Best of SMX Israel 2015

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If you steal from one author it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many it’s research. ~ David Wiseman (@daw1975).

Here’s a well-researched Best of SMX thanks largely to Rachel Slovin (@rachslov), @CharlieKalech, @SaraBCole, Ari Roth (@ARoth26), @JakeMaslow, Nadine Wildmann (@meeplecom), @ShlomoWiesen, Ben Heligman (@BHeligman), @YairHyman, Eli Feldblum (@Feldbum), @OneTiredEma & Ephraim Gopin (@fundraisinisfun).

Gary Illyes (from Google):

  • Speed is not just site speed but answering queries quickly. Use bubbles, pull quotes, etc. Gen Y decides what to do in 8 secs Gen Z only 2.8 seconds – enough to read 140 characters.
  • Google Analytics & Paid Search data are not used for ranking.
  • Don’t ask how many visitors did I have; ask how many visitors did I help.
  • Google Now is Google’s idea of a personal assistant. (Or, as Eli Feldblum put it, Google wants to be like Her, but slightly less creepy).

From @JakeMaslow: Gary Illyes discussing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Used to be our family secret.

Sam Michelson on Branding:

  • Being a nobody online doesn’t work like it used to. Google favors brands. Study competition to how they spread the brand message.
  • SEO isn’t a strategy. Its a bunch of tactics. Your strategy should be Build A Brand.
  • Getting 10,000 YouTube views from Fiverr is a great way to get your videos removed.

Shlomo Wiesen on Link Building:

  • Best way to get content to succeed is get buy in early from experts for potential shares

Aaron Zakowski on Facebook Ads:

  • Don’t sell to cold leads with Facebook Ads. Warm them up by promoting content. Then sell with Retargeting.
  • Rotate your ads frequently – they get stale more quickly on Facebook. Keep an eye on frequency, relevance score, and negative feedback & comments.
  • Right Column Ads are very effective on FB. Bring lots of leads at low price.
  • Facebook is smarter than we are. Create a lookalike audience based on your FB conversion pixel
  • Trust Facebook: use optimized CPM bidding w/ lookalike audience of over 500,000 people to optimize conversions.
  • Ignore vanity metrics. Focus on conversions, checkouts, new sign ups.
  • Free ebook: The startup’s marketer’s guide to Facebook ads 

Roy Povarchik on leveraging communites:

  • Partner with other brands for cross-content promotion. Need clear guidelines to avoid spam.
  • Leverage existing communities by introducing yourself, and not posting your content for weeks.  First introduce yourself, engage w/ everyone, start 1-on-1 conversations & help others. Don’t spam.
  • Q: What do I do if my clients want to post on Google+?
  • A: Just do it, no one will know!

Bob Rosenschein on Future of Search:

  • Google is rethinking everything around machine learning.
  • We think we’re speaking to our phones, but we’re speaking to the cloud!
  • Search is going interactive, vocal, direct.
  • Google is anticipating our next steps.

Eli Feldblum on eCommerce:

  • People don’t search for “between $x and $y.” They search for colors, or for “under $x.” Structure your site accordingly.
  • Most eCommerce sites need more content on their pages.
  • Reoptimize old posts that are getting traffic.

And for comic relief, David Wiseman:

  • Great to live in an era of so much innovation. Had you lived thousands of years ago, all you would have had is the wheel.
  • When Moses was up on Mt Sinai, Children of Israel got worried as he didn’t tweet, or post to FB for 40 days.
  • If you don’t think Mark Zuckerberg is reading your private information on Facebook, you have to make it more interesting.
  • Don’t Be Evil now appears to be one of the most ironic things ever said.
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