Introduction to SMX Advanced 2013
Search Marketing Expo Advanced 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 smx advanced 2013 recap captures the most significant developments that shaped search marketing strategies for years to come.
The conference arrived during a pivotal moment in digital marketing history. Google had recently launched Enhanced Campaigns, fundamentally changing paid search management. Authorship markup was emerging as a potential ranking factor. Mobile search was exploding faster than anyone anticipated. Against this backdrop, hundreds of search marketers gathered to decode the future of their industry.
Industry veterans and newcomers alike packed sessions covering everything from technical SEO challenges to paid social strategies. The energy was palpable as attendees networked, exchanged ideas, and absorbed knowledge from speakers who represented both search engines and leading agencies. The two-day event concluded with a workshop day offering hands-on learning opportunities.
The Matt Cutts Keynote: Transparency and Insights
The highlight of any SMX conference involves Google’s Matt Cutts taking the stage, and 2013 proved no exception. Distinguished engineer and head of Google’s web spam team, Cutts participated in a revealing question-and-answer session moderated by Search Engine Land’s Danny Sullivan. This candid conversation addressed burning questions about algorithm updates, penalties, and ranking factors.
Penguin Updates and Link Quality
Cutts emphasized that Google’s recent Penguin updates focused initially only on homepages, with subsequent iterations examining deeper site structures. He revealed that approximately 3.7 percent of documents Google crawls constitute spam, though percentages vary dramatically by country—reaching 12 percent in certain regions.
The discussion about manual penalties proved particularly enlightening. Cutts explained that Google now includes two or three example URLs in penalty notifications sent through Webmaster Tools, helping site owners identify problematic areas. He stressed that most manual actions automatically expire, with ranking potentially returning if the site has cleaned up its act.
Regarding link quality, Cutts made his position crystal clear: you want links that are hard to get. The days of easy, low-quality link building were ending. Google was moving toward a healthier web ecosystem where quality content naturally attracted authoritative links. Spamming was becoming harder and less profitable.
The Controversial “Not Provided” Issue
Sullivan pressed Cutts on the increasingly problematic “(not provided)” keyword data in Google Analytics. Cutts had previously stated this would affect less than 10 percent of traffic, but many sites were experiencing 50-80 percent of their keywords hidden behind this designation. Cutts acknowledged that circumstances had changed since his original statement.
He defended Google’s position by emphasizing that encryption benefits web security overall. While PPC advertisers still received keyword data, Cutts positioned himself as “just one guy” unable to single-handedly change organizational policy. His focus remained on pushing encryption forward across the web, even when this created analytics challenges for marketers.
Mobile Search: The Coming Revolution
Perhaps Cutts’ most prescient warning involved mobile optimization. He stated emphatically that mobile was exploding faster than anyone anticipated, predicting mobile traffic would surpass desktop within two to three years. He urged website owners to prioritize mobile optimization immediately rather than treating it as a future concern.
Cutts identified two critical mobile problems plaguing many sites. First, mobile users were being redirected to homepages regardless of which specific page they attempted to access—creating terrible user experiences. Second, mobile crawlers encountered infinite redirect loops between desktop and mobile versions, causing indexing problems and potential penalties.
He revealed that mobile website speed would soon become a ranking detractor. While fast sites wouldn’t necessarily rank better, slow mobile sites would lose rankings or face de-indexing entirely. This represented a clear directive: optimize mobile experiences immediately or face consequences.
Google Authorship: The Deep Dive
One of the most anticipated sessions focused entirely on Google Authorship, a program allowing content creators to establish verified connections between their Google+ profiles and published content anywhere on the web. The smx advanced 2013 recap wouldn’t be complete without examining this extensively discussed topic.
Authorship Benefits and Implementation
Speakers explained that proper Authorship implementation offered several compelling benefits. Content with verified authorship qualified for rich snippets displaying the author’s Google+ photo next to search results. Research presented at the conference showed these visual elements generated significantly higher click-through rates, particularly for results appearing below the top position.
One striking statistic revealed that despite these benefits, only 13 percent of top-ranking pages implemented Authorship markup. This low adoption rate represented massive opportunity for early adopters willing to properly configure their sites. The implementation process required linking content back to Google+ profiles through rel=author tags, creating verifiable connections.
Mitul Gandhi from seoClarity presented eye-opening data showing that in a sample of 300,000 keywords, Google+ posts appeared in search results 13,000 times. This finding demolished arguments that Google+ was irrelevant to search visibility. The message was clear: ignore Google+ at your own risk.
AuthorRank: The Mysterious Future
Panelists distinguished between Google Authorship (the technical implementation) and AuthorRank (the theoretical ranking boost). While Authorship represented the verified connection system, AuthorRank referred to authority scores potentially assigned to authors based on their body of work, engagement metrics, and other signals.
Kristi Hines shared a crucial insight during the Authorship Deep Dive: Google+ profiles, pages, and communities possess PageRank. Their PageRank corresponds both to engagement levels within Google+ and to backlink profiles from external websites. Using Authorship on authoritative sites builds the search rank power of author profiles over time.
Speakers emphasized that Authorship remained in its infancy. Google was still researching how Authorship signals affected search rankings. However, the consensus suggested building Authorship credentials now would position content creators advantageously as these ranking factors matured.
Enhanced Campaigns: PPC’s New Reality
Google had launched Enhanced Campaigns in February 2013, fundamentally restructuring how advertisers managed paid search. By June, enough time had passed for marketers to assess early results and identify significant challenges. This became a major theme throughout the smx advanced 2013 recap discussions.
The Enhanced Campaigns Transition
Brad Geddes from Certified Knowledge and Jeff Allen from Hanapin Marketing presented case studies examining clients they’d migrated to Enhanced Campaigns. Their findings proved sobering: most clients experienced higher cost per acquisition (CPA) along with structural headaches that complicated campaign management.
The Enhanced Campaigns model forced advertisers to manage desktop, tablet, and mobile traffic within unified campaigns rather than separate structures. Mobile bid adjustments occurred at campaign and ad group levels but not at keyword level, reducing granular control that many advertisers relied upon. This represented a massive shift affecting every search marketer’s workflow.
Despite negative sentiment from many speakers and attendees, everyone acknowledged Enhanced Campaigns were here to stay. Google’s decision was final, requiring marketers to adapt their strategies rather than resist change. The question became how to optimize within the new framework rather than whether to adopt it.
Product Listing Ads Transform E-Commerce
Another paid search revolution discussed extensively involved Product Listing Ads (PLAs). Google had recently transitioned Google Shopping to a fully paid model, eliminating free product listings entirely. Eight months into this change, data revealed dramatic shifts in e-commerce advertising.
George Michie from RKG presented a case study showing one major e-commerce client’s PLA traffic grew from 2 percent to 58 percent of total paid search traffic within just two years. Kate Cammilleri from REI reported PLA traffic and revenue both increasing over 450 percent year-over-year. These weren’t incremental improvements—they represented fundamental channel shifts.
The implications were profound. E-commerce advertisers had to master an entirely new advertising format where Google essentially decided which products appeared for searches, shifting control away from traditional keyword-based campaigns. Success required optimizing product feeds, titles, images, and pricing rather than just managing keyword bids.
Technical SEO: Complicated Issues That Sabotage Efforts
A standing-room-only session addressed complex technical problems that undermine even well-intentioned SEO efforts. Led by industry veterans, this discussion covered issues most marketers overlook until they cause serious problems. The smx advanced 2013 recap highlights several critical technical considerations.
Schema Markup and Rich Snippets
Speakers emphasized the growing importance of schema.org markup for generating rich snippets in search results. Research presented showed that implementing proper microdata for reviews, ratings, breadcrumbs, and other elements increased click-through rates by 20-30 percent in many cases.
Despite these dramatic improvements, adoption remained surprisingly low. Many sites failed to implement even basic structured data, leaving easy wins on the table. Speakers urged attendees to prioritize schema markup implementation, particularly for local businesses, e-commerce sites, and content publishers.
Technical implementation required careful attention to detail. Improperly formatted markup might fail to generate rich snippets or even trigger penalties. Testing tools like Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool helped identify implementation errors before they caused problems.
Mobile Technical Challenges
Beyond the redirect and speed issues Cutts mentioned, speakers identified numerous mobile technical challenges. Separate mobile URLs (m.example.com) required careful rel=canonical implementation to avoid duplicate content issues. Responsive design presented its own complications, particularly around handling images and page speed.
JavaScript-heavy sites faced unique mobile challenges. Many mobile devices struggled with complex JavaScript execution, leading to poor user experiences and potential crawling problems. Speakers recommended progressive enhancement approaches serving basic content to all devices while enhancing experiences for capable browsers.
Content Strategy: What Really Counts
Bruce Clay’s session titled “Think You Know Good Content? Fuggedaboutit. Here’s What Really Counts” challenged conventional wisdom about content creation. Clay and fellow panelists argued that most marketers fundamentally misunderstood what constitutes effective content for search visibility and user engagement.
Beyond Keywords: User Intent Matters
Speakers stressed that successful content addresses genuine user needs rather than simply targeting keywords. Understanding searcher intent—whether informational, navigational, or transactional—shapes appropriate content approaches. Different intent types require different content formats and depths.
The discussion emphasized that thin content was becoming increasingly risky. Google’s algorithm updates increasingly targeted sites with shallow, low-value content created primarily for search engines rather than users. Comprehensive, authoritative content that thoroughly addressed topics received preferential treatment.
Panelists also discussed content freshness as a ranking factor, particularly for query types where currency matters. News-related searches, trending topics, and rapidly evolving industries benefited from regularly updated content. However, evergreen topics didn’t necessarily require constant updates simply for freshness sake.
Curation Done Right
Another session explored content curation strategies, distinguishing between valuable curation and thin aggregation. Proper curation adds perspective, context, and commentary rather than simply republishing others’ content. Speakers outlined best practices for attribution, adding value, and avoiding duplicate content issues.
They emphasized that curated content should represent starting points for conversations rather than endpoints. Effective curation identifies patterns, draws connections between disparate sources, and provides unique insights unavailable elsewhere. This approach creates legitimate value justifying curation’s place in content strategies.
Social Media’s Role in Search
The relationship between social signals and search rankings generated extensive debate throughout the conference. Different experts offered varying perspectives on how much social media activity influenced organic search visibility, creating some confusion among attendees seeking clear answers.
Matt Cutts on Social Signals
Cutts stated explicitly that short-term social media activity represented the most overrated factor he was observing. He clarified that individual +1s, tweets, or Facebook likes don’t function as direct ranking factors. The ephemeral nature of social activity makes it unsuitable for stable ranking algorithms.
However, Cutts acknowledged that pages generating significant social media activity might benefit from increased exposure. More visibility leads to more links, mentions, and engagement—indirect effects that can improve rankings over time. Social signals matter through these secondary pathways rather than as direct ranking inputs.
Mark Traphagen’s earlier presentation aligned perfectly with Cutts’ perspective. He explained that social media builds audiences, amplifies content distribution, and creates opportunities for earning authoritative links. These outcomes improve search visibility even though social shares themselves don’t directly affect rankings.
Paid Social Advertising
A dedicated session examined paid social advertising across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Speakers presented case studies demonstrating how paid social complemented paid search efforts, reaching audiences during different journey stages.
They emphasized that social advertising required different approaches than search advertising. Social platforms enabled demographic and interest-based targeting unavailable in search, but users weren’t actively seeking solutions when exposed to ads. Creative execution and compelling offers mattered more than in high-intent search environments.
Integration between paid social and paid search channels created synergies exceeding either channel’s individual performance. Remarketing to website visitors through social platforms, for example, generated strong results by re-engaging warm audiences. Cross-channel attribution revealed how social advertising influenced subsequent search behavior.
The Bing Perspective: Rise of the Alternative
Microsoft’s Gurdeep Singh Pall delivered a keynote conversation discussing Bing’s vision for search’s future. He predicted dramatic interface changes, with keyboard and mouse becoming curiosities to future generations as voice and gesture interfaces dominated.
Bing’s Recommendations for SEO Success
Bing’s Duane Forrester joined a panel discussion where he shared Bing’s SEO priorities. His recommended focus areas, in order of importance: content, social engagement, user experience, links, and technical SEO best practices. This priority ordering surprised some attendees accustomed to link-focused strategies.
Forrester explained that executing the first three priorities well naturally generates quality links. Creating compelling content that engages social audiences and delivers excellent user experiences attracts authoritative links organically. This approach builds sustainable visibility rather than depending on manipulative tactics.
On the controversial link disavowal topic, Forrester offered an interesting perspective. He explained that disavowing links reveals important information about webmaster intent and character. Are you genuinely trying to maintain a quality site, or are you a spammer attempting to escape consequences? This behavioral signal matters beyond individual link removal.
Networking and Industry Connections
Many attendees cited networking opportunities as SMX Advanced’s greatest value. Unlike larger, more corporate conferences, SMX attracted serious practitioners focused on improving their craft rather than casual attendees or tire-kickers. The smx advanced 2013 recap wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the human connections made.
The SMX Community Atmosphere
The conference fostered an atmosphere encouraging knowledge sharing and relationship building. Speakers mingled freely with attendees during breaks and social events. Industry leaders remained accessible for questions and discussions rather than disappearing after their sessions.
Evening social events, including a rooftop party overlooking Seattle’s waterfront, provided relaxed environments for meaningful conversations. The beautiful June weather cooperated perfectly, creating ideal conditions for outdoor networking. Many attendees forged professional relationships and friendships lasting well beyond the conference.
Twitter hashtag #SMX facilitated real-time discussion among both attending and remote participants. Live-blogging from various sessions allowed those unable to attend to follow key developments. This digital component extended the conference’s reach while creating shared experiences across the community.
Seattle as a Conference Destination
Seattle provided an exceptional backdrop for the conference. The Bell Harbor Conference Center’s waterfront location offered stunning views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Attendees appreciated the walkable downtown area with numerous dining and entertainment options within easy reach.
The city’s connection to major technology companies including Microsoft added relevance. Many speakers and attendees worked at nearby tech firms or had relocated to the region for career opportunities. This created local pride and familiarity that enhanced the conference atmosphere.
June timing proved ideal for Seattle, with mild temperatures and minimal rainfall. Previous SMX Advanced events had encountered typical Pacific Northwest weather challenges, but 2013 blessed attendees with sunshine throughout the conference. The pleasant conditions enhanced outdoor networking opportunities and general morale.
Key Strategic Priorities Emerging from SMX Advanced 2013
Synthesizing insights across all sessions, several clear strategic priorities emerged from this smx advanced 2013 recap that search marketers should implement immediately.
Mobile Optimization Is Non-Negotiable
Perhaps the most emphatic message involved mobile readiness. Every speaker addressing mobile topics stressed urgency. Mobile traffic was growing faster than projections indicated, and Google was preparing to reward or penalize sites based on mobile experiences. Waiting was no longer viable.
Recommended actions included implementing responsive design or separate mobile sites with proper technical configuration, optimizing page load speeds aggressively, ensuring mobile users reached correct pages rather than homepages, and testing mobile experiences across various devices and connection speeds.
Authorship Implementation Provides Competitive Advantage
With only 13 percent adoption among top-ranking pages, properly implementing Google Authorship offered clear differentiation opportunities. The process required effort but delivered tangible benefits through enhanced search visibility and higher click-through rates.
Implementation steps involved creating or optimizing Google+ profiles, linking content to profiles through rel=author markup, verifying connections through Google Webmaster Tools, and building Authorship presence consistently across authoritative publishing platforms. Early adopters would benefit most as Authorship potentially evolved into AuthorRank.
Quality Content Beats Quantity
Algorithm updates increasingly targeted thin, low-value content while rewarding comprehensive, authoritative resources. The message was clear: publish less frequently but with higher quality rather than churning out mediocre content for volume’s sake.
Recommended approaches included thoroughly researching topics before writing, addressing user intent comprehensively, incorporating multimedia elements enhancing understanding, updating existing content rather than always creating new pieces, and measuring engagement metrics beyond simple traffic numbers.
Adapt to Enhanced Campaigns Reality
Complaining about Enhanced Campaigns wouldn’t change Google’s direction. Successful advertisers needed to adapt strategies optimizing within new constraints. This required rethinking campaign structures, developing mobile-specific strategies leveraging bid adjustments, and potentially reconsidering budget allocations across devices.
Testing became more important than ever. With reduced granular control, advertisers needed to experiment systematically with different approaches, measuring results carefully to identify what worked within the Enhanced Campaigns framework.
Conclusion: The Accelerating Pace of Change
The overarching theme throughout this smx advanced 2013 recap involved change acceleration. Only eight months had passed since SMX East in October 2012, yet the search landscape had transformed dramatically. Enhanced Campaigns, Authorship emergence, mobile’s explosive growth, and Product Listing Ads’ e-commerce dominance represented fundamental shifts occurring within a compressed timeframe.
This accelerating change required new mindsets from search marketers. Strategies effective just months earlier were becoming obsolete. Annual planning cycles couldn’t accommodate such rapid evolution. Successful marketers needed to embrace continuous learning, systematic experimentation, and agile adaptation.
The conference demonstrated that staying current required engaging with the community, attending industry events, following thought leaders, testing new features early, and maintaining intellectual curiosity about emerging trends. Those who isolated themselves or relied solely on past knowledge would fall behind quickly.
SMX Advanced 2013 reminded attendees that search marketing combines art and science, requiring both analytical rigor and creative problem-solving. The human connections made, insights gained, and strategies developed during those two days in Seattle equipped attendees to navigate an increasingly complex landscape.
For those who couldn’t attend, this smx advanced 2013 recap captures the most significant developments and actionable recommendations. However, nothing replaces experiencing the energy, networking opportunities, and knowledge density of gathering with industry peers at world-class conferences like SMX Advanced.
