Portland's Homegrown Searchability Conference, SearchFest, Questions Your Existence

In 10,000 years, the nuclear waste we're creating will still be buried in a mountain in Nevada, slowly decaying into lead. What can we do today to warn future earth denizens of the danger?

That was one of the questions Facebook Content Strategist Jonathon Colman asked in the keynote speech that closed out SearchFest 2015.

The event, which the Portland search engine marketing non-profit SEMpdx has organized for nine years, drew some 400 people to the Sentinel Hotel February 27 to learn about the latest techniques and tools in search and social marketing. Search engine marketing—SEM, as the pros call it—is getting people to see what you're posting online by either buying targeted ads or fixing broken links, for example.

Colman's speech, which alternatively could have been titled "Never Fear, People Die Forever," illustrated wicked problems like climate change and drug trafficking. At times, it was Saganesque, including an illustration of just how far the furthest man made object from Earth is: Voyager 1 10.954x10¹⁰ km away. If you imagine Earth as the size of a dime where Portland sits, then voyager would be a single atom in Sherwood and headed for the coast.

In other words, this was quite a marketing event. Searchfest isn't all so spacey: preceding sessions included the definitive list of 40 tools to optimize a website. And while that may give the perception that this was a niche event, SEMpdx's mission to develop member businesses, and educate the Portland community on the benefits of search engine marketing should resonate in a city that prides itself on DIY success. Especially for entrepreneurs who need to, say, promote their new taxidermy shop or food cart online, SEMpdx provides an access-point to tech insiders.

If you're one of the many marketing companies and ad agencies in town, you already know SEMpdx. But savvy Portland metro based businesses, like ZoomCare and Moonstruck Chocolate, are seeing the value in search and are investing in bringing SEM know-how in-house. As more businesses do the same, they look to SEMpdx and Searchfest as a resource for beginners to experts, and membership and attendance continue to grow.

Having almost tripled their attendance from the first year, SearchFest attendees this year hailed from four countries and 14 states. The increased interest has given SEMpdx the clout to attract increasingly prominent speakers such as Bill Hartzer of Globe Runner and Tim Mayer of TruEffect.

SearchFest is the nation's original SEM focused non-profit conference and is still one of a kind on the West Coast. While other conferences like DFWSEM and MnSEARCH are similarly organized, this festival has a uniquely collegial spirit that brings together competitors who are nonetheless willing to share tools, tips and tricks. From curiosity-seekers to first-time entrepreneurs to marketing veterans, if you show up undeterred by wicked problems, this homegrown Portland event can provide a network of support and plenty of specific advice on getting the most out of Google, Facebook and beyond.

WWeek 2015