Today I participated in a session at ad:tech San Francisco called, “Connecting the Dots with Paid Search” moderated by “Marketing Pastor” Melanie Mitchell.

My presentation focused on a new approach to search engine marketing that can not only help improve performance within the SEM channel but across other channels as well. The idea is focusing on the people behind the keywords to get a sense of their true value to your business. It’s not rocket science. It’s people science.

Here’s my deck:

Over the past week, I’ve been busy “Future-Proofing.” Below are links and lists from bylines I’ve written sharing my expectations for the coming year. We’ll see how things shake out but the one thing I’m certain of is that 2011′s gonna be Googley!

Ten Search Marketing Hot Spots To Watch In 2011
1. Local
2. Social ads
3. The social graph
4. Mobile
5. Attribution
7. Display
8. Video
9. Search
10. Apps

10 Crazy 2011 SEM Predictions
1. Facebook will create its own search engine
2. Apple will create its own search engine
3. Groupon will create its own search engine
4. EBay will create its own search engine
5. Google will fall below 60% U.S. search query market share
6. Google will buy TiVo
8. Comcast will buy Yahoo
9. Adobe will buy AOL
10. You will buy my book

Image Source: iStockPhoto (actually paid for)

The theme of Day 3 at the Search Insider Summit is consumers, privacy, and data. So, naturally, I had to kick things off with a little Vanilla Ice, “Search Search Data.” This time, DJ Rob threw down the beats on Garage Band. Lyrics below and be sure to check out Day 1 – Park City Love and Day 2 – Fresh Prince of Deer Valley.

Alright stop tracking me and listen,
Don’t take data without permission.

Something you shouldn’t be taking this lightly,
Data is keeping me up daily and nightly.

What all do you track?
Yo, I don’t know.
I turn off the lights,
And Google knows.

To the extreme, all the data you handle,
Scrub it all fresh like a Yankee candle.

Dance, around the topic that looms,
You know if I’m single or if I’m a groom.

Deadly, when you start tracking my family.
Now you got my address? Man, that’s a felony.

Love it or leave it, data’s coming your way.
Leverage it all and then make your pay.

If there was a cookie, yo, you’ll count it.
Check out my clicks while your datamart pounds it.

Search Search data.
Don’t Track Me.
Search Search data.
Don’t Track Me.
Search Search Data.
Don’t Track Me…

Out.

Following yesterday’s take on 2Pac California Love, today I channeled Will Smith for a rendition of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song to kick off Day 2 of the Search Insider Summit. Props to Rob McEvily on the beat and Junmian Sun on the video production. Lyrics below…

In West Deer Valley, I was amazed…
On the ski slopes is where I spend most of my days.

Chillin’ out, rappin’, actin’ like a fool.
Tryin’ to make this SEM game look cool.

When a coupla butlers who were trying to do good.
Started doin’ things I never thought they would.

I got one fruit plate with apples, strawberries and pears.
I said, “Nice to see you again Jeeves, have you lost all your hair?”

Whistler’s pretty nice this time of year.
But Deer Valley is fresh, we got funiculars up in here.

If anything I could say this place was rare,
But I thought, nah, forget it… when I ski, I get air!

[Freestyle interlude]

One more verse, it’s the last one here.
These rhymes I don’t rehearse, that must be clear.

Let me see, forgot what I was gonna say.
Gotta gotta gotta get down on my knees and pray.

I remember it, here we go, here we go…

[End freestyle]

I got down to the show a few minutes after 8,
And I yelled to Ken Fadner, yo holmes, sorry I’m late!

I’m about to kick it off right here too,
It’s time to get my rap off cuz it’s day 2!

Peace.

Today I kicked off my role as MC of the MediaPost Search Insider Summit with an intro to the theme of “All Roads Lead Through Search” and an interpretation of 2Pac’s California Love with my man Rob McEvily (who also created the poster above) working the beatbox. Skip to about 10 minutes in if you just want the rap and see below for the lyrics…

Update: Check out Day 2 with the Fresh Prince of Deer Valley!

I’d like to welcome everybody to SIS,
This show is unstoppable, you know it’s the best.

The sessions will be hot and we’ve got skiing galore,
Be sure to pack your vest before you head out the door.

We’ve got all search geeks in this room, where the search geeks be?
The search geeks that never leave the spreadsheets empty.

And these geeks, they run the marketing machines.
Spend a lot of coin on Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

I’ve been in the game for 10 years so I’m old school,
Ever since Sergey and Larry were countin’ links fool.

Now it’s 2010 and we’re way past beta,
It’s like we unlocked the Fort Knox of data.

It’s all good from the conference to the slopes,
If you ain’t meetin’ others, you ain’t makin’ the most.

So throw your hands up if you feel the same way.
Welcome to SIS. The show starts today!

SIS, no doubt about it.
SIS, knows how to party.
In the city…. city of Park.
In the city…city of Park.
Keep on searchin’, keep on searchin’, yeah!

(Update: check out this highlight video created by the good folks at Catalyst Ranch.)

2 nights ago, I had the pleasure of dropping some knowledge (and rhymes) with an eclectic gathering of friends, family, and colleagues at the always eclectic Catalyst Ranch.

Over the course of 90 minutes, I powerpointed, whiteboarded, and rapped my way to a donation of about $200 and 50 used children’s books for Open Books, a local Chicago non-profit that promotes literacy.

Besides the unique format and venue, this event was unique because my mom and dad (and wife!) were in attendance. This was the first time they had seen me present anything book (or work) related in public. Needless to say, when it came to my trademark $2 bill at the end, I had to do a little bit of self-censorship so what you’re about to see is rated very PG….

Things got interesting when I decided to take a page from Emeril’s playbook and “kick things up a notch.” I asked the audience for 10 words to incorporate into my rap. Here’s the list they came up with:

Hannuka
Purple
Bears
Relevance
Orange
Money
Altruism
Shoes
Echo
Literacy

Let’s just say this was one funky mad lib…

Thanks to Larry Bak from Elevate Studios for the steady hand recording these on his iPhone. Now that’s what I call FaceTime!

That’s the title of the guest post I penned for the McGraw-Hill Professional blog today in advance of Small Business Saturday.

In it, I share tips for Googling your small business to get to the top of, well, Google!

Did a quick interview with Catalyst Ranch today in advance  of my Dec. 1st Match Books session.  Here’s how I pitched the event to my colleagues, friends, and family…

If you’ve never been to Catalyst Ranch, it’s quite the unique venue filled with all the accoutrements to satisfy your ADD. Think play-dough and pipe cleaners… ok, stop thinking about them and get back to my email!

During this session (which will only go 60-90 minutes, leaving the rest for socializing), I’ll be toggling between white-board exercises, powerpoint (no more than 7 words per slide, promise!) and rapping.

As you know, I’m not one for over-hyping (hah!) but I’m fixin’ to outdo the 2 minute rap I threw down at SES Chicago a few weeks ago.

Counting on audience participation throughout so bring your energy, ideas, and beat-boxes. :)

Here are the nitty-gritty deets. See the email below for the full pitch. And feel free to invite others.

Date: Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 from 6pm to 8:30 pm
Location: Catalyst Ranch, 656 W Randolph St, Chicago
Cost: $20/person or 2 new children’s books (all proceeds & books will be donated to Open Books). Light refreshments will be served.

Hope to see you there! Please register through this link.

Here’s my third and final Googley Tip of the Week on EOtv (my piece starts at 5:12 and the rap kicks in at 6:45):

Make Memorable Brand Experiences

In case you missed the last 2:

Accomplish Goals through Active Visualization

Increase Your Ranking with Google

Here’s the $2 bill I dropped at the end of my session at SES Chicago today. Lyrics below…

To all the marketers tryin’ to be frugal,
Buy my book today, learn some lessons from Google.

You’ll find practical tips a plenty,
Through my Googley Lessons 1 through 20.

There’s Chapter 1: Relevancy Rules.
Stay true to your niche, don’t act a fool.

Chapter 2: Tap the Wisdom of Crowds.
Join the conversation, don’t shout out loud.

Chapter 3: Keep it Simple, Stupid.
Attract customers like Cupid.

Chapter 4: Mindset Matters.
Take it from the cat in the pleather hatter.

Chapter 5: Be Where Your Audience Is.
It’s the one sure way to grow your biz.

Chapter 6: Don’t Interrupt.
[cough, cough, cough] Aiight.

Chapter 7: Act Like Content.
It’s the icing on the cake. No, wait, that’s fondant.

Chapter 8: Test Everything.
Do it and make your marketing sing.

Chapter 9: Track Everything.
Do it and watch the cash register ring.
(Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching, ching, ching, cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.)

Chapter 10: Let the Data Decide.
Do the math and then ride, Sally, ride.

Chapter 11: Brands can be Answers.
Just like Jews can be great dancers. [Interlude]

Chapter 12: Your USP is Critical.
It’s Marketing 101. Cut the Umbilical.

Chapter 13: Your Competition’s Broader than You Think.
You’re up against everyone but the kitchen sink.

Chapter 14: You Can Learn a Lot from a Query.
Just ask Eric or Sergey or Larry.

Chapter 15, that is is Sex Sells.
Do it and ring the sales bell.
(Ding, ding, dong. Ding-a-ding ding, ding, dong. Keep the bells ringin’.)

Or Chapter 16: Altruism Sells.
Try it and go to marketing heaven, not hell.

Chapter 17: Show Off Your Assets.
Shake what you got and then place your bets.

Chapter 18: The More Shelf Space the Better.
If you don’t know that, behind the ears, you are wetter.

Chapter 19: Make Your Company a Great Story.
Do it and capture all of the glory.

Chapter 20: Don’t Rely on SEM Alone.
If you don’t know that, son, then it’s time to go home.

There you have it. 20 lessons from me.
Guaranteed to make your business Googley.

Buy my book today, enjoy it with some noodle kugel.
Everything I Know About Marketing I Learned From Google.