SMX West Keynotes: Battelle, Cerf & Sullivan

Search Engine Land’s next Search Marketing Expo conference, SMX West, comes to Santa Clara, California this Feb. 10-12. I’m happy to announce that we’ve completed our keynote lineup. Google’s Vint Cerf, “The Search” author John Battelle and myself will all be kicking off each day.

I’m going to start the show with a keynote after our initial welcoming, the morning of Feb. 10. One of my favorite things is to look back over a year and try to puzzle out what happened and what we might expect going forward, both as search marketers and searchers. Those developments and trends will be the core of my talk.

On the morning our second day, Feb. 11, internet legend Vint Cerf will be up. Widely honored for his work in building the internet, Cerf today serves as Google’s “Chief Internet Evangelist.” What battles does he still struggle with educating those who still don’t get the internet? Where does he see search going from his unique perspective? This keynote conversation will cover these and other questions.

I’m thrilled to have John Battelle taking part. His book, “The Search,” was one that I literally devoured in a single sitting. I couldn’t put it down. It was filled not only with detailed history of search’s “baby years,” but it was also loaded with John’s keen observations of search’s impact on society. His “Database Of Intentions” metaphor for search engines remains one of the most powerful ways to explain to newcomers why search matters. John will cap off the keynotes on our third day, Feb. 12.

Want to understand more about what the show offers, in addition to our keynotes. See my long preview post about what to expect — 50 sessions, covering all aspects of search marketing topics, with sessions geared to different skill levels.

Check out that post; check out the SMX West site, then go register! See you in Santa Clara!