Search Engine Strategies Hits Toronto, Eh...

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SES Conference & Expo - Toronto
May 11-12, 2004
Metro Convention Centre

There was plenty of opportunity to learn the search engine marketing game in Toronto on May 11th and 12th.

Rest assured, those searching for answers, information and practical tips on the latest search developments walked away with much more than free T-shirts and pens.

Naturally, the search engine companies drew throngs of passersby eager for the “grow your business” info and to find out from the experts first-hand how they can profit from improving their search engine rankings.

“People were very interested in the benefits and comparison between the tier one and
tier-two players,” said R.J. Pauloski, senior account executive at Mamma.com. “Basically we identified that it’s a different audience and reach with some overlap.”

His colleague Noam Schnitzer, account manager, added “the format, non-bidding and non-auction is one reason for their curiosity and the actual way placement is done…and that less management is required.”

With huge smiles on their faces both remarked the mood at the Montreal-based company (NASDAQ:MAMA) these days is one of “elation after a 300 percent hike in the stock price (but that the) employees are motivated after seeing the benefits of the top and bottom line with the integration of recent acquisitions.” Mamma.com Inc. signed a letter of intent to acquire Digital Arrow in March 2004 to boost its portfolio of integrated marketing solutions with the addition of this opt-in e-mail and pop-up/pop-under marketing enterprise.

Although Ask Jeeves wasn’t present at the exhibition hall, there was some buzz surrounding the company’s Stevie award in “the Best Business Turnaround” category.

“We are honored to be recognized by the American Business Awards for turning the Company around,” said CEO and president, Steve Berkowitz during his acceptance speech Monday night in New York City. “We are now the 7th largest property on the Web with more than the highly competitive and rapidly growing search engine market and to our dedicated employees who are the reason for the turnaround.”

Congratulations were also in order for NetworldMedia.com who have been chosen to be “an ambassador for Overture in Canada,” said Benoit Lonergan, a marketing counselor at the company. “Any business that needs information on Overture’s services in Canada we will provide it.” The announcement was formally made on May 11th.

But SES was also a good occasion for local businesses to get the word out. Toronto’s Red Media Corporation (known as redTO) announced it would distribute 400,000 copies of its Red Pages, a directory of business Websites.

Roger Abbiss, redTo’s CEO, says there is a huge audience for this publication. “There are vast amounts of people just getting used to the Internet, many without Websites. With the familiarity they have with the Yellow Pages lots of people are not just looking for listings but display ads as well…they like that feature.”

The company said that their first SES show has been “a big success and almost all of Toronto’s businesses will know about us by mid-July.”

Our hats go off to Google for literally raising the bar at their party on Tuesday night. In what was described as “reminiscent of the parties in the dot-com heyday” the Google team lit up the evening with tons of drinks, delicious food and appetizing conversation that left patrons noticeably delighted.

The next SES Conference & Expo is in London, England on June 2-3, 2004.