You're In A Room With The Three Most Powerful People In Search

[NFFC]

...people in search.

You get one question.

You say?

[re: http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=7337 ]

WOW what a time .. Tim Mayer of yahoo gives SEO's BlackHats and Shari a chance to meet the yahoo search engineers to discuss the new 19.2 Billion Index and latest Updates.. then takes us all to the all Amercian theme park.. how can any one beat that !!

Matt Cutts, beats him .. hahaha yer he did, at 10 o'clock he pulled me, chris_r and jenstar out of the googledance ( I only hard one drink ... pfffft ), and for the next 5 hours . yes 5 Hours we toured the plex and chatted on sofa's near one of the micro kitchens inside the plex.. at 1.30 Larry and Sergey turned up.. Sergey hung out with us for just over 1 hour, wow what a guy, very honest and down to earth


Moderator Note: Added the key quote from the thread NFFC referenced to help things along!

[bhartzer]

you say...
Can I have your autograph? :p

What can you say? It's not like they're going to give you the magic bullet and tell you everything that's included in the algorithm. Besides, I'm not sure if one person (or three people, for that matter) actually know every part of it.

[robwatts]

..your eyelids are very heavy, you are feeling very sleepy, my voice is all that you can hear, I am going to count to 10, very slowly....

[Gurtie]

You say?
"Look into my eyes, deep into my eyes, you are feeling sleepy....... when I snap my fingers you will wake and you will not remember this conversation but whenever you hear the word 'chinese' you will quack like a duck"

(that last bit is just for amusement - may as well make the absolute most of the evening ;) )

<edit - oh %&**! - someone beat me to it :rolleyes: >

[DaveN]

you say:

want to talk watches guys :). I have an omega speedmaster..

DaveN

[rcjordan]

>say

You coming to roadshow?

[Robert_Charlton]

>>You say?<<

"You guys know how to find me?"

[jewboy]

ask them what stocks they own....then go buy the same

[Marketing Guy]

- White hat
"Why do you keep paying scraper sites through Adsense?"

- Black hat
"Why were FedEx so slow this month?"

- White hat
"Why were innocent sites penalised in the last update last month?"

- Black hat
"There was an update last month?"

- White hat
"OK, OK - seriously - who is GoogleGuy?"

- Black hat
"OK, OK - seriously - where is Matt?" ;)

- White hat
"If I link to my own site will I be penalised?"

- Black hat
"If I link to WH's site can I get him penalised?"

- White hat
"Can I get some of your merchandise?"

- Black hat
"Do you want some of my merchandise?"

- White hat
"What's the secret to the Google algo?"

- Black hat
"Where's the bathroom?"

:)

[AussieWebmaster]

Is AskJeeves your first white label vendor?

[grnidone]

Why didn't you answer the email I sent you?

[DaveN]

If the whole conv was not off record ... I would tell you want I asked :)


added:
Sergey old friend with you want to join in the conv you can at any time, but don't mention Plan X12b69 they would not like it ;)

DaveN

btw ( joke there is no plan X12b69 )

[NFFC]

>Why didn't you answer the email I sent you?

Don't take it personal, I assume he has dates lined up for years to come.

[AussieWebmaster]

Dave I would have left that hanging and wait for it to be published at news.com....

[glengara]

>>You say?<<

So was it AdSense all along?

[seomike]

So Mr.'s Sullivan, Tabke and Tegtmeir where are all the white hats? :D

[PhilC]

Do you have an invitation?

[ThomasASmith]

Wouldn't it help the (I suppose now probabilistic) latent semantic analysis process if it were broken down into tiny modules or pieces and outsourced to millions to work out or propose the appropriate statistical or semantical relationships in their field of expertise, much like the open source process that is going on with Linux, and the wonderful encyclopedic process going on with Wikipedia; it would greatly decrease the frustration of irrevalency, wouldn't it?

[Chris R]

Hmmm - what would I ask? Oh wait - I was there :p

[Chris Boggs]

"you ask...?"

"OK, so are SEM's your friends or your foes?"

By the way I added a poll about this subject to another thread (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=7405).

[dannysullivan]

And you asked, Chris? :)

[Marketing Guy]

You've been blogged (http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/christmas-truce-of-1914/). ;)

[Chris R]

I saw it and I wouldn't say I asked tons of questions of Sergey. If Matt doesn't know or want to answer a question I have - then I doubt Sergey was going spill the beans. I also have great respect for the man and don't want to subject him to a battery of questions. I am sure I would be preaching to the choir when I say that you can learn plenty just by seeing how they think.

I had the same TYPE of good time I have with hanging out with many of you. I talked with Danny probably more this convention than any other before and enjoyed that as well. Met a few new people (well I had met most before, but got to talk more this time).

I just enjoy talking, sharing, and listening. I don't really come to these conventions to make deals. I just go with the flow. Things happen - I get ideas. Some of the best things that have ever happened to me have happened around some of you. If Larry, Sergey, and Matt quit google and were under court order not to talk about google - I still would enjoy hanging out with them. They are nice guys - just like most of the rest I have met on here.

Let's not kid ourselves. WE ARE ALL GEEKS.

[Chris Boggs]

You've been blogged (http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/christmas-truce-of-1914/). ;)

Oh my God that is one of the funniest blog posts I have ever read...a highlight:

...Forget the “SEOs have alcohol, I have a soda” technique: from now on, I’m bringing a cardboard cutout of Sergey when I talk to SEOs. I just need a tape player that says “Uh huh, tell me more about what you do” and I’ll just sit back and take notes...

[Chris Boggs]

WE ARE ALL GEEKS.

Hey! I resemble that remark! :p

[Marketing Guy]

I read quite a few blog posts referring to Matt's post - a lot of people seem to be kicking off that Google are fratonising with the BH "enemy"! ;) It would seem that unleashing the hounds would have been a more appropriate response from Matt et all than a guided tour! :P

Bitter much? :rolleyes:

[PhilC]

Some people just don't think straight. What better was is there to know the enemy's tactics than to fraternise with them?

[massa]

>I read quite a few blog posts referring to Matt's post - a lot of people seem to be kicking off that Google are fratonising with the BH "enemy"<

One would think that this single act of Google acknowledging the industry in thsi manner would force everyone to accept that the entire black/white debate is pointless. Even Google knows it is not about spam, it is about marketing as has been said by so many, for so long.

Sadly, it won't, as there are those who would rather die than admit there was never a point to the debate in the first place.

To me, the best news here is that the industry is one step closer to finally becoming about business and not about, "everyone is a bad guy except me and you, and I've got my doubts about you". As to those who desparately cling to the idea that they are crusaders for all those who never asked for their crusade in the first place, this should put us all just one step further from them until finally, the more they scream, the less anyone hears them.

Of course the less we hear, the louder the screams until, like any fanatic, eventually the sound is imperceptible, but let me ask everyone one simple question. Who speaks louder? Page/Brin/Cutts or those who cling to an antiquated view of a world of misleading serps, hidden text and non-relevant links?

No one gets a porn site for a search for kids toys anymore. The engines are advanced far beyond that and any serious marketer is aware. Hidden text does squat and the engines and any serious marketer is aware of that as well. I can't even imagine how to go about defining non-relevant links.

So who is making a statement in this scenario worth noting?
***************************


PS:

By the way, I don't think that Mr. Cutts could have made a better choice than the three he chose to represent an industry. I for one am proud of each of you and I'm confident you represented us all very well. What a well deserved honor for each of you. Great job kids!

[Marketing Guy]

By the way, I don't think that Mr. Cutts could have made a better choice than the three he chose to represent an industry.

Indeed - I linked to Dave's blog earlier from my own blog and found myself deleting autogenerated comment spam within a couple of hours - I was truely impressed! :p (OK, it could just as likely have been Matt who I also linked to at the same time! ;))

Seriously though, I don't know many industries that have such a network of key players so forthcoming with help, advice and support for others - certainly one of the highlights of being in this profession.

MG

[DaveN]

By the way, I don't think that Mr. Cutts could have made a better choice than the three he chose to represent an industry. I for one am proud of each of you and I'm confident you represented us all very well. What a well deserved honor for each of you. Great job kids!

I truly feel humbled.

DaveN

[AussieWebmaster]

I truly feel humbled.

DaveN

Dave you are a great rep for the industry...

[DaveN]

You're In A Room With The Three Most Powerful People In Search

what do you say ::

WOW !! DaveN, Chris_R and Jenstar my name is Sergey ;)

DaveN

[AussieWebmaster]

what do you say ::

WOW !! DaveN, Chris_R and Jenstar my name is Sergey ;)

DaveN

Classic!!!

[seomike]

What is the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow? :D

[Jill Whalen]

One would think that this single act of Google acknowledging the industry in thsi manner would force everyone to accept that the entire black/white debate is pointless. Even Google knows it is not about spam, it is about marketing as has been said by so many, for so long.

Couldn't agree more, Bob. I posted as much yesterday at Threadwatch (http://www.threadwatch.org/node/3522#comment-21711).

[PhilC]

That was a very interesting comment. Jill. Tell me something (and this is a genuine question with no ulterior motive behind it), are your days of publically calling certain people and companies things like "scum" and "scumbucket", just because they spam in your view, over?

[crazylogic]

What would he like to see as the top results (Authority hub, Authority content, most visited, fresh rising newcomer)? and, are they going to make any changes to help that type of site become the top result?

[mick g]

If there was 3 people who was going to get picked to have an experience like this then it would be DaveN Chris_R and Jenstar..

Hey Chris I just wish I had been your minder in San Jose instead of SES London :)

[Chris R]

Well you need to come over to the US :) I enjoy hanging out with you. Too bad there is no real place between the UK and the US. I think they should tow those two islands a little closer to Maryland.

Wired did a story on the google dance in general if anyone hasn't noticed:

http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,68598,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2

[AussieWebmaster]

Well you need to come over to the US :) I enjoy hanging out with you. Too bad there is no real place between the UK and the US. I think they should tow those two islands a little closer to Maryland.

Wired did a story on the google dance in general if anyone hasn't noticed:

http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,68598,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2

Good catch... though I disagree with Shari's interpretation... some of the best sites on the web get virtually no traffic.

[PhilC]

What would I say if I were in a room with the 3 most powerful people in search? I'd say...

I've got 3 black disks and 2 white disks. I'm going to pin a disk to each of your backs. You will be able to see the others' disks, but none of you will be able to see your own disk...... ;)