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2026 Search Engine Land Awards judges reveal what makes an application award-worthy
Jun
Since its inception in 2015, the Search Engine Land Awards have acknowledged distinctive entrepreneurs on an annual foundation — showcasing excellent work, offering well-earned publicity in protection and interviews, and bestowing upon them the very best honor in search.
Whereas there’s no single system for making a successful entry, our judges have seen sufficient submissions through the years to know what separates the actually distinctive from the merely good. The strongest purposes don’t simply share outcomes, they inform a narrative. They supply context, display strategic considering, and clearly talk why the work mattered.
And since nice recommendation shouldn’t be gatekept, we thought we’d convey a few of these insights on to you.
We requested a number of of this yr’s Search Engine Land Awards judges to share their finest recommendation for potential entrants. From widespread errors to keep away from to the weather that persistently stand out, their insights provide a beneficial look contained in the judging course of and might help you construct a stronger, extra compelling submission.
Preserve studying for a roundup of recent insights from a few of our judges. (And see the entire checklist of 2026 judges here!)
“An incredible entry is a narrative with a aim, an motion, and a measurable final result that ties again to it. Inform that story in addition to you possibly can, and embrace a deck that makes it straightforward to see precisely what you completed.”
– Amy Hebdon, Founder, Paid Search Magic
“Clarify your techniques. Many entries simply say “we used finest practices”. Everybody’s finest practices and techniques differ. Explaining the method that result in your outcomes will spotlight your inventive considering, drawback fixing, and uniqueness. Displaying your insights and thought processes helps your entry standout and showcase your organization’s aggressive edge.”
– Brad Geddes, Co-Founder, Adalysis
“I search for SAY which stands for: State of affairs, Motion and Yield.
Candidates ought to write a transparent instance of the state of affairs, what they did and the end result achieved over the time interval,”
– Jo Juliana Turnbull, Development Advertising and marketing Senior Supervisor, Holafly
“Present me the people behind the metrics. We’re in a time the place AI is reshaping search at a tempo none of us have seen, and that shift issues…however the purposes that rise to the highest will lead with empathy, not simply analytics. I would like tales the place I can see how your work constructed real belief with actual folks, not merely visibility in search and AI engines. I’m particularly drawn to entries that embrace a wellness-based method to their craft, and to groups who pair their quantitative wins with qualitative perception: the quote, the aha second, the change in how somebody felt a few model or expertise. Inform me the way you held the human on the heart – as technique. In case your challenge made folks really feel seen, understood, or genuinely helped, lean into that. These are the tales I’ll be in search of.”
– Danita Smith, Founder & CEO/Chief Innovation Strategist, Adanis Design
“Clearly state the problem you solved, and again it up with information. Clarify the technique behind the techniques you used and the outcomes they drove. Inform me not simply what occurred, however what impression did it have in your campaigns? What did you do otherwise consequently?”
– Melissa Mackey, Director of Paid Search, Compound Development Advertising and marketing
“Proof: charts, analytics, screenshots. Be detailed, particular, and share information.”
– Barry Schwartz, Editor, Search Engine Land
“Inform a narrative. Numbers get you within the room, however the story is what stays with the judges. I wish to know what the issue was, why it was arduous, what you tried, and what lastly labored. That arc, the messiness of actual work, is what separates a memorable entry from a forgettable one. The submissions that stick to me are those the place I can really feel the considering behind the selections, not simply the end result. You probably did nice work this yr; now, make the judges really feel the load of what you solved earlier than you present them the numbers.”
– Ameet Khabra, Founder, Hop Skip Media
“The 2 primary issues all award-winning entries share are that they clarify the whys behind the hows, they usually convey receipts (information to again up claims). If you happen to can’t share the info behind your entry (budgets, income, and so on.), you might be placing your self at a definite drawback and should find yourself losing the entry payment. Lots of people submit the identical practices – when you can distinguish your self by displaying modern considering, you’ll do nicely!”
– Navah Hopkins, Product Liaison, Microsoft
“Give me all the info you possibly can. Present the numbers and the actual impression of no matter you probably did; conversions, ROI, and no matter financial will increase you had been in a position to trigger.”
– Celeste Gonzalez, Content material Implementation and Product Specialist, Lastmile Retail
“Present me one thing I haven’t seen earlier than, then show it labored. The purposes that land are those with a genuinely sudden method backed by numbers that make the end result plain.”
– Adam Tanguay, Head of Development, Jordan Digital Advertising and marketing
“I’m in search of an method or technique that challenges the norm of SEM. A novel method that focuses on attaining the enterprise objectives by the use of marketing campaign construction throughout Model, Non-Model, Efficiency Max, Conquesting, and common upper-funnel techniques. A sophisticated mind-set concerning the target market, messaging, conversion objectives, and so on. that helps present a classy manner of managing the campaigns & total technique to exceed enterprise objectives.”
– Matt Devinney, Director, Shopper Accomplice, Tinuiti
“I’m in search of tasks that break new floor with modern takes on search engine optimisation, and are backed up by information and numbers-driven insights each step of the way in which.”
– Olya Ianovskaia, Founder and Lead Guide, MycoMinds search engine optimisation
“Make your entry simply readable. We’re going to have to undergo a number of entries – I do know the entries could possibly be fairly technical (and the standard of that may take precedent), however I’m extra prone to vote for you if I loved studying your entry.”
– Anu Adegbola, Paid Media Editor, Search Engine Land
“My #1 piece of recommendation is to showcase technique that really breaks new floor. Award-winning purposes display innovation that anticipates the place SEM is heading, whether or not that’s leveraging AI in novel methods, pioneering audience-targeting approaches, or creating distinctive cross-channel integration. However innovation alone isn’t sufficient. Probably the most compelling entries join these forward-thinking methods on to measurable enterprise outcomes, offering clear proof of how your work translated to consumer progress metrics that matter. We’re in search of that excellent steadiness: inventive execution that pushes boundaries whereas delivering documented ROI that proves your method wasn’t simply modern—it was transformative.”
– Joseph Kerschbaum, Senior Vice President, Search & Development Labs, DEPT
And there you’ve gotten it! Submit your entry today to be thought-about by this yr’s esteemed judges. Early Chook charges expire July 10… so get a transfer on!
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