Google Dance 2016: The recap post

After a nearly 10-year absence, the Google Dance — Google’s annual gathering for search marketers — happened once again at the main Google campus last week.

About 500 people, attendees at our SMX search marketing conference, traveled by bus from the conference venue in San Jose to the Googleplex in Mountain View for the three-and-a-half hour event.

Arriving on the campus, they were given Google Dance t-shirts (something I never thought I’d see again), drinks, light snacks and a chance to mingle with Googlers and see demos of Google products.

For many, perhaps the best thing was simply being able to visit Google for the first time, the company that’s so dominant in the work they do.

Google also gathered about 50 SEOs for a special meeting. The details were off the record; generally, it was a chance for SEOs to give feedback about how Google interacts with publishers — a good in-person discussion all around. I was especially heartened to see Google make the time for this. I was also impressed at the detailed, high-level feedback that the SEOs provided.

Another surprise was the appearance of Matt Cutts, the former head of Google’s spam team and a well-known spokesperson for Google to the webmaster community. No, Cutts isn’t returning to his role. Rather, a veteran of past Google Dances, he wanted to see the latest one. Plenty of people enjoyed grabbing photos with him.

Huge thanks go out to webmaster trends analyst Gary Illyes and search quality analyst Nathan Johns. They were instrumental in the return of the Google Dance. Without them, it wouldn’t have happened. And big thanks to all the Googlers who rallied around to support the event and make the search marketers there feel welcome.

For those who couldn’t make it, both SEM Post and Search Engine Roundtable have recaps. Here’s our own, some of the best tweets I’ve found:

On our way to the #GoogleDance! #SMX 💃🏻 pic.twitter.com/N8kZ9M3eN4

— Search Engine Land (@sengineland) March 3, 2016

Off to the Google Dance #smx pic.twitter.com/nurUA19Cy2

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) March 3, 2016

On the bus to the Google dance pic.twitter.com/p9LHBuHRNk

— Gib Olander (@golander59) March 3, 2016

#smx attendees have arrived to the #googledance. Good looking group! pic.twitter.com/EQkWOHkkLx

— Adam Singer (@AdamSinger) March 3, 2016

Happy #GoogleDance! Check out and use our Snapchat GeoFilter! #SMX pic.twitter.com/uisTB1hSwt

— Search Marketing Expo (@smx) March 3, 2016

#GoogleDance was so fun! Great to mingle with the #smx folks. pic.twitter.com/337MgaTinp

— Jara Moser 👾 (@JaraMoser) March 3, 2016

At the Google Dance pic.twitter.com/IJkQI8jOZp

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) March 3, 2016

#GoogleDance #SMX #smxwest pic.twitter.com/YLdXNj5K2n

— Laura T (@lauratintheoc) March 3, 2016

https://twitter.com/dannysullivan/status/705234423684313088

#GoogleDance ! #SMX pic.twitter.com/giloJAppNb

— Search Engine Land (@sengineland) March 3, 2016

Dave Besbris welcomes us to #GoogleDance and strongly encourages we pocket our phones for the night, so… 👋🏻❤️ #SMX pic.twitter.com/532mjtT7eG

— Search Engine Land (@sengineland) March 3, 2016

I think we are being initiated. #GoogleDance #SMX pic.twitter.com/4WvvBBcKgo

— KPinMaine (@kyyuulle) March 3, 2016

I have seen the future. #GoogleDance #SMX pic.twitter.com/4CCD5WcJsu

— Nathan Chapman (@nchapmanla) March 3, 2016

Ok the cardboard demo is pretty awesome, VR is incredible Thx the dance #googledance #smx pic.twitter.com/HLrznMwct6

— Gib Olander (@golander59) March 3, 2016

https://twitter.com/SoCoJay/status/705281558266052608

https://twitter.com/SoCoJay/status/705283141120831488

https://twitter.com/dannysullivan/status/705243441043623936

Google Dance 2016. Special guest Matt Cutts and a whole crew of OG SEOs. https://t.co/1TiZxEIr9x pic.twitter.com/03Y37TkCmK

— Bruce Clay Inc. (@BruceClayInc) March 3, 2016

A @mattcutts sighting in the wild! #GoogleDance #SMX pic.twitter.com/qHpNkCTbcX

— Elliott Ng (@elliottng) March 3, 2016

#GoogleDance at Google headquarters. #SMX pic.twitter.com/qtsXfOiXnu

— Nathan Chapman (@nchapmanla) March 3, 2016

We made it to the top secret double probation Google meeting at the #smx google dance pic.twitter.com/AIotBScNTz

— Christi Olson (@ChristiJOlson) March 3, 2016

Google special invite for industry experts. Cutting edge brain picking session! Guess who…#GoogleDance pic.twitter.com/R9n6VdChYn

— April Weitzel (@seoapril) March 3, 2016

Yeah I got a #googler shirt. I'm kind of a big deal #SMX #GoogleDance pic.twitter.com/oIbbJa7whr

— Anne Ryan Cavin (@anneryancavin) March 3, 2016

The Googleplex is quite the party tonight. Search marketers have no problems having fun on a Wednesday. #googledance pic.twitter.com/RNmsvHSU57

— Adam Singer (@AdamSinger) March 3, 2016

#SMX #GoogleDance has actual dancing. Dancefloor might be overindexed on paid vs organic people heh. pic.twitter.com/FAltXJBqoN

— Elliott Ng (@elliottng) March 3, 2016

I may or may not have rapped to end the #GoogleDance

— Mic King (@iPullRank) March 3, 2016

If you missed this you missed #Smx pic.twitter.com/MsDR0mSZxY

— Ryan Jones (@RyanJones) March 3, 2016

.@dchordigian shutting it down at #GoogleDance #SMX 👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/71JWbay6St

— Search Engine Land (@sengineland) March 3, 2016

Great night at the #googledance #smx @google #smx #party pic.twitter.com/nJKlsK0iYF

— Relmi Damiano (@relmi) March 3, 2016

@google dance was a hit! Thanks #SMX and #Google pic.twitter.com/VM8QIoI3zz

— Brian Stevens (@brianstevenskp) March 3, 2016

Great job on the Google Dance @methode & @NathanJohns!. Great time talking to all the Googlers who don't hit the conference scene :) #smx

— Jennifer Slegg (@jenstar) March 3, 2016

Thanks to @Google for the best party we've had in a while! We hope you all had fun! #GoogleDance #SMX pic.twitter.com/ibgKDxSBCg

— Search Marketing Expo (@smx) March 3, 2016