• by Sara Holoubek , March 6, 2006

A few weeks back I celebrated the opening of a speakeasy-themed lounge in the EastVillage. The place is impossible to find without the address; no signs announce its basement presence. If your entourage requires additional discretion, there is a private back room with a two-way mirror, a secret entrance with a password text-messaged to you within 2 hours of the party and the ability to pipe in your own iTunes playlist.

Bootlegging Days

There was a time, in the not-so-distant past, when working in the search engine marketing industry was like running a speakeasy, if not an outright bootlegging operation. We had our secret sauce and access to distribution--and those who sought our moonshine had to know where to find us. Foolishly, we swarmed to that place in human nature that revels in exclusivity. Many accounts were won by simply brandishing knowledge of clicks and spiders to those not in the know, and forewarning others of the dangers of succumbing to organized crime. We carefully dodged large agencies seeking to "partner" with us, and most certainly never agreed to help a brand marketer "learn search" in a turnkey operation. The profits were all ours.

A Speakeasy on Every Corner

Inevitably, word got out and an increased demand for the goods led to a proliferation of providers. At one point, New York City was said to have 100,000 speakeasies, and judging by last week's Search Engine Strategies exhibit floor, there are just about as many SEMs.

In the sessions, cups overflowed as Google engineers, once forbidden to comment on algorithmic search, passed the bottle on this very topic (albeit regarding Google sitemaps). Organic's Jinenne Sutherland shared a sophisticated search-imbued interactive marketing campaign for Jeep. And a few weeks earlier, I heard About.com's leader affirm that all 500 expert writers are well-versed in search and write according to search parameters to achieve better rankings. Chris Copeland of Outrider, a WPP firm, shared with me that Sir Martin Sorrell himself recently presided at the search firm's annual client summit.

Prohibition's End

There is a moment when you realize that the number of insiders has grown to exceed the number of outsiders, and that secret passwords are outmoded. Drinks are now being served with a level of expertise and creativity that far outweighs the rotgut of long ago. Not only can you openly order a glass of search anywhere, but a few places will garnish it with an olive.

To move forward with search, we must be inclusive of everyone who wants to play in the space. Inclusive of the advertising agencies that successfully implement search campaigns. Inclusive of the Web analytics firms that have developed sophisticated software. Inclusive of the engines, Googlebase and all.

Exclusivity can create a great initial draw, such as for gmail's beta launch or today's three-hour open window for MSN adCenter access. But as a long-term industry strategy it is futile. So while Will Rogers is famous for saying "Prohibition is better than no liquor at all," I look forward to a new era of search mixologists.