SMX Advanced 2013 Live Blog Recap

Search Marketing Expo Advanced: A Deep Dive into 2013's Most Impactful Conference

The Search Marketing Expo Advanced conference returned to Seattle's Bell Harbor International Conference Center on June 11-12, 2013, bringing together the industry's brightest minds for two intensive days of cutting-edge insights. This comprehensive recap captures the most significant developments that shaped search marketing strategies for years to come.

From Google's Matt Cutts addressing the audience in his famous "You & A" session to groundbreaking discussions on Enhanced Campaigns and Google Authorship, SMX Advanced 2013 delivered actionable intelligence for marketers looking to stay ahead of the curve. The sessions covered everything from advanced PPC optimization techniques to emerging content marketing strategies that would define the industry's trajectory.

The conference featured over 100 industry experts across 9 intensive tracks, providing attendees with unprecedented access to the thought leaders driving innovation in search marketing. Whether you were focused on organic search optimization, paid advertising, or the intersection of both disciplines, SMX Advanced delivered insights that could be immediately applied to improve campaign performance.

Understanding how to develop and advance your content marketing program was a key theme throughout many sessions, as presenters emphasized the importance of systematic approaches to content strategy and execution.

The Mad Scientists of Paid Search: Actionable Analysis Patterns

Chris Haleua from Adobe opened his session with a unique approach, using physics principles and the Rubik's Cube to illustrate how structured analysis can unlock better campaign performance. His presentation demonstrated how breaking down data into systematic segments allows marketers to focus optimization efforts where they matter most.

The 3x3 Analysis framework he introduced provided attendees with a repeatable methodology for identifying high-impact opportunities within complex accounts. This systematic approach resonated with practitioners struggling to make sense of increasingly complex campaign structures. The framework emphasized viewing campaigns through multiple lenses simultaneously, much like solving a Rubik's Cube requires considering how each turn affects all six faces.

The Power of Segmentation

The core insight from the Mad Scientists session centered on the power of segmentation. Rather than treating campaigns as monolithic entities, speakers demonstrated how granular analysis across dimensions like device, location, time of day, and audience could reveal hidden performance patterns. Adobe's team showed real-world examples where seemingly underperforming campaigns contained profitable segments that were being masked by aggregate metrics. This led to discussions about the importance of custom attribution models that could properly credit these micro-segments within the conversion path.

Performing competitive content marketing analysis follows similar principles--breaking down complex competitive landscapes into actionable segments that reveal strategic opportunities.

Actionable SEM Analysis Patterns

Presenters shared templates and frameworks that attendees could immediately apply to their own accounts:

• Cost-per-acquisition layering techniques for identifying profitable micro-segments
• Quality score diagnostic trees for systematic troubleshooting
• Competitive landscape mapping for strategic positioning
• Custom bid adjustment formulas based on segment performance

These patterns included cost-per-acquisition layering techniques, quality score diagnostic trees, and competitive landscape mapping. The emphasis was on creating repeatable processes that could scale across multiple accounts while maintaining the nuance required for advanced PPC optimization. Attendees left with actionable templates they could implement immediately in their own accounts.

Enhanced Campaigns: The Truth About Manipulation

One of the most anticipated sessions addressed the burning question on every advertiser's mind: can Enhanced Campaigns be manipulated to show ads only on mobile devices or other specific device types? Both Jeff Allen from Hanapin and Brad Geddes from Certified Knowledge conducted live experiments attempting to trick the system.

The results were conclusive--Enhanced Campaigns cannot be easily tricked into serving only on specific device types. This finding had significant implications for advertisers who had been hoping to maintain granular device-level control. The live demonstrations eliminated any remaining speculation about whether workarounds existed.

Can Enhanced Campaigns Be Tricked?

The experiments conducted during the session tested multiple approaches that advertisers had been discussing in forums and communities. None of the manipulation attempts succeeded in isolating device traffic as the system was designed to serve ads based on cross-device signals rather than simple device targeting. This meant advertisers needed to adapt their strategies rather than fight the platform.

Adapting Your Mobile Strategy

The inability to isolate mobile traffic forced marketers to rethink their approach to device targeting:

• Accept Enhanced Campaigns' constraints and work within them
• Set bid adjustments at the campaign level for nuanced control
• Create landing experiences that work seamlessly across devices
• Focus on mobile-friendly user experiences rather than traffic isolation

The consensus was that advertisers should focus on leveraging the features Enhanced Campaigns did offer rather than fighting against the system. This included the ability to set bid adjustments at the campaign level, which provided a more nuanced approach than complete isolation. Success with Enhanced Campaigns required acceptance of the platform's constraints and creative optimization within those boundaries. Our PPC management services team helps advertisers navigate these platform constraints effectively.

Matt Cutts "You & A" Keynote: Google Insights

The "You & A" session with Matt Cutts, head of Google's web spam team, has become a SMX Advanced tradition. Danny Sullivan, founding editor of Search Engine Land, moderated the session, guiding attendees through questions about Google's algorithm updates, link building practices, and the future of search. Cutts addressed rumors about upcoming Panda and Penguin updates, joking with the audience about the animal-themed naming convention.

Algorithm Update Guidance

Cutts provided clarification on how the Panda and Penguin updates continued to evolve, explaining that Google was moving toward more frequent, incremental improvements rather than dramatic algorithm changes. He addressed concerns about false positives in manual actions and discussed the reconsideration request process. This guidance helped attendees understand how Google evaluates websites and what factors trigger algorithmic penalties.

Link Building and Web Spam Policies

The Q&A format allowed attendees to ask specific questions about link building tactics:

• Editorial links earned through valuable content remain the gold standard
• Guest posting for SEO purposes walks a fine line--quality matters
• Disavow files should be used strategically, not as a first resort
• Natural link profiles include diversity in anchor text and linking domains

Cutts distinguished between links earned through editorial intent and those designed purely to manipulate rankings, helping marketers understand how to pursue link building strategies that aligned with Google's guidelines. Our SEO services team applies these principles to build sustainable organic visibility that withstands algorithm updates.

Building epic content marketing that naturally attracts editorial links was a recurring theme in discussions about sustainable link building strategies.

Google Authorship: Building Author Authority

Google Authorship emerged as a major topic at SMX Advanced 2013, with dedicated sessions exploring implementation strategies and the benefits of author authority in search results. Bruce Clay's deep dive session explored the technical implementation of Authorship markup and the strategic implications of establishing author identity across content.

Technical Implementation

Presenters walked through the exact markup requirements for implementing Authorship correctly:

• Adding proper schema.org Person markup
• Linking content to Google+ profiles using rel="author" tags
• Ensuring consistent information across all digital properties
• Verifying authorship across multiple platforms

The technical session provided code examples and troubleshooting guidance for attendees struggling with implementation. The markup included rel="author" and rel="me" attributes, Google+ integration requirements, and best practices for verifying authorship across multiple platforms.

Strategic Benefits

Beyond technical implementation, speakers explored the strategic value of author authority:

• Enhanced search visibility with author photos in results
• Improved click-through rates through enhanced SERP appearance
• Brand building through thought leadership attribution
• Trust signals that differentiate content in crowded niches

Research suggested that content with verified authorship performed differently in search results, potentially receiving higher click-through rates due to the inclusion of author photos. This emphasis on author identity foreshadowed the importance of content strategy and thought leadership that would become even more critical in subsequent years. Implementing author authority required both technical precision and strategic content planning.

Following strategic editorial calendar best practices helps ensure consistent author attribution across all published content.

Product Listing Ads: Advanced Optimization

The PLA (Product Listing Ads) session went beyond basic implementation to explore advanced optimization strategies. Micah Heath from TQE Marketing shared in-depth techniques for creating, managing, and optimizing PLA campaigns that went far beyond surface-level guidance.

Feed Optimization Techniques

Product feed quality formed the foundation of PLA success:

• Title optimization with high-value keywords and product attributes
• Description refinement for clarity and search relevance
• Image quality standards for visual appeal and compliance
• Inventory synchronization for accurate availability signals

Presenters emphasized that small feed improvements could yield significant performance gains in PLA campaigns. The session highlighted how product titles and descriptions needed to balance keyword inclusion with readability to maximize both search relevance and click-through rates.

Advanced Bidding Strategies

Advanced bidding strategies for PLAs included:

• Dayparting analysis for optimal budget allocation
• Product-level bidding automation for granular control
• Competitive bid positioning for market share goals
• Seasonal planning aligned with shopping patterns

Speakers shared case studies demonstrating how sophisticated bidding approaches had improved ROAS for e-commerce advertisers. These techniques remain relevant for modern e-commerce PPC campaigns and demonstrate the importance of ongoing optimization and testing.

Remarketing Beyond the Basics

The remarketing session explored new remarketing types that had recently become available, including Dynamic Remarketing, Search Companion Remarketing, and Similar Users Remarketing. Susan Waldes from PPC Associates presented case studies highlighting performance improvements from these new remarketing formats.

Dynamic Remarketing Implementation

Dynamic remarketing, which shows users specific products they previously viewed, received particular attention:

• Personalized ad experiences showing viewed products
• Integration with product feed data for dynamic creative
• Performance benchmarks from successful campaigns
• Creative best practices for different audience segments

Speakers shared implementation requirements, creative best practices, and performance benchmarks from successful campaigns. The session included guidance on integrating dynamic remarketing with product feed data and creating personalized ad experiences at scale.

Cross-Platform Remarketing

Beyond Google, the session explored remarketing opportunities across Bing Ads and other platforms. Bryant Garvin from Get Found First presented strategies for creating unified remarketing experiences across multiple networks while respecting user privacy and platform differences. This cross-platform approach allowed advertisers to maintain visibility with prospects throughout the customer journey. Effective remarketing requires understanding the full customer journey and implementing touchpoints at each stage.

Extreme Excel Excellence and Automation

The Excel session proved one of the most practically valuable, with Annie Cushing from AnnieLytics.com demonstrating techniques to "Make Your Data Sexy." Her presentation focused on visualization and reporting techniques that helped clients understand complex data stories. Brett Snyder from Nebo provided highly technical Excel formulas and templates for building custom bidding tools directly within spreadsheets.

Data Visualization and Reporting

The visualization portion of the session emphasized how making data visually compelling could improve client understanding and decision-making:

• Conditional formatting for performance highlighting
• Sparkline trends within cells for quick analysis
• Dashboard-style summary views for executive reporting
• Templates for immediate application to reporting processes

Techniques included conditional formatting for performance highlighting, sparkline trends within cells, and dashboard-style summary views. Attendees received templates they could immediately apply to their own reporting processes.

Excel-Based Tool Building

Brett Snyder's technical presentation walked through the formula construction for custom bidding tools:

• Custom bidding logic without external software
• Automated bid adjustments based on performance thresholds
• Sophisticated calculations supporting strategic decisions
• Scalable templates applicable across multiple accounts

These tools allowed advertisers to automate bid adjustments based on performance thresholds without requiring external software. The session demonstrated how Excel's calculation capabilities could support sophisticated bidding logic when combined with structured data imports.

GeoFlow and Geographic Analysis

John Gagnon from Microsoft demonstrated GeoFlow, an Excel 2013 plugin that visualized data geographically. This tool proved exceptionally valuable for PPC and SEO data analysis, allowing marketers to identify geographic performance patterns that might otherwise remain hidden in tabular data. The demonstration showed how geographic heat mapping could inform location targeting and budget allocation decisions--principles that continue to inform our local SEO services today.

The Future of Search: Microsoft's Vision

Gurdeep Singh Pall, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft's Information Platform and Experience Team, presented Microsoft's vision for the future of search. His keynote explored how users would interact with search engines in more natural, conversational ways--similar to speaking with a personal assistant.

Conversational Search and Natural Language

The presentation highlighted the growing importance of natural language in search queries:

• Voice search adoption driving conversational query patterns
• Semantic markup helping search engines understand context
• Intent-based targeting replacing keyword exact matching
• Multi-channel journey mapping for attribution

As devices became capable of understanding conversational requests, the traditional keyword-based approach to content optimization would need to evolve. Speakers discussed how structured data and semantic markup could help search engines better understand content context and intent--a principle that has become central to modern SEO strategy.

Multi-Device Search Behavior

Microsoft's research showed search behavior fragmenting across multiple devices and contexts:

• Cross-device journeys beginning on mobile, continuing on tablet, converting on desktop
• Attribution challenges requiring new measurement approaches
• Context-aware experiences across touchpoints
• Platform-specific strategies for each device type

Users might begin a search on their phone, continue on their tablet, and complete a conversion on their desktop. This multi-device journey required marketers to think differently about attribution and cross-device tracking. The implications of this research continue to shape how we approach digital strategy and cross-channel marketing today.

Sources

1. Search Engine Land - SMX Advanced 2013 Live Blog Recap - Comprehensive live blog coverage from the official SMX media outlet with session-by-session breakdowns
2. Bruce Clay - SMX Advanced 2013 Recap: 32 Takeaways - 32 quick-read takeaways from 9 sessions covering PPC, linking, content, Schema, and Authorship
3. Vancouver PPC - SMX Advanced 2013 Conference Recap - First-hand attendee experience with detailed session descriptions and key learnings
4. Ranking Generals - SMX Advanced 2013 Recap - Modern recap covering Matt Cutts keynote, Google Authorship, and mobile SEO trends

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