5:30PM-6:00PM Networking/Dinner
6:00PM-7:00PM Program
Living Room Theaters
341 SW 10th Avenue
Portland, OR 97205

The Traffic You Love to Drive In: Strategies for Optimizing Your Website’s Search-ability.

Trust from users and from search engines is imperative to success. It was not that long ago when common belief held that search marketing was primarily for direct response advertising. But marketplace dynamics, economic factors, more sophisticated marketers and, most importantly, more advanced analytics, have turned this long-held notion on its head.

In this one-hour session, Jonathon Hensley, CEO of Emerge Interactive (formally Empire Group, Inc), will discuss creating search profiles, the anatomy of search, current best practices for search optimization, emerging trends and the growing role of social media. This session goes beyond the theory and into the practical application of these principles, including some the tools you can use to help build, maintain and measure the ROI of your search engine strategies–don’t miss out!

Presenter Bio:
Jonathon P. Hensley is the founder and CEO of Emerge Interactive (formerly Empire Group). Emerge Interactive is a full-service interactive agency based in Portland Oregon. The company’s goal is to inspire and deliver remarkable solutions and user experiences across the interactive landscape, including desktop, web, and mobile environments.

Hensley’s work has been recognized throughout the industry. He has received numerous awards for innovative web solutions including Interactive Media Awards, Web Marketing Association Web Awards, and International Academy of Visual Arts Communicator Awards. As a growing authority on user-centered online strategy and development, Hensley is often asked to judge websites for various competitions, and was honored to be a part of the 2008 Web Awards Presidential Election website evaluation panel.

Inspired by Stephen M.R. Covey’s work and his best-selling book, The Speed of Trust, Hensley is currently working to develop and articulate the core strategies for building trust online and to integrate the essential components of online experience-based differentiation.
Hensley is a highly respected speaker and advisor on developing relevant, engaging, and results-focused interactive solutions. Drawing on the disciplines of traditional advertising, branding, media, and public relations, he applies best practices from each to create dynamic results across the interactive landscape. He believes that this holistic approach will lead to new breakthroughs in creativity, innovation, productivity, and communications, while reducing risk and cost. His commitment is to bring the benefits of these innovations to his clients and their customers.

Under Hensley’s leadership, Emerge Interactive provides the highest quality services with an unwavering commitment to integrity, relevance, and results. He has built a team of highly skilled and talented industry professionals and partners to meet the challenges of an ever-changing marketplace. This dedicated team delivers its personalized service and unique, integrated approach to a broad range of clients that include small business owners, non-profit organizations, and Fortune 500 companies.

Hensley has strong values about the ethical use of Internet technology and is committed to using it to support positive social change. He has actively provided services to a range of non-profit organizations including the Northwest Center for Health Promotion, Omidyar Network, the National Head Start Association, SOLV, the Angel Hair Foundation, and the salesforce.com Foundation, a multi-million dollar global philanthropic organization aimed at bridging the digital divide.
Throughout his life, Jonathon Hensley has been an active participant in sports, including swimming, basketball, golf, and martial arts. Currently, with the Emerge team, he participates in triathlon events across the Northwest. He applies the dedication, enthusiasm, and perseverance he’s gained from these experiences to his professional life. A commitment to balanced, healthy lifestyles is a core value of Emerge Interactive’s corporate culture.

His professional affiliations include an active membership in the Portland Business Alliance, the Rotary Club, the American Marketing Association, the Interactive Media Council of New York, and the Oregon Software Association. He attended the University of Oregon’s Charles H. Lundquist College of Business and currently lives in Portland, Oregon.