I was featured in a recent article in BizTech Magazine.

Here’s the article: http://www.biztechmagazine.com/article.asp?item_id=303

StudioNow has put together a great highlight reel for BarCamp Nashville.

This week I am in San Jose attending the Search Engine Strategies conference. I recently picked up some great information on universal search.

I now know that I need to do a better job with images and video. I have ignored the idea of universal search for a year. Probably waiting for the dust to settle, but I am really not sure why.

Clearly the major search engines are using images, videos, news, and various other types as part of their results pages. Meaning that if a specific query finds any of those items related to the terms it will show that item in the natural search listing. The idea is that a user can get everything they need from one query.

Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User Experience with Google, discussed universal search in her keynote conversation with Danny Sullivan on Wednesday morning. She said the new changes to universal search involved “a whole new infrastructure change” for Google, because it involved merging servers and their results together. Mayer also mentioned that currently universal search combines maps, news, images, videos and books. There is a plan to integrate all of Google services in the universal search, including blog and Scholar.

There is only so much real estate on a page. If something is added to the results that means something else has to come off. I do not want that to be me.

I learned a lot from Chris Smith on how to optimize images to get the most out of them.

I plan to have an aggressive campaign on images and video very soon. By creating these items, my hopes are I can be in many places within the search results. Hopefully, getting in early with some categories will be a great opportunity to take some prime real estate.

Here’s one last push for BarCamp Nashville

10. Although participation is encouraged, you definitely don’t have to.

9. There is something for everyone

8. Two great venues: Exit/In Schedule and Cafe Coco Schedule

7. Networking opportunity

6. A welcoming audience

5. Social time

4. A free exchange of ideas, where people want to hear what you have to say.

3. Nashville DOES have a community for you …not matter what it is you do.

2. Terrific presenters (well, for the most part)

1. It’s free

As a search engine marketer, measuring the return on investment has always been a necessity. It started out as a need to justify my job to executives who did not understand search marketing. Now, at least with me, I have proofed the importance of investing in search marketing. Through tracking ID’s and good analytics packages, we are able to track click to revenue. Thus, explaining that search marketing is the best ROI available.

However, the second stage of my quest for the perfect analytics continues. Search marketing often gets the revenue glory from other campaigns. Display advertising, print marketing, and e-mail marketing often drive consumers to search. Thankfully, those dollars often show up in my search engine revenue reporting.

Part of me likes the fact that my search engine marketing reports get the glory from others’ hard work, but I know it’s not a true measurement. I would gladly give up that revenue for accurate results.

With the convergence of display networks and search engines, maybe that ultimate metric is on the horizon. Measuring “The Assist” will not only justify other forms of advertising, but it will help tie the relationship between search marketing and those campaigns. This metric will help us discover what drives people to search and what are they searching for. Connecting campaigns together is the ultimate metric.

Of course, there will never be perfect analytics. I realize once I discover this metric, there will be another unsolved mystery right behind it. However, connecting display advertising to search is a major step in the right direction.

If you are in the Nashville area, you definitely need to check out BarCamp Nashville.

There will be a wide variety of technology professionals at BarCamp Nashville. The list of topics includes Blogging, Social Media, Search Marketing, Web 2.0, and various forms of audio and video web publishing tips.

Plus, it wouldn’t be Nashville without music. BarCamp Nashville will close with live music at The Exit/In.

It’s a free event, but I hear registration is filling up quickly. Find more details on BarCamp Nashville here: www.barcampnashville.com/blog/