Since its inception in 2015, the Search Engine Land Awards have recognized exceptional marketers on an annual basis — showcasing outstanding work, providing well-earned exposure in coverage and interviews, and bestowing upon them the highest honor in search.
While there’s no single formula for creating a winning entry, our judges have seen enough submissions over the years to know what separates the truly exceptional from the merely good. The strongest applications don’t just share results, they tell a story. They provide context, demonstrate strategic thinking, and clearly communicate why the work mattered.
And because great advice shouldn’t be gatekept, we thought we’d bring some of those insights directly to you.
We asked several of this year’s Search Engine Land Awards judges to share their best advice for prospective entrants. From common mistakes to avoid to the elements that consistently stand out, their insights offer a valuable look inside the judging process and can help you build a stronger, more compelling submission.
Keep reading for a roundup of fresh insights from some of our judges. (And see the complete list of 2026 judges here!)
“A great entry is a story with a goal, an action, and a measurable outcome that ties back to it. Tell that story as well as you can, and include a deck that makes it easy to see exactly what you accomplished.”
– Amy Hebdon, Founder, Paid Search Magic
“Explain your tactics. Many entries just say “we used best practices”. Everyone’s best practices and tactics differ. Explaining the process that lead to your results will highlight your creative thinking, problem solving, and uniqueness. Showing your insights and thought processes helps your entry standout and showcase your company’s competitive edge.”
– Brad Geddes, Co-Founder, Adalysis
“I look for SAY which stands for: Situation, Action and Yield.
Applicants should write a clear example of the situation, what they did and the result achieved over the time period,”
– Jo Juliana Turnbull, Growth Marketing Senior Manager, Holafly
“Show me the humans behind the metrics. We’re in a time where AI is reshaping search at a pace none of us have seen, and that shift matters…but the applications that rise to the top will lead with empathy, not just analytics. I want stories where I can see how your work built genuine trust with real people, not simply visibility in search and AI engines. I’m especially drawn to entries that embrace a wellness-based approach to their craft, and to teams who pair their quantitative wins with qualitative insight: the quote, the aha moment, the change in how someone felt about a brand or experience. Tell me how you held the human at the center – as strategy. If your project made people feel seen, understood, or genuinely helped, lean into that. Those are the stories I’ll be looking…
Source link
Disclaimer
We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We blogs.grocliq.com want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It’s possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.
Website Upgradation is going on for any glitch kindly connect at [email protected]
