and lose sight of methods that have been shown to work, including link building.

 
 
 
   Paul Williams
   VP Director
   Performics

Paul Williams, the VP Director at Performics, explored the importance of understanding intent in the cross-channel experience. He believes that intent is the single largest performance marketing variable, which shapes queries and dictates purchase paths. He also spoke about the shift away from direct response campaigns– like with television ads expecting people to call, to indirect response– when customers respond by adjusting their online searches.

   Adam Audette
   SVP of SEO
   Merkle
 

Adam Audette, the SVP of SEO at Merkle, spoke about the “digital mind” and hacks to grow your career. In his 8 step career algorithm, he explored the importance of actually ‘doing,’ following great leads, and not being afraid to make mistakes or ask for help.

  Mel Carson
  US Brand Ambassador
  Majestic Delightful Communications
 

Mel Carson, the US Brand Ambassador for Majestic and the founder of Delightful Communications, discussed the importance of building a personal brand. By doing so, professionals can make themselves more discoverable, shareable, and memorable. This involves thinking about how you fit in your team, how to project your expertise and skills, and making the right connections.