Perhaps the largest conference of its kind in the United States, SES is a leading source of search marketing industry education and networking for in-house and agency internet marketers alike. This year’s SES Conference in New York will focus on providing a full spectrum of search knowledge, from outlining the basics of organic search engine optimization to detailing cutting edge developments in social media marketing.

Lee Odden, CEO TopRank® Online Marketing

TopRank® Online Marketing will be contributing to this event via CEO Lee Odden’s participation in three panels on Thursday, March 26th:

• SEO Through Blogs & Feeds, 10:30-11:45am
• Brand & Reputation Management, 12:45-2:00pm
• Blogging for Business, 3:45-5:00pm

Odden’s first session, “SEO Through Blogs & Feeds,” will illustrate the remarkable advantages blogs offer to companies when integrated into an overall internet marketing strategy. The afternoon sessions will begin with Odden and his panel discussing all aspects of how companies can proactively and reactively address the negativity they may someday find directed at their brand online in the “Brand & Reputation Management” session.

TopRank® Online Marketing publishes one of the most popular and top rated marketing blogs online, according to Advertising Age and as ranked by Technorati. Odden draws on his 5+ years of experience as the force behind TopRank’s Online Marketing Blog for his final session of the conference, “Blogging for Business.” He will present attendees with practical insights into developing a business blogging strategy to build buzz and brand conversation, as well as create opportunities to better connect with customers.

“With SEO, PR and social media marketing converging, digital marketing expertise is a moving target,” comments Odden. “Companies who invest in ongoing education efforts like those presented by Search Engine Strategies stand to gain a significant competitive advantage.”

TopRank® Online Marketing’s Online Marketing Blog was the first blog to be engaged as a media sponsor for the Search Engine Strategies conference and is a returning sponsor for the third year. TopRank® Online Marketing will be providing blog coverage, photos and video interviews during the New York event at http://www.toprankblog.com and also via Twitter at http://twitter.com/leeodden.

Coinciding with SES New York, Odden will also be a speaker at the “Search Meets Social Media” iBreakfast on Wednesday, March 25^th from 7:30-10:00am – http://ibreakfast.com. This breakfast discussion explores the convergence of search and social media and its impact on market penetration.

About TopRank® Online Marketing
TopRank Online Marketing is a digital marketing and public relations agency based in Minnesota, serving Fortune 1000 companies nationwide. TopRank provides strategic consulting, implementation and training services with an emphasis on enterprise and mid-market company search marketing, social media and online public relations. TopRank has been cited in numerous books and industry blogs as well as U.S. News & World Report, Fortune and The Economist for its internet marketing expertise. TopRank CEO Lee Odden is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, including Search Engine Strategies, WebmasterWorld Pubcon, PRSA International Conference, BlogWorldExpo, OMMA, Media Relations Summit, and the DMA Annual conference. As a respected authority on SEO, PR and social media, TopRank has provided course material for the basic and advanced Search Marketing Certification program offered by the national DMA.  TopRank has also been engaged to develop and present the first DMA Social Media Marketing workshop.

Company Web Site: http://www.toprankmarketing.com
Blog: http://www.toprankblog.com

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Swanson will continue Watermark Learning’s efforts to expand into other markets and to share the knowledge and expertise of its principals and instructors through project management and business analysis related:

- Onsite Training
- Public Classes
- Masters Certificate Programs
- Mentoring/Coaching

“I am impressed with the quality and depth of the training that Watermark Learning provides,” Swanson said. “Watermark Learning’s genuine concern for helping clients solve their business needs, and our openness to customizing training and mentoring services to match these needs, is something that everyone in business should know about.”

Swanson plans to update the eNewsletter, Website and to help principals Elizabeth Larson, PMP, and Richard Larson, PMP, publish and promote their first book, “Nail Requirements Flat.”

“Nail Requirements Flat” will present the critical factors for quickly nailing requirements, and the techniques that will contribute to successful projects every time. It will focus on how effective business analysis can supply the missing ingredients to reduce or eliminate challenged projects, capture vital functionality, and delight clients.

For more information on Watermark Learning, visit http://www.watermarklearning.com or call 1-800-646-9362.

About Watermark Learning
Watermark Learning is a leading project management and requirements analysis training and skill development company. Founded by industry veterans, Elizabeth Larson & Richard Larson, Watermark Learning also offers Masters Certificate Programs through Auburn University in Business Analysis and Project Management. Watermark Learning maintains training facilities in both Minnesota and Arizona.

Companies that deploy Public Relations can take their marketing programs to the next level by integrating Search Engine Optimization, online PR and other interactive marketing tactics.

Misukanis & Odden implements an integrated marketing program for DDL, a package testing laboratory. Since beginning this program in 2004, DDL has seen the following results:

• Revenue increase of 41.5%
• Top 50 Fastest Growing Company in the Twin Cities
• 34% increase in number of prospect inquiries
• Website traffic has more than doubled

Click for more details on SEO & Public Relations.

Odden will outline how the integration of online public relations tactics with blog marketing and search engine optimization can deliver a distinct advantage to marketers who desire to build high brand awareness and increased sales online.

Traditional public relations initiatives can improve results significantly by leveraging online exposure opportunities. For example, many pitching efforts are lacking impact because they don’t take into account the fact that press releases are documents that can get indexed and ranked by search engines. Press releases that are optimized effectively can improve media coverage and also assist search engine rankings.

Business blogs can be very effective tools for communicating with prospects, clients and journalists. Blogs are also inherently search engine friendly and when properly optimized, can provide a significant boost to a web site’s search engine rankings.

“Companies can gain a competitive marketing advantage by integrating search engine optimization with tactics such as press releases and blog marketing,” said Lee Odden. “The marketing synergy created by integrating SEO, blogs and press release optimization provides a tremendous advantage over traditional PR by itself.”

Lee is joined on the panel by David McInnis, founder and CEO of PRWeb, an industry leading news wire service, Robin Liss, Founder and President of Camcorderinfo.com and Lawrence Coburn, President of RateItAll, Inc.

Join Lee Odden and his distinguished colleagues at WebmasterWorld Pubcon 2006 to find out more information on how integrating SEO, blogs and online PR can have a positive impact on increasing prospect inquiries, sales and online brand visibility

Session: “Public Relations”
Date: Wednesday April 19
Time: 10:15 – 11.30 am EST
Location: Hynes Convention Center, Salon D, Boston, MA

Register for WebmasterWorld Pubcon 2006 at http://www.pubcon.com/register.htm

Get more information on integrating blogs, SEO and online PR plus a copy of “The Lowdown on Press Release Optimization” by Lee Odden at http://www.misukanisodden.com/Integration.php

About TopRank Online Marketing
TopRank Online Marketing (www.toprankresults.com) is an industry leading search marketing agency offering integrated search engine optimization, online public relations and blog marketing services. TopRank has been listed as a top ten world-wide SEO firm by topseos.com and Promotion World and is the only Minnesota search marketing firm included in Marketing Sherpa’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization Firms.

Founded in 2001 by veteran online marketer Lee Odden, TopRank is a member of the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO.org), the Search Engine Marketing Council of the Direct Marketing Association (the-DMA.org), and serves on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA.org). Odden publishes the award winning Online Marketing Blog and his articles frequently appear on WebProNews, Search Engine Guide, Search Engine Journal, ISEDB, AllBusiness.com, Lockergnome and numerous business publications on the topics of SEO, blogs and online PR. Odden has also been quoted in U.S. News, The Economist and DM News and speaks at Search Engine Strategies, WebmasterWorld Pubcon, ACCM, eComXpo and DMA conferences.