Last week, an army of individuals wearing checked shirts and big-rimmed specs (stereotype I know) travelled to Brighton for the second Brighton SEO conference this year.
Having never been to this conference, I was sent along with our very own SEO experts to attend, network and of course, expand my own understanding on SEO best practice.
Having experienced first-hand what this conference is all about; I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and write up my thoughts.
Disclaimer, there are absolutely no key takeaways here that will add any value to your SEO knowledge.
The amazing location
First and foremost, I love Brighton. So any excuse to visit my favourite place is lapped up. Brighton, with its laid back vibe and alternative attitude feels like the right place to be if you want to be amongst likeminded people, all soaking up the atmosphere in a quirky digital bubble.
With so much to offer, the conference was located on the beachfront with amazing offers to go visit local bars and restaurants. The whole ‘work hard, play hard’ motto was strongly reinforced throughout the conference with many of the exhibitors providing tools and vouchers to either enjoy Brighton or recover from Brighton. My fave – the White Digital goody bag that provided sunglasses and a can of Lucozade. Says it all eh?
Networking opportunities
With 1000’s of industry experts in one place, it is easy to meet others and network. The event attracts diehard SEO techs through to marketing automation experts and digital PR strategists. Hey, it attracted me and I like to classify myself as a ‘generalist’ i.e. digital marketer.
From the pub on Thursday night, through to Smokeys BBQ for lunch, we were surrounded by Brighton SEO’ers.
It was great to meet new people and build strong connections in the industry. Who knows when you may need that one contact right?
The lectures
Brighton SEO is structured in such a way that it helps attendees navigate the day based on their preferred topics.
I chose to attend IDM Academy in the morning session, with the focus on data collection and legal implications to brands and businesses alike. Not only was the session delivered in an engaging and thought provoking way but I genuinely walked away thinking about the various clients I manage and how we need to start considering data collection legalities post Brexit!
I also attended the content session – which, unsurprisingly was at full capacity. Covering topics such as email marketing and content frameworks, there were some gems that I came across – check out my live tweeting from the day by following me on @sarrahahmed01 for some incredibly insightful tweets.
My fave snippets:
1) Data collection post Brexit is tightening up- check your opt in and privacy policies!
2) Content isn’t king. UGC is. Hallelujah!
3) For every £1 spent, email marketing generates £20 on revenue
4) 31% of customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews (gasp)
5) Pick your platform first and then create the video. One size really doesn’t fit all
Cue shameless plug to follow me on Twitter if you want more snippets ….
So is it worth it?
Without a doubt, it’s the place to be and to be seen if you are an inspiring, mid-weight or established SEO expert. Whilst I am sympathetic to SEO and the importance of it, I am by no means an expert.
As a Digital Marketer, there is value in attending the conference. You’ll be exposed to new content methods but most importantly; you’ll be amongst some of the greatest SEO experts in the UK.
