This SES Chicago recap will cover the Google sponsored lunch session along with two additional sessions that I attended from Day 1.  This recap includes “What’s New and Exciting with Google Analytics?”, “Online PR: Where to Next?”, and “What’s the Link Between Search and Social?”.

My recaps will include some useful tidbits that I picked up during day 1 of SES Chicago.  Tweets were made from @marketwire as well as my personal handle @shinng using the hashtag #seschi and #rt2eat.  So what is the meaning of the latter hashtag?  Well, the creative marketing team @marketwire wanted to give back for the holiday season so we decided to take advantage of the Marketwire presence.  For every ReTweet of our tweets that include the hashtags #seschi #rt2eat, Marketwire will be donating $1.00 per RT for a max contribution of $500 to benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

SES Chicago Lunch Sponsored Session – What’s New and Exciting with Google Analytics

Speakers: Phil Mui (Google Analytics)

I was able to catch the major announcements made by Mui through all the chatter and utensils hitting plates.   I’m sure 75% of those at this session were too focused on the surprisingly delicious conference food.

The emphasis of this session was on segmentation.  “Context is the queen of analytics; segmentation is the king.”

So what is exactly was “new and exciting with Google Analytics”?

• Segmentable custom variables – segmenting your website traffic can now be accomplished using advanced segmentation.  Ahhh, the beauty of utilizing feedback to offer convenience.
• Ability to add notes to data and share with other account users – you can make these notes public or private and you can also favorite notes.
• New tracking code wizard to allow for easier, accurate, and customizable tracking
• Enhanced API including the support for advanced segments among others.  More details to be announced.

SES Chicago Session – Online PR: Where to Next?

Moderator: Sally Falkow (PRESSfeed)
Speakers:  Beth Harte (MarketingProfs), Duncan Alney (Firebelly Marketing), Marty Weintraub (aim Clear), Andy Beal (Trackur)

The Online PR session was a great refresher, but I wish I had attended another session during this time slot.

• What is public relations? – 2 way mutually beneficial relationship between company and public
  • Media relations
  • Advertising
  • Press agentry
  • Public affairs (government)
  • Public affairs (community)
  • Issues management
  • Lobbying
  • Investor relations
• Why should you care about PR? (key points)
  • The past
  • Listening works
  • Being found works
  • Communicating works
  • Partnering
  • Telling your story works
  • People talking works
• Social media tools will change.  People being social won’t change.
• Online video: used more than all major network stations
• Video is not democratic – the best content doesn’t always win.
• Video=power
  • Video can be found easily via blogs, text, tags, links, tweets
  • Good video pulls journalists
  • Video is shared
• Predictions
  • Video – ability to capture and upload from any device
  • Integration will matter most (video+search+social+PR)
  • Strategy and execution is hyper critical
  • Experience will be the differentiation
  • Tools – allows one to stay in the flow, remain relevant and access info

Andy Beal of Trackur went into press releases to end the session.  Lots of good tips.

• What to look for when analyzing your press release effectiveness
  • Where’s your press release landing
  • Which countries (unless, of course, you use a service like Marketwire and can pick and choose so you know exactly where your press release is going)?
  • Which search terms?
  • Compare press release headlines
• Find the experts to send your pitch
  • Identify the influencers
  • Check google rankings
  • Check blog links
  • Who gets quoted?
  • Compete.com data
• Advanced technology helps your monitoring
  • Industry trends
  • Competitors’ keywords
  • Track reach
  • Identify allies
  • Google alerts
• Take a closer look at your analytics
  • What keywords bring ROI?
  • Look for single source increases
  • Are there changes in the top entry pages?
• URL sharing
  • Make it easy to share links
  • Track clicks, shares, RTs (on Twitter)
  • Bit.ly (url shortener)
  • Build your own with awe.sm
• Don’t hold on too tight with your content / This was one of my favorite parts of Beal’s presentation because there are too many companies that are too close minded.
  • RSS
  • Videos on YouTube
  • Images on Flickr
  • Delicious link page
  • Presentations on slideshare

• The future – Andy Beal talked about his “want list” of press releases in the future
  • Dynamic press release – ability to test different headlines, ability to change keywords in links, automatically fix typos, automatically update content
  • Link tracking across platforms
  • Performance based press release writing/distribution as opposed to the flat fee – example: Beal stated that he would rather pay $1000 for getting ‘x’ coverage than pay $200 for press release distribution and hope to get that ‘x’ coverage

SES Chicago Session – What’s the Link Between Search and Social?

Moderator: Aaron Goldman (Connectual)
Speakers:  Marshall Clark (Organic, Inc.), Tobias Peggs (OneRiot), Brian Boland (Facebook), Bryan Simkins (FedEx)

Unfortunately by the last session, I was too exhausted to listen attentively.  However, I managed to jot down a handful of notes and capture a few screenshots.  The content and images were provided by Tobias Peggs (OneRiot)

• The core of Facebook is identity, connections, and sharing
• Facebook becomes powerful because of the trusted source of information
• In regards to Google’s clickstream, Facebook is #1 for clicks in both upstream and downstream click analysis
• Social sharing replaces SEO in the realtime web
  • Optimize your pages for indexing –> Create compelling content
  • Solicit inbound links to your content –> Make it easy for people to share your content
  • Get to the top of the search results page –> Get to the to of the search results page
• SEM needs to work in realtime on the realtime web
  • Buy positions that deliver predictable traffic flow –> Hot topics are bursty, interest moves on quickly
  • Show your company next to brand-sensitive content –> Buzzy content is frequently not brand-sensitive
  • Know with certainty where content is being viewed –> Users engage with various modes of consumption
•