Live: Keynote – What's Next In Search: The Bigwig Crystal Ball Panel

Below is live coverage of the Keynote – What's Next In Search: The Bigwig Crystal Ball Panel from the SMX East 2009 conference.

This coverage is provided by Barry Schwartz of RustyBrick.

We are using a live blogging tool to provide the real time coverage, please excuse any typos. You can also interact with us and while we are live blogging, so feel free to ask us questions as we blog. We will publish the archive below after the session is completed.

Keynote – What's Next In Search: The Bigwig Crystal Ball Panel

(10/06/2009)

9:02	Barry Schwartz: Chris Sherman comes up on the stage as Steve Jobs

9:04

Barry Schwartz: Moderator: Chris Sherman, Executive Editor, Search Engine Land

Speakers:

Greg Boser, President and CEO, 3 Dog Media
Andrew Goodman, Founder and Principal, Page Zero Media
Sara Holoubek, Consultant, Columnist and SEMPO Board of Directors,
Jack Menzel, Group Product Manager, Google
Kristine Segrist, Search Managing Director of MEC Interaction, GroupM Search
Julie Sun, Director, Digital Marketing, MTV

9:04	Barry Schwartz: Is the economy turning around...

9:05	Barry Schwartz: Kristine said we are still feeling it but there is a turn happening...

9:05	Barry Schwartz: Julie said in digitial, we are able to retain the budget, but it is still bad out there.

9:06	Barry Schwartz: Sara said companies are more careful with how they spend money. So they are spending more wisely.

9:06

Barry Schwartz: Greg, from an agency standpoint, it has been an interesting time. closing deals takes a lot longer and price has dropped. But closing deals takes a lot lot lot longer. But in the last tailend of 09, there has been a bit of a bounce back and 2010 should be better, but nothing like 08.

9:07	Barry Schwartz: Jack said search continues to grow, even now.

9:08	Barry Schwartz: Andrew said people are going to park money where they can measure it. In some verticals, like financials, travel, etc, are still low and wont bounce back that high.

9:08	Barry Schwartz: Andrew added, there will be a shift to paid search, so there is always growth, espesially in Canada, where he works.

9:08	Barry Schwartz: Chris asks, is there still "traditional media" anymore? What types of needs to larger brands have that are not being addressed now?

9:09	Barry Schwartz: Sara said, traditional media is not going away.

9:09	Is the recession turning around for your business? yes ( 100% ) no ( 0% )

9:10	Barry Schwartz: Kristine said 90% of budgets are still focused on traditional, but yes, all dollars are more accountable these days.

9:12	Barry Schwartz: Julie said tradiitonal is not going away, they tested this with Google. She said digital and traditional work incredibly well together.

9:12

smec: RT @ericritter: Great keynote at #smx about the future of search marketing. Is there a traditional to digital paradigm shift happening?

9:13	Barry Schwartz: Greg said he agrees, traditional wont go away. But traditional media will promote digital/online content... i.e. every other commercial says, "follow me on twitter".

9:13

exclusivetweet: MTV says for them, there is exponential growth when traditional & digital media work together rather than just digital alone. #smx

9:13

smec: digital marketing works better for mtv than traditional, more engagement.. #smx

9:14	Barry Schwartz: Chris, let's talk about social media... Twitter/Facebook is a concern for marketers... What is going to happen with social media?

9:15	Barry Schwartz: Kristen said there is a great level of integration with search and social media. We use search to follow what people are saying about our brands/products on social media. Search can be leveraged in this way...

9:16	Barry Schwartz: Andrew said "in a way I feel sorry for businesses" who struggle with online rep management. They need to become savvy in this area and there will be a shake up in this area.

9:16

jdavy: Is Twitter the 21st century version of cb radio? #smx

9:17	Barry Schwartz: Jack said from a search perspective, it is creating more information and more connections...

9:17	Barry Schwartz: Sara goes up 30,000 feet and say media has always been social, now we have new technology.

9:18	Barry Schwartz: Sara also added that search and social media are completely maliable... it is very hard for a CEO to figure out where this can fit in the company, cause it fits in so many places.

9:18

KimToomey: Media has always been social. People are just freaked out about the technology involved with social media today #smx

9:19	Barry Schwartz: Greg said he doesn't think Twitter is a one hit wonder.

9:19	Barry Schwartz: Greg siad the web is a place small companies with big ideas can change the landscape and Twitter helps that. It is "RSS and email marketing on steroids".

9:20

smec: twitter is rss or email marketing in steroids.. #smx

9:21	Barry Schwartz: Greg added he only does biz with companies that use Twitter, cause they are watching...

9:21

aimclear: Moderator: Chris Sherman, Executive Editor, Search Engine Land sets a damn nice #SMX keynote table.

9:22	Barry Schwartz: Chris brings up the legislation going on with online ads, targeting, privacy, etc...

9:23	Barry Schwartz: Andrew said, most people say things but they don't mean it. They find it creepy, but also find it useful and helpful.

9:23	Barry Schwartz: Andrew said these ads perform better than anything else. The bigger issue is a lack of targeting, lack of features.

9:25

Barry Schwartz: Kristen said the privacy issues are typically around display ads, not really around search. Google has been under massive scrutiny by legislation. How can we leverage search behavior, in areas such as offline or on TV. Most people would say people don't want to use their info, but people most often don't notice it anyway.

9:25	Barry Schwartz: Jack from Google said it is less controversal in search. It feels less creepy when you get exactly what you want for on a search. It is also about giving users control, which Google does.

9:26

staceymsmith: targeted ads are creepy #smx

9:27	Barry Schwartz: Greg then beats up on Google, about cookies, the local box it shows based on your ISP. The backlash for him is that he has to log in and tell google where he is, so that he doesn't get wrong local results.

9:27

miavallo: Personalization is less creepy when we give you what you ask for said Jack Menzel from Google #smx

9:27

reneelrobbins: Privacy issues: "Personalization seems less creepy when you give people what they ask for." #smx keynote

9:28	Barry Schwartz: Jack from Google said, to be fair, we are giving our best guess as possible. If you do not give the info, they guess. Google isn't always perfect.

9:29	Barry Schwartz: Greg said Google's approach is arrgoant and they know better than I do. They don't. In the past, when you wanted local results, you had to be in a location with the query. Now queries show local results, without the location entered in the query.

9:29

Nate_Griffin: Ohh, this is going to be good #smx Google defending personalization by signing in. #smx

9:30	Barry Schwartz: Jack fights back that they will give you a best guess. Google says they do show local results based on queries that often want local results. Greg said no, they show it for too generic broad queries.

9:30

marcobianchi: #smx Google don’t assume I want a local result!

9:30

jdavy: Enough with the Google bashing this is of no use to me or anyone for that matter #smx

9:31

rafiq: the google guy is being grilled on stage about local search #smx

9:32	Barry Schwartz: Sara said, isnt it interesting that search is most scrutinized from privacy, what about credit cards selling your info all the time?

9:32	Barry Schwartz: Sara said it is in the execution...

9:33	Barry Schwartz: Kristen said Google's targeting is not less or more in this space... Geo stuff is just not 100% perfect. Things will get better. Ultimately, tailored ads are better for the user.

9:34	Barry Schwartz: Who should enforce this Sara asked to Greg? Gov't?

9:35	Barry Schwartz: Greg said, he is opposed to gov't regulating anything.

9:35

eryckfromtogo: #smx why do so many hate on google. Privacy is an old issue. Tailored advertisement has to be tempted even if the user is not logged in

9:36

staceymsmith: "We should be aware of this trail of data we leave every time we push a button or make a purchase." #smx #smxeast

9:36

LisaBarone: .@gregboser is kind of the rockstar of this morning’s keynote. Search people should be proud he’s on their team. #smx

9:37	Barry Schwartz: Chris breaks up this topic and moves on to... The emegence of Bing, is this good/bad for searchers/marketers?

9:37	Barry Schwartz: Greg said, he is appauled that why is the fed looking at the Yahoo/MSFT deal... He prefers three players but anything that puts a dent in Google's share is good.

9:38	Barry Schwartz: Kristen said it was fair they fed looked at the deal, but they said the deal makes sense and she is a fan of it. It is interesting to see how the deal with yahoo ad agents selling bing ads will impact SEM agencies.

9:38

staceymsmith: @gregboser, "anything that puts a dent in Google’s stranglehold of the web is a good thing." #smx

9:39	Barry Schwartz: Julie said as budgets get tighter, it is a good thing from a targeting and volume standpoint and it makes her job a bit easier.

9:39

exclusivetweet: The Yahoo! Bing merger is perceived as a healthy, slow transition #smx

9:40	Barry Schwartz: Andrew asked audience if anyone will miss the pananma system? No one raised their hand and people laughed...

9:41	Are you a fan of the Bing/Yahoo deal as an SEM/SEO? Yes ( 50% ) No ( 25% ) Don't Care ( 25% )

9:41	Barry Schwartz: Andrew said, we are looking for a new company to come in.

9:42	Barry Schwartz: Sara said, ten years ago, everyne wanted someone to put a dent in Microsoft, now it is Google people are after. Sara expects someone from left feild to come out and make a difference.

9:43	Barry Schwartz: Jack said "search is far from solved" and from a compeition standpoint... he stopped there, didn't add more.

9:43	Barry Schwartz: people laughed...

9:43	Barry Schwartz: Greg bashes on Google again about their hold on the internet... he then mentions Google Book Search is a major scam, scanning all books and he hopes that deal does not come through.