Learn the Essentials of Search Engine Marketing

April 24, 2005 -- On Thursday, April 28 from 9AM until 4:30PM, search engine marketing expert Grant Crowell – www.grantasticdesigns.com - will lead a full-day seminar and workshop on what every business needs to know about search engine marketing and how they can best use it to achieve their business goals.

The seminar, part of the Search Engine Marketing Roadshow, will take place at the Manoa Innovation Center at 2800 Woodlawn Drive, Suite 100 in Honolulu. Pricing is $169 for registration before April 26th, and $149 after; $50 discounts are available to attendees who register by April 26 and qualifying businesses. Participants may register for the Roadshow online at http://www.semroadshow.com/roadshow/register.html, or by phone at 800-841-1354 x801 or 847-488-9300.

Search engine marketing is the latest buzzword among businesses, and for good reason. Almost three out of four—or nearly 75% of US Internet users have utilized a search engine to find information, products or services online. Additionally, the more well-off an Internet user, the more likely they are to do product information research via search engines.

Clearly, search is growing in importance, especially when you consider that the figures above don't even consider the growing popularity of local search. The number of people using the Internet to find goods and services in their area is expected to account for 66% of US Revenues by 2009. Analysts The Kelsey Group also projects that digital directional advertising targeting the local market is ripe for growth over the next four years.

Participants in Day One of the SEM Roadshow will learn proven search marketing techniques and tips, including:
• What is Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and why it is important to your business
• How SEM is different in Hawaii than in the continental US
• The differences between free and paid search
• New specialty searches: shopping, local, news, blogs and more
• The secrets behind how search engines *really* rank web sites
• The top five costly mistakes people make when marketing their web site

Speaker Grant Crowell, 34, is CEO and founder of Grantastic Designs. He has strong cultural and familial ties to Hawaii. Born and raised in Honolulu, Grant is a graduate of of Kalani High and the University of Hawaii-Manoa. His local background includes working for U. of Hawaii’s CBA College Relations Office, serving as editorial columnist and cartoonist for the UH Newspaper Ka Leo O Hawaii, and as a talk show host for KWAI 1080 radio.

This will be Grant’s 2nd speaking event in Hawaii on Search Engine Marketing. His first speaking event took place last September for the College of Business at University of Hawaii – Manoa.

Roadshow sponsors include PR Web™ and Hawaii’s High Technology Development Corporation.

About Grantastic Designs
Originally founded in 1992 in Honolulu, Hawaii and with headquarters now in Chicago, Grantastic Designs offers marketing, design and search related services to clients ranging from start-up businesses to Fortune 500 organizations. Grantastic principals are renowned authors within the search engine industry. Grantastic principals have been featured in USAToday, PC World, Entrepreneur Magazine, Business 2.0, Crain's ChicagoBusiness, Internet Retailer, and Inc. magazine, among other publications. Some of their clients include Reader’s Digest, Thomson Financial, HSBC, Wiley & Sons Publishing, Microsoft, America Online, and Inktomi. Visit them online at www.grantasticdesigns.com.

About PR WEB™
PR Web™ has offered free online press release distribution services since August 1997. Since then PR Web™ has gradually made the transition to a fully integrated press release newswire service. They are the largest Newswire catering to small and medium sized companies and organizations and one of the largest online press release newswires. PR WEB editors review thousands of press releases each week for distribution through the PR Web™ Newswire services. Visit them online at www.prweb.com