Disa Johnson

Disa Johnson 2012

Director, Moderator & Event Producer

Fortune 50 experience for me began in 1997 as Director of Search Marketing with WPP worlwide and continued through the 2000s as VP of Technology with PositionTech and with Search Return. Paid Inclusion was a technology-based submissions program we started at PositionTech in partnership with Yahoo! owned Inktomi, Altavista, FAST Search and more. I then established the search marketing department at PositionTech to handle PPC and Google before launching Search Return LLC on my own. Search Return makes consumer and professional website crawler tools based on Mobile Sidecar.

As part of the SMX Conference Programming Team, I originally moderated and organized and produced with Danny Sullivan since 1999, including chairing my own Search Engine Strategies conference in Denmark 2001. I handled all the original advanced topic sessions, which fielded matters of source code and search engine algorithms. I continue to moderate wit Danny and appear as a panelist about mobile and search technology. Conference programs where I've appeared include those from The DMA, AdTech, Frost & Sullivan, SES, SMX and ClickZ.

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Litigation Support Services

Legal experience includes participation both as a named and unnamed expert in trademark cases, unfair competition and industry 'click fraud' cases, from 1999 (on behalf of the US Postal Service) continuing through cases in process now. I've provided expert testimony regarding trademark, copyrights, search engine marketing, search advertising programs, and on matters of Web technology, intellectual property rights and trademark law. Work included examining Web server log entries, email 'header' code, and campaign details.

Embedded Strategist

My involvement with the search engine industry began before year 1997 when I made a career choice to begin developing Web applications a job at the famed Multimedia Marketing Group. I became famous in the field of SEO quickly afterwards. I now write crawler software with our team at Search Return, working as an embedded strategist to prvoide custom tools to agencies (for example Chicago Tribune's 435Digital as recently as January 2012). I'm acknowledged as a top search industry leader known by industry leaders themselves, having contributed ideas to private think tanks, big brands and to the public through seminars and conferences. I pioneered best practices and methods still in wide use by today's tech practitioners.

Mobile Web Developer

Introducing Mobile Sidecar. A file that is distributable and secure, the sidecar was designed for iPad and also runs on the desktop under Apple Safari, Google Chrome and Opera 11. The source code executes using the device chip itself, making it a truly standalone and mobilized web crawler. A native Chrome Extension available alongside more implementations in a proffesional setting to enterprise clients. We're expecting wide device support in the forthcoming tablet computer age, paticularly after Android adopts a full version of Chrome for use with the smartphone and tablet marketplace.

Memberships / Organizations / Volunteer Work

I've served on the Search Engine Marketing Council (SEMC) with The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) as the chair of programming. Officially recognized by The DMA for contributions since November 2005, I continue aiding the DMA's Search Marketing Certification program. I served as a facilitator for Wings Personal Effectiveness program and mentored troubled youth in the Oregon Public School system. I've lent my search industry and software knowledge to Illinois Masonic Hospital's technology committee, working in the Emergency Room alongside medical staff during trauma emergencies (interoperating with the computer systems) engaging the Chicago Fire Department and Police. Illinois Masonic is the Northside premier Level One ER facility in Chicagoland and a POD hospital for the city of Chicago.

Search Industry News Correspondent

I've served as a news correspondent for the The Daily Searchcast, as a featured guest on Rainmaker, StrikePoint, SEO Rockstars and special streaming audio programs and podcasts. The Daily Searchcast provided search engine news, including reporting live news to and from Search Marketing Expo for Search Engine Land and Search Engine Watch.

Chicago Based Professional Speaker

I've performed with my band (Disa Johnson & The Mystics) touring the Pacific Northwest in the early 1990s. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. As part of my love for music and the lifestyle, I contribute to the GLBT community by raising funds and awareness for the AIDS epidemic, and in my capacity as an open GLBT professional speaker. Topics where I've appeared as a speaker (not solely on technology) include those particlarly through Chicago area GLBT institutions. For example formerly as detlev, and now as Disa Johnson I spoke at the Be All gender conference, keynoted by Chaz Bono.