Return from Pubcon

By Beacon News | Published December 16, 2009 | Categories: Web Development

Pubcon is the Las Vegas conference that deals with Web Marketing, Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Web Tools, and every intersection of the aforementioned.  For three days, we spent 8 hours going from session to session to get advice and interact with some of the biggest names in the industry (Matt Cutts, the exalted one himself from Google, was in attendance).

So what did I learn in my time in Vegas? Good question. Contrary to what may be popular belief, it had nothing to do with a roulette wheel, the sports book (although I am kicking myself for not laying down $50 on the Spurs over the Mavericks), or how to spot a lady of the evening along the Strip. No, my new knowledge is more boring, but applicable to the job that I do. First, I learned that Beacon is well ahead of the curve on many industry practices. With only six months here, I expected to get a bit overwhelmed with new knowledge and competitors' insights. Instead, I saw that many presenters were reinforcing practices that we already do (i.e. extensive keyword analysis) and many of our competitors were asking questions that I could have answered with ease.

On the new information front, I did get exposure to some programs, such as Majestic, that I have not been using that I am itching to try moving forward.  In addition, while they may not be practices directly suggested by the speakers, I was able to step away from some of my standard techniques and look at how I can introduce some new items with my current clients.  Sometimes, one can get so wrapped up in SEO that he forgets that it is a means to an end, not the end itself. I have some great ideas that will be very applicable for some of the companies I work with heading into the winter season.

Overall, it was a very worthwhile trip.  I am looking forward to going back next year.  Next time, I will remember to bet on the Spurs.

(logo courtesy of pubcon)

- EW