Google To Shut Its Doors in Dallas-Ft Worth

The board of the Dallas/Fort Worth Search Engine Marketing Association (DFWSEM) is perplexed at the recent announcement that Google would soon close its Dallas sales location.

“Bottom line, North Texas is a great place to do search engine marketing. We believe it’s the best place in the country to do search marketing,” said Tony Wright, Vice-President and spokesman for DFWSEM. “According to our internal survey at DFWSEM, our members represent more than $100 million spent annually in search engine advertising, and much of that money goes to Google. And while our membership is large, it’s only a fraction of the actual amount being spent or allocated from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I just don’t think the guys in Mountain View have ever been to Dallas and don’t know what they are missing.”

DFWSEM is currently the largest local search organization of its kind in the world, with close to 300 members and a four year history of providing networking and education for some of the brightest minds in the search engine marketing industry. According to a 2007 members survey, the group is responsible for the allocation of more than $100 million in search media dollars annually. DFWSEM considers this a very conservative estimate of the North Texas search engine advertising spend, and reflects a selected number of local corporate and agency spends, and does not take into account the vast number of small to medium sized businesses with substantial search budgets.

“In Dallas we have more industry leading search engine marketers than any market outside of New York City,” said Wright. “With all of the brand power, brain power and money that is controlled in Dallas, it is absolutely a mystery to me why Google would choose to close this office. Not to mention that Dallas is the absolute best choice for a Southern office because of the ease and cost-effectiveness of traveling anywhere in the country in less than 4 hours.”

DFWSEM members are proud to have worked with the competent and friendly team of Google sales professionals that will soon be forced to make the decision to either leave Dallas or leave Google.

“Our association members have worked with many different vertical Google sales offices across the country, and the general consensus is that the Dallas Google office was one of the best, if not the best team to work with,” said Rob Garner, DFW SEM president. “The Dallas Google office has supported the association and the North Texas search industry from the beginning, and their presence will be greatly missed.”

In order to show our appreciation, all current Google members are invited to attend the DFWSEM’s quarterly meeting on July 16 at the Renaissance Hotel in Richardson, Texas for a night of networking and education. There will be many search engine marketers present that are sure to have opportunities for those Googlers that choose to stay in Dallas.