Visit to SEM - IMPAQT

I recently had the opportunity to visit and give a research talk at IMPAQT, a Pittsburgh-based search engine marketing and search engine optimization firm. I was really impressed!

Founded in 1997, IMPAQT now services mainly Fortune 1000 companies in the SEM and SEO areas. The headquarters on the 7th floor has a wonderful view of the countryside surrounding Pittsburgh. The offices are really interesting and a unique feature is that the conference rooms are all named after defunct search engines (ARCHIE, Wanderer, etc.). A nice touch to keep everyone on their toes and a constant reminder on how the dynamic Web environment changes.

I was there on pizza day! So, during lunch, gave my presentation on research that I have conducted on sponsored links, online branding, and micro-blogging for branding. Also talked about the Google Online Marketing Challenge, including highlighting that the Penn State was one of the winning teams in the Challenge.

Prior to and after the presentation, had some great discussions with members of the IMPAQT team.

Really impressive lineup of talent at this company! I learned a lot.