Summary and Speaker Decks from the GDI SEO Training Camp

The Glen Dimaandal Invitational (GDI) SEO Training Camp finally happened on July 12^th-13^th 2014 in my hometown of San Fernando, Pampanga. Around 70 people participated in the event which featured nine presentations, three buffet meals, 10 swimming pools a small zoo and limitless networking opportunities. We were able to pull it off at a cost of 800 pesos for day-tripping participants and 1,250 pesos to those who needed hotel-style accommodations.

The theme of the presentation was “SEO processes you can easily learn, deploy and monetize.” Each speaker covered a different aspect of the broad organic search marketing field in order to deliver actionable advice that practitioners of the craft can start using right away. The goal of the entire affair was to prove that SEO conferences can be fun, productive and satisfying at a minimal cost to people who really want to learn.

Sadly, we could only invite a small crowd this year due to the fact that it was just me and my wife organizing the event. With the success of this experiment, we’ve received sponsorship inquiries and a strong clamor to do a sequel next year.

The People’s Conference

The GDI SEO Training Camp was by no means a perfect conference. There’s plenty left to be desired logistically and we realize that there’s a need to improve the format so the audience can have a more intimate experience with the resource people. I’ve had discussions with SEO Pampanga members and some prominent names in the Philippine digital marketing scene on how we can make the next event even better – if and when it happens. Ideas for hands-on training and open bar-type discussions will be explored and I’m excited to co-brand the sequel with people who’ll help organize it.

But yeah, the future looks bright with sponsorship inquiries coming into my inbox as I write this post. When the next event does happen, the only things I can guarantee is that prices won’t be going up – they’ll be going down because we’ll use funds from sponsors to give back to the people. My vision for the GDI SEO Training Camp is for it to become The People’s Conference in the local digital marketing scene. With the help of my friends in the industry, I’m hoping we can prove that taking our skills to the next level doesn’t have to be formal and pricey. With enough good will, it can be done cost-effectively in a light atmosphere.

The Decks

Yes, I’m aware that event participants and people who missed it want to see and download the presentation slides from  each speaker. Here they are and I hope you enjoy them:

1. Gary Viray – How to Set Straight Your Online (SEO) Campaigns with Killer KPIs

There’s a wide array of stats that you can measure in an online marketing campaign but which ones really matter? Gary shed some light into the complex numbers game with a scientific, no-frills approach to SEO success measurement.

 

2. Fervil Von Tripoli – Detailed Guide on Keyword and Niche Research

Smart SEO isn’t about trying to barrel your way through a tough search market in an attempt to rank for competitive keywords that may not yield a positive ROI. Being smart means picking your spots and fighting winnable battles. That’s what Fervil’s deck and speech was all about and we loved how granular he got with his explanations.

3. Jason Acidre – Win with simple SEO processes

 Winning deals with clients is one thing. Delivering on your promises and keeping your clients happy for the long haul is another matter. SEO extraordinaire Jason Acidre explained how he and Xight Interactive do business effectively with simple SEO processes.

4. Glen Dimaandal – Technical SEO Audit with Screaming Frog

Most of us have used the Screaming Frog SEO spider tool to find broken links, to diagnose pages and to audit on-page ranking elements. In this presentation, I shared five simple processes that will allow you to use Screaming Frog to fight off Panda, perfect your site migration, clean up your link profile and more.

5. Roel Manarang – 5 Tips on How to Be Profitable Using Social Media Marketing

 Roel discussed how social media marketing can drive profits for any online marketing campaign. We all know that social media is a big synergy to SEO and Roel’s presentation drives home some key points on how to make it work for you.

6. Grant Merriel – Shut Up and Process It

You may have SEO knowledge, but without solid processes that you can deploy, replicate and measure, it doesn’t mean much. Grant’s presentation delves heavily on the business side of organic search marketing.

7. Jayson Bagio – 4 Easy Steps to Master Broken Link Building

Broken link building is one of the easiest and most effective ways to acquire links today. Jayson Bagio has refined this process to a science and his deck is loaded with information on exactly how to get it done.

8. Valerie Joy Deveza – Social Media Marketing Roadmap

 Effective social media marketing involves a lot more than just posting on social media channels. Building content, attracting the right audience for it and engaging with them in a meaningful way are the keys to a social strategy that pays dividends. Valerie’s deck outlines her take on how to accomplish just that.

 

9. Venchito Tampon Jr. – Guest Blogging Strategy That Will Take You Into The Next Level (Plus Other Link Building Tips)

Is guest blogging really dead as a link acquisition method? Not if you know how to do it right. Venchito Tampon Jr. shares how exactly he goes about this business for his clients in the deck below.

We have plans of releasing the videos of each speaker in the coming weeks, so watch out for that.