Straight from the source: 2025 Search Engine Land Awards judges reveal what makes an application award-worthy
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.
But the road between deciding to begin an application and winning the award can be a long one. Although the submission process is exceptionally streamlined — it’s never been faster or easier to apply — there’s still a story that has to be told.
The way you tell that story is entirely up to you… but why not bear in mind some first-hand advice from select 2025 judges while you’re at it?
Keep reading for a roundup of fresh insights from some of our judges. (And see the complete list of 2025 judges here!)
“Tell us how you used paid search to solve a real problem. Define your goal and KPIs, show what you did to drive meaningful improvement, and how you measured success. A short slide deck goes a long way in showing your work and results.”
– Amy Hebdon, Founder, Paid Search Magic
“I look for innovative strategies that solve advertiser problems – what was the problem, and how did you solve it? What metrics did you use to evaluate success? What were the business results of your strategy? What insights can you draw from the results and what additional actions did you take as a result of these insights? What was different about your overall approach?”
– Melissa Mackey, Director of Paid Search, Compound Growth Marketing
“Evidence: charts, analytics, screenshots. Be detailed, specific, and share data.”
– Barry Schwartz, Editor, Search Engine Land
“I want to learn more about the why, not the what. I want to see the strategic thinking that led to why you structured your campaigns the way you did, the decisions you made, and how you adapted when AI-driven automations weren’t aligned with your goals. I believe what sets great paid media managers apart from the herd is their intentionality. Did you allow the machine to run wild, or did you deliberately build a campaign that allowed you (or your client) to scale smartly, profitably, and transparently? I want to hear the story!”
– Ameet Khabra, Founder, Hop Skip Media
“The two main things all award-winning entries share are that they explain the whys behind the hows, and they bring receipts (data to back up claims). If you can’t share the data behind your entry (budgets, revenue, etc.), you are putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage and may end up wasting the entry fee. A lot of people submit the same practices – if you can distinguish yourself by showing innovative thinking, you’ll do well!”
– Navah Hopkins, Brand Evangelist, Optmyzr
“Clarity and evidence. Make sure your entry clearly outlines what you did, why, what the results were, and backs each claim with real data. Visualizations of that data are helpful. And don’t be afraid to share something unique or innovative, originality can help your submission stand out just as much as results can.”
– Celeste Gonzalez, SEO Strategist, RicketyRoo
“Remember: data gets you noticed, but personality makes you memorable. Let your real voice and personality shine through. The most compelling entries aren’t just case studies with good numbers, they’re stories told with heart, clarity, and originality. Don’t be afraid to show us what makes your approach different.”
– Adam Tanguay, Head of Growth, Jordan Digital Marketing
“I am looking for an approach or strategy that challenges the norm of SEM. A unique approach that focuses on achieving the business goals by way of campaign structure across Brand, Non-Brand, Performance Max, Conquesting, and general upper-funnel tactics. An advanced way of thinking about the target audience, messaging, conversion goals, etc. that helps show a sophisticated way of managing the campaigns & overall strategy to exceed business goals.”
– Matt Devinney, Director, Client Partner, Tinuiti
“I am looking for projects that break new ground with innovative takes on SEO, and are backed up by data and numbers-driven insights every step of the way.”
– Olya Ianovskaia, Founder and Lead Consultant, MycoMinds SEO
“Make sure you match the metrics you quote in the premises and objective of your award entry to the results. If you mention how the aim was to improve revenue and CPA, clearly talk about how those metrics were improved in a before-and-after scenario. Extra points for a graph representation of that before and after the testing period.”
– Anu Adegbola, Paid Media Editor, Search Engine Land
“My #1 piece of advice is to showcase strategy that truly breaks new ground. Award-winning applications demonstrate innovation that anticipates where SEM is heading, whether that’s leveraging AI in novel ways, pioneering audience-targeting approaches, or developing unique cross-channel integration. But innovation alone isn’t enough. The most compelling entries connect these forward-thinking strategies directly to measurable business outcomes, providing clear evidence of how your work translated to client growth metrics that matter. We’re looking for that perfect balance: creative execution that pushes boundaries while delivering documented ROI that proves your approach wasn’t just innovative—it was transformative.”
– Joseph Kerschbaum, Senior Vice President, Search & Growth Labs, DEPT
And there you have it! Submit your entry today to be considered by this year’s esteemed judges!
