SMX Seattle 144, originally uploaded by John Beagle.

The redeye seems appropriate for this photo of Stephen Spencer and Danny Sullivan. It was taken at the end of the SMX Advanced 2008 in Seattle the place where in the know SEO’s go. It appears that Stephen is shooting laser beams at Danny for the final assault at the conference.

SMX in Seattle did have a bit of Yin and Yang to it. Yin was the anti-Moralist SEO, Jay Young of Link Fish Media, Inc. Yang was Google’s SPAM Buster, Matt Cutts.

Moderator of the Yins and Yangs was mild mannered, Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land.

Danny’s job is to keep everyone playing nice. A boundary that was breached at 2 of the SEO sessions, “Blow Your Mind Link Building Techniques” and “Give it UP!”

Around 11 o’clock on Tuesday, June 3, 2008, the assault on white hat SEO’s was opened up by Jay Young with this salvo -‘were not in this for the morals, were in it for the Marketing!’ Mr. Young offered several tips that Matt Cutts would consider over the line, some even ‘way over the line’ such as certain types of SPAM.

Matt Cuts explains his position on immediately removing SPAM from the News in this SMX Advanced 2008 Matt Cutts video by Dave Dugdale of rentVine.

“No one can blog about this for 29 days… keep under wraps… let’s not go too far… and remember, Matt Cutts is sitting out in the audience,” reminded Moderator Danny Sullivan just before the packed seo session, “Give it UP!” the last SMX session on the last day.

In keeping with Danny’s request, I can’t say for another 3 weeks what was said in the ‘Give it up!’ Session. (Hint: The Stephan Spencer presentation).

But, I can share you this photo just after the SMX session ended. Danny was frazzled to say the least. And Stephen was pleased, Danny was not.

Danny… remember Ricky Nelson’s Garden Party, “You see, ya can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself”