The document discusses the need for search marketers to become more politically engaged to influence legislation that could negatively impact the industry. It notes that large tech companies like Google and Facebook are increasing lobbying efforts but that the interests of search marketers are not always aligned with them. It argues that for search marketers to have a meaningful voice, they need to make influencing policy a priority, secure a seat at the table of influential internet associations, and increase financial contributions to lobbying efforts despite the industry's lack of unity and consensus-building. The presentation aims to raise awareness of these issues and encourage collective action from search marketers.

1. Presentation Title Here
Tony Wright
CEO & Founder, Wright IMC
The Politics of Rankings
Tony Wright
CEO & Founder, Wright IMC
@tonynwright

3. Worst Case Scenarios – What Could Recent
Proposed Legislation Do To SEOs?
• No more Analytics
• Government Takedown of Your Website
• Corporate controlled bandwidth
• Fines for mis-labeled advertising
• Sales tax on e-commerce
• Sales tax on previously peformed and future
services
• The end of the internet as we know it.

5. What are lobbyists?
• The old view – guys in
suits taking politicians
out the lunch
• The new view – like-
minded groups
educating those in
power about the issues
that affect us all
– Those are not always those
in government, but may be
those with deep pockets

6. Who has the power now?
• Google – Spent $4 million on lobbying last
quarter
– This is more than Microsoft, Oracle, IBM or even Apple
• Facebook increased it’s lobbying budget by 90%
in the last year
• A new trade association backed by Google,
Facebook, eBay, Amazon and many others is
scheduled to launch in September

7. Is anyone in search doing anything?
• SEMPO Actions
– Several letters to Congress and the FTC regarding SOPA, PIPA
and FTC proposed regulations of Google
– SEMPO encouraged its members to take action and contact their
congressmen about SOPA and PIPA
• Search Leader Actions
– Danny Sullivan wrote an open letter to the FTC regarding
regulation of paid inclusion
– Rand Fishkin came out against SOPA and PIPA on an SEOmoz
Blog
– Various search luminaries have commented on proposed
legislation – Rob Garner of iCrossing and SEMPO being one of
the most vocal

8. What’s not happening
• There is no clear, coherent voice for search
marketers (nor any true definition of what a
search marketer is)
• Search marketers don’t have deep pockets for
lobbying efforts
• Search marketer’s interests do not always align
with those who do have the deep pockets
• These issues are NOT going away, in fact, they
look to get more pressing

9. What needs to happen
• Someone will have to make this a priority (either
SEMPO or a new group that works alongside
SEMPO).
• Search Marketers need a seat at the Internet
Association table
• Search Marketers will need to put their money
where they mouth is
• Consensus and compromise, from a group not
known for those qualities, will need to happen

10. Objectives
• Determine the feasibility of a paid search
campaign utilizing Google, Yahoo and Bing to
promote Copyblogger branded products
• Understand the optimal strategic use of paid
search (including content networks) to support
Copyblogger’s current marketing efforts.
• Assess Copyblogger’s current digital eco-system
and marketing philosophy’s compatibility with
paid advertising

11. Wanna talk ideas? I’m your huckleberry.
• Contact me at:
Tony Wright
CEO
WrightIMC
tony.wright@wrightimc.com
Twitter: @tonynwright
972-215-7167