Celebrating Search Marketing Excellence
The fourth annual Search Engine Land Awards, known as the "Landy Awards," took place on June 12, 2018, at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle, Washington. Held in conjunction with SMX Advanced, these awards recognize individuals, agencies, and internal marketing teams who demonstrate excellence in executing organic and paid search marketing initiatives that deliver measurable business results.
With over 600 search marketers in attendance, the 2018 ceremony showcased campaigns that set new standards for technical SEO expertise, strategic content development, and data-driven optimization. This comprehensive look at the winners reveals the strategies and approaches that earned them recognition as industry leaders. Understanding the different types of SEO helps contextualize how these winners excelled across multiple optimization disciplines.
What Makes a Landy Award Winner
The Search Engine Land Awards evaluate submissions based on measurable results, strategic innovation, technical sophistication, and overall business impact. Winners are selected by industry experts who assess each campaign against rigorous standards that reflect the core pillars of successful search marketing. Following major Google algorithm updates becomes essential for maintaining the kind of consistent excellence these awards recognize.
The 2018 Landy Awards by the Numbers
4th
Annual Awards Ceremony
600+
Attendees at SMX Advanced
12
Award Categories
Seattle
Host City
Best Overall SEO Initiative: Infront Webworks
Winner: Infront Webworks
Infront Webworks took home the prestigious Best Overall SEO Initiative award, demonstrating exceptional excellence across multiple dimensions of search engine optimization. Their winning campaign showcased a holistic approach that combined technical SEO expertise with strategic content development and comprehensive site optimization.
What Set Their Approach Apart
Infront's systematic methodology began with an in-depth technical audit that uncovered crawlability issues, site architecture problems, and on-page optimization gaps. Rather than focusing on quick wins, they developed a strategic roadmap that prioritized high-impact changes while building a foundation for long-term organic growth.
Key Elements of Their Success:
- Comprehensive technical SEO audits identifying critical site issues
- Strategic prioritization of optimizations based on impact potential
- Ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement processes
- Clear connection between technical changes and business results
The judges recognized Infront's ability to deliver significant, measurable improvements in search performance while maintaining sustainable, white-hat practices that align with search engine guidelines. Their methodical approach ensured every optimization effort contributed to sustainable ranking improvements and traffic growth. Infront Webworks' 2018 Landy Award win
Best Local Search Marketing Initiative: Infront Webworks
Winner: Infront Webworks (Again!)
Infront Webworks proved their versatility by also winning the Best Local Search Marketing Initiative award. Their local SEO campaign showcased deep understanding of how location-based search factors influence visibility and how businesses can optimize their presence across Google's local ecosystem. Implementing actionable technical SEO items ensures local search visibility translates to real business results.
Local SEO Excellence in Action
The winning local search campaign addressed the unique challenges businesses face in competing for location-based queries:
- Google Business Profile Optimization: Comprehensive profile management and optimization
- Local Citation Management: Ensuring consistent business information across directories
- Location-Specific Content: Strategic content targeting local search intent
- Review Management Programs: Building and managing online reputation
- Schema Markup Implementation: Technical optimization for local relevance
Measurable Local Search Results
The campaign delivered significant improvements in local pack rankings and increased foot traffic to physical locations. By connecting local search visibility to actual business outcomes--phone calls, direction requests, and in-store visits--Infront demonstrated how local SEO can drive tangible results for multi-location businesses. Following the technical SEO hierarchy of needs provides a framework for building similar local search success.
Best B2B SEO Marketing Initiative: AIS Media
Winner: AIS Media
AIS Media earned the Best B2B SEO Marketing Initiative award for their work navigating the complex B2B search marketing landscape. B2B SEO presents unique challenges including longer sales cycles, complex decision-making processes, and the need to target highly specific, technical keywords. Staying current with SEO trends for 2025 helps B2B marketers anticipate evolving search behaviors.
Understanding B2B Search Behavior
AIS Media's approach began with deep research into target audience search behavior and content consumption patterns. They recognized that B2B buyers typically conduct extensive online research before making purchasing decisions, searching for solutions to specific business problems and evaluating multiple options.
The B2B Content Strategy
Their content strategy focused on creating comprehensive resources addressing the full spectrum of questions B2B customers have during their buying journey:
- Problem-aware content for early-stage prospects
- Solution-focused resources for evaluation-stage buyers
- Technical documentation for comparison-stage research
- ROI calculators and business case tools for decision-makers
Integrated B2B Marketing Approach
What made the AIS Media campaign effective was their integration of SEO with broader B2B marketing objectives. Rather than treating SEO as a standalone discipline, they aligned search optimization with lead generation, sales enablement, and customer education initiatives. This integrated approach connected SEO directly to pipeline growth and revenue generation. AIS Media's 2018 Landy Award win
Individual Achievement: Female Search Marketer of the Year
Winner: Stephanie Wallace, Nebo Agency
Stephanie Wallace, Vice President of Owned Media at Nebo Agency, received the Female Search Marketer of the Year award, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the field and measurable results throughout her career. Her success demonstrates how technical SEO fundamentals combined with strategic content leadership creates award-winning results.
Wallace's Journey to Industry Recognition
Wallace joined Nebo in 2010 and built the agency's owned media capabilities into a comprehensive offering including SEO, email marketing, and social media marketing. Her leadership has resulted in numerous award-winning campaigns delivering significant business impact for clients across various industries.
Industry Leadership and Thought Leadership
Beyond client work, Wallace has contributed to the broader search marketing community through speaking engagements at major industry events:
- SMX London
- INBOUND
- PubCon
Her passion for digital marketing is evident in her commitment to knowledge sharing and professional development within the industry.
What the Recognition Means
"This accolade is an outstanding achievement for Stephanie and is extremely well-deserved," said Kimm Lincoln, president of Nebo. "I'm so proud of all that Stephanie has accomplished over the past eight years, and I'm excited to see where she takes our owned media teams in the future." Stephanie Wallace's recognition by Nebo Agency
Technical SEO Excellence
The 2018 winners prioritized technical audits and optimization before content or link building. This foundation-first approach ensures search engines can crawl, index, and understand website content effectively.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Successful campaigns implemented robust tracking and analytics systems. They translated data insights into actionable optimization recommendations through continuous measurement and analysis.
Holistic Search Strategies
Winners integrated multiple disciplines including technical SEO, content marketing, and link building. This coordinated approach leveraged synergies between different tactics.
Measurable Business Outcomes
Award-winning campaigns connected search performance to revenue, leads, and business objectives. They built attribution models linking organic search to business results.
Sustainable Long-Term Approaches
Winners focused on sustainable, white-hat practices rather than manipulative tactics. They invested in foundational work for lasting results.
Lessons from the 2018 Landy Award Winners
Focus on Measurable Business Outcomes
The 2018 winners demonstrate that successful SEO campaigns must connect to measurable business outcomes. While rankings and traffic matter, compelling SEO programs link search performance to revenue and lead generation. This requires robust tracking systems and clear communication of value to stakeholders.
Key Implementation Steps:
- Implement comprehensive conversion tracking tied to organic search
- Develop attribution models showing search's contribution to revenue
- Create reporting dashboards connecting SEO metrics to business KPIs
- Establish testing and experimentation programs to validate optimizations
Technical Foundation as Prerequisite
Technical SEO is a prerequisite for sustainable search success. Before investing in content or link building, websites must ensure search engines can effectively access and understand their content. This requires regular technical audits, ongoing monitoring, and prompt issue resolution. Our technical SEO services address these foundational elements that award-winning campaigns prioritize.
Sustainable, Long-Term Approaches
Award-winning campaigns showed commitment to sustainable practices delivering lasting results. This means avoiding manipulative tactics while building genuine value through quality content, solid site architecture, and legitimate link building. Long-term success requires patience and continuous investment. Understanding SEO trends for 2025 helps future-proof your approach against algorithm changes.
Holistic Strategy Integration
Modern search marketing requires coordination across technical SEO, content marketing, and off-page optimization. The winners understood that these disciplines work together synergistically rather than existing in silos. Our full-service SEO approach integrates these disciplines for maximum impact. Implementing actionable technical SEO items provides a foundation for holistic strategy execution.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Landy Awards
What are the Search Engine Land Awards?
The Search Engine Land Awards, known as the Landy Awards, are industry honors recognizing excellence in search marketing. They celebrate individuals, agencies, and teams who demonstrate exceptional results in organic and paid search marketing initiatives.
When and where was the 2018 ceremony held?
The 2018 Landy Awards ceremony took place on June 12, 2018, at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle, Washington, in conjunction with the SMX Advanced conference.
How are Landy Award winners selected?
Winners are selected by industry experts based on measurable results, strategic innovation, technical sophistication, and overall business impact. Submissions are evaluated against rigorous standards reflecting best practices in search marketing.
What makes a winning SEO campaign?
Winning campaigns typically demonstrate technical excellence, data-driven optimization, measurable business outcomes, and sustainable long-term strategies. They integrate multiple disciplines and connect search performance to broader business objectives.