I just got back from the SEOmoz Expert Training Seminar. “This expert seminar is not a conference – no press, no multiple tracks, no expo hall and no search engine reps. We won’t be providing a platform for debating the issues, but rather a learning environment for those seeking to gain knowledge about high-level, scalable, enterprise, SEO tactics and strategies.” There is something else that is offered, no encouraged.  Networking.  Arriving the day before the seminar started, I checked in to the Watertown Hotel (walking distance from all events), hung up my expensive Harley Davidson casual wear (no I don’t do their SEO... yet), and went downstairs for Happy Hour (defined as "fill up on free finger food and beer").  

Looking around at the other faces in the crowd, I used my “judge a book by its cover” skills and identified a couple of other seminar attendees (two guys younger and smarter than me, ordering beer and finger food as fast as I was).  So I introduced myself to Matthew Saunders and Stephen Pitts, who both work for Brulant.com in Ohio.  These were just the first two people I met.  I actually didn’t meet anyone attending the seminar from the Northwest (my neck of the woods) until the last social gathering on the last day, which I thought was weird.

Both Steve and Matt were very approachable, friendly and intelligent.  It was as if I was meeting up with friends from college (since I graduated in the 70's and Matt finished last year, it would have been a really long course).  We kept track of each other through the event, and I look forward to working with them in the years to come (or at least running into them at the next event).

After all the beer and finger food I could stuff in my face and pockets, I returned to my room and set my alarm in time to get downstairs for the free breakfast before the first day of class.  Us old guys gotta hit the hay early.

Here’s a little tip for you: as tempting as it is to drink the coffee carafe dry in the morning, the first break comes at the same time for everybody and the restroom fills up quickly.  So unless you have a 48 ounce bladder, limit yourself to a maximum of three cups before class and you’ll be able to pay attention.

Finding myself a seat at in the meeting room was as easy.  Tip #2: Bring a heavy duty extension cord so you can reach a plug in for your laptop.  If you want Super Hero status, bring a power strip so your fellow seat mates can plug in with you (good for free beer later).  Bring some Duct Tape to secure the cord so as to avoid a tripping hazard.

The first morning I sat by Stephen Mahaney of Planet Ocean in Hawaii.  Stephen was one of the few other attendees wearing a baseball cap, so I knew we’d hit it off.  His has a pony tail sticking out the back, which is an extra cool factor that I don’t have.  Talking with him reinforced what I have been telling my wife: “We can do this SEO thing from anywhere!”, which, in case you hadn’t figured it out, is a HUGE advantage over business as usual.  I should mention that I have been in business for myself for more than twenty years.  If I take a vacation for longer than three days, I have to rebuild my business (not fun).

During lunch I sat by Barry Byers of Wofl21 in Burlington, Ontario, which is in Canada.  During the presentation from Distilled by Will and Duncan, we learned that ALL of Canada speaks French, which came as a surprise to me and Barry.  Barry is a pleasant guy you should all get to know.  He has actually taught college level classes on SEM.  He has kids the same age as mine and a wife who still loves him after many years together, so we have a lot in common.  During a break the first day I met Bryan Norton of T-Mark Inc., based in Tokyo (that’s right Japan).  We had a discussion about Brian Regan (my favorite comedian) and Bryan Adams (one of the world's greatest musicians).  Sadly, Mr. Norton can’t get me tickets to either one, but he does know his SEO.  If you have contacts in his market, he’d be the one I’d call.

At the Cocktail Reception at the Burke Museum the first evening of the seminar, I got to meet nearly the entire staff of SEOmoz: Rebecca, Rand, Jane, Will Critchlow, Duncan Morris, Sarah Bird and Danny Dover.  I was so excited I could just pee.  I have been reading their stuff for months. 

Rand and me

Will and me

Let me just say here that I am a long way from a blushing pubescent.  I have studied SEO from many sources online.  I keep coming back to SEOmoz because it has great stuff, and the staff is the reason why.  I look forward to every post.  So forgive me if I enjoy putting a face to the work I value.

But they are far from the only people I chatted up.  Dario Civinelli a web developer at mktgchicago based in Chicago.  In case you have been under a rock, the Cubbies are on fire since they stole our beloved Lou Pinella. 

Kiowa Jackson of Rank Lab was the only guy at the seminar with prettier hair than mine.  I wanted to talk more with him but I didn’t have the strength to swim through the babes. 

I also met Chris Baggott of Compendium Blogware in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Marc Morris of Valitics in Nampa, Idaho.  My daughter went to NNU in Nampa, so we bonded.  

I also got to hang with Stephan Spencer of Net Concepts and Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land.  Please take a minute to think about this last comment.  These guys talk at seminars and conferences much bigger than this one.  They speak to thousands of people.  But at a bigger function how could they possibly have time to relax and hang with attendees, answering questions, and encouraging individual people?

Danny and me

After all the seminar segments were over we had a picnic/party at the Agua Verde Paddle Club (pronounced that place across from the meeting building right on the water with the tents, free beer and food).  There I met, as I said earlier, the only people from my own backyard I found during the whole two day gig. 

I met Ryan Stowasser from Vortx in Ashland Oregon, and Kim Johnson of MSN and her own website, Anime-Planet, based in Seattle.  Kim is a tiny little person of huge talent, you should all get to know her.  She is easy to overlook because if you judge a book by its cover, she doesn’t have the glasses, plastic pocket liner and slide rule holster that are generally considered the part of our uniform.  But let me say she knows her stuff and is enthusiastic about SEOmoz.

I haven't even begun to mention all the people I met and can now match with their avatars.  Hint: I did not meet anyone that looked like DiscoStu, but I now know who it belongs to. I now have a network of people I know personally that work in SEO and live all over the planet.  I look forward to working with them in the years to come and will certainly watch their comments on SEOmoz and hook up with them at future events. 

If you weren’t there, I didn’t get to meet you.  To bad ‘cause you’d like me.  Don’t miss another one.

Oh, one more thing, the teaching was dead on, phat, sic, and (for those my age) bitchin’ and gnarly.  You should’a been there.

P.S. I rode my Harley home that night (just over 100 miles) in rain so hard I had to breathe through my mouth.  Typical for the Northwest. But I'd do it again tomorrow to meet these people again.