Thinking about Web Analytics or Increasing Publisher revenue, SES San Jose is by far the best Search Engine Strategies show out there – period! The commercial part is working and there is a clear monetary return from the event, but the real life networking (in contrast to online social networking) is simply phenomenal. You end up working 18 hour days though!

The following Web Analytics vendors participated as exhibitors:

• Omniture (OMTR)
• IndexTools
• Visual Sciences (VSCN)
• Google Analytics
• ClickTracks
• Unica

Where was Webtrends and CoreMetrics? … hmmm. However; the size of the Google Analytics booth tripled in width and height; so from a m3 point of view – everything equalled out :-)

And YES; those 18 hour days includes the following three fantastic (must attend) networking events:

• Google Dance
• Search Bash
• Vintage tub & bath event

It is always super to see friends and contacts here.. a quick hello (from the top of my head) to:

• Avinash Kaushik (Google Analytics) – thank you for a wonderful breakfast at Google Monday morning – and I surrender – the food IS great! (…and thank you for the drive out to Allan’s event)
• Brian J. Clifton (Google Analytics) – thank you for another GA sponsored dinner on Thursday :-) …and insight into your web analytics book to come.
• Bret Crosby (Google Analytics) – YES I know :-)
• Timo Aden (Google Analytics) – blog link exchange. Coming right up my friend.
• Peter Biro (ClickTracks and co.) – cheers and thanks for the Boston invite.
• John Squire (CoreMetrics) – you win on that lunch debate! ;-)
• John Marshall (MarketMotive) – very nice meeting you and your wife; made the whole thing a tad less geeky (even though you then returned with a 1 click only presentation) :-)
• Akin Arikan (Unica) – good to see you; ..and thumbs up on your presentation on Brand measurement.
• Stephanie Yang (Offermatica) – thank you very much – giving me thorough insight into your newest offering.
• Jamie Smith and co. (Engine Ready) – somehow funny that you as one of our biggest partners ended up at the same hotel and same floor as me. Fooled by Randomness.. heh.
• Allan R. Dick, Jr. (Vintage Tub & Bath) – thank you for a wonderful evening out with “top of the pop” in Search!
• Shari Thurow (Omni Marketing Interactive) – thank you the update and best wishes in getting back into shape with that foot.
• Andy Atkins-Kruger (Web Certain)
• Anne Kennedy (beyond ink) – Remember to PING me, so we can set up that extra day in Chicago. I would love for your team to get detailed insight into IndexTools
• Patrick C. Price (Idealizer)- great to see you again and again and again – you were everywhere :-)
• Sebastien Doyen (LinkyAgency) – great to see you again and good luck with your NEW venture. You of course know where to go when the need for Enterprise Analytics comes, right? :-)
• Johan Stein (Alchemist Media) – great to meet up at last! – let me know if you need any help (input) on your conversion research v2
• Michael Stebbins (MarketMotive) – great meeting you and Congratulations on your new company!!
• Matt Bailey (SiteLogic) – Great chat on the bus (and YES, I hate you for having access to the Iphone.. he he)
• Anton Konikoff (Acronym Media) – As always; very nice meeting up Anton, even though you are ever so busy!
• Tim Ash (SiteTuners) – Great to heat about the book. Remember to ping me when you get there.
• Mikkel deMib – Det er jo et eller andet sted lidt imponerende hvor mange events vi ender med at vaere til med hianden rundt omkring.. Hygge.
• Jon Myers (Latitude) – Great catching up with you mate… and thank you for the Heineken’s :-)
• Dixon Jones (Receptional) – Loved the T-shirt. Brave though! :-)
• Bryan Eisenberg (Future Now) – great seeing you there. Sorry that I missed your session about converting visitors into byers.
• Rand Fishkin (SEOmoz) – The Wizard of Moz :-) – sorry about missing your session, but the Web Analytics one was up. But great to see you again.
• Jonathan Mendez – Great having dinner with you – and had you waited around, you could have joined the “Avinash bus”..

… I am MOST sure I forgot twice as many as I listed above and that I remember the instant I upload this.. Sorry about that, no offense intended! :-)

There was “only” some three session on Web Analytics – I know this is no Emetrics, BUT I think that is a bit thin as every single SEM and SEO company that I know heavily depend on Analytics. Find the session and blog posts about them below:

SES San Jose 2007 Web Analytics Sessions:

Web Analytics & Measuring Success

• Session: Web Analytics & Measuring Success (Online Marketing Blog)
• Web Analytics and Measuring Success (SEO Roundtable)
• SES:SJ – Web Analytics & Measuring Success Overview (E-marketing performance)

Analyzing the Analytics Players

• SES San Jose – Analyzing the Web Site Analytics Players (Bizresearch)
• Web Analytics Vendor Tools Comparison (And One Challenge) (Occam’s Razor)

Meet the Web Analytics Players

• no one blogged about this?

See you all next year! For sure.. :-)