Attending SEO conferences is one of the most impactful ways to elevate your SEO.
You get to:
- Rub shoulders with marketing rockstars
- Soak in the latest SEO trends
- Leave with ideas (or validation) that could change your career trajectory
And with Google shaking things up left and right, these gatherings are your ticket to staying ahead of the curve.
We’ve handpicked seven can’t-miss SEO conferences offering unique opportunities for learning and growth.
TL;DR:
| Conference Name | Dates | Location | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| WTSFest | September 19, 2024 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Focused on women professionals |
| Brighton SEO | October 3-4, 2024 | Brighton, UK | Unique networking activities like roundtables and beach cleaning |
| State of Search | October 28-29, 2024 | Grapevine, Texas | Includes topics for omnichannel strategy |
| NESS (News & Editorial SEO Summit) | October 29-30, 2024 | Online | Online networking opportunity |
| Spotlight by Semrush | October 30, 2024 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Add-on: Workshop and certification |
| International Search Summit | November 14, 2024 | Barcelona, Spain | Add-on: One-day training course |
| Chiang Mai SEO Conference | November 18-22, 2024 | Chiang Mai, Thailand | Meetups hosted at hotspots around Chiang Mai |
1. WTSFest
Date: September 19, 2024
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Price: $399 (in-person attendance), $99 (recording only)
The Women in Tech SEO Festival (WTSFest) is a full-day conference. It features 10 expert speakers who will share their knowledge and insights on topics designed to help you analyze, advance, innovate, and empower your SEO strategies.
Speakers
WTSFest features a lineup of 10 expert speakers, including:
- Bianca Anderson: Manager of Organic Growth at hims & hers
- Jamie D’Alessandro: Sr. SEO Specialist at Amsive
- Purna Virji: Principal Consultant of Content Solutions at LinkedIn
Topics
- E-E-A-T
- Ecommerce SEO
- Creating digital customer journeys that drive sales
- AI and its impact on what customers are looking for
- Content inclusivity
Networking
There are three 30-45 minute coffee and lunch breaks throughout the day, where you can network with people in the industry.
At the end of the main event, there’s an after-party to connect with your peers more.
Price
WTSFest offers two pricing options:
- Standard ticket: Costs $399, which includes access to a full-day conference
- Recording only: For $99, you’ll get the recording of the conference in October
2. BrightonSEO
Date: October 3-4, 2024
Location: Brighton, UK
Price: Early bird rate from £200; free ticket also available
BrightonSEO is a search marketing conference that brings together industry experts to share their knowledge and insights through focused 20-minute talks.
Speakers
Some of the notable speakers you’ll see at BrightonSEO include:
- Abi Bennetts: Digital PR Director at Propellernet
- Adam Collins: Agency Owner at Ignite SEO
- Eoin Cahill: Senior Industry Manager at Google
- Li Peng: Head of SEM at Wise
Topics
- Turning data into a feel-good copy that converts
- How to turn ad spend into long-term customer bonds
- Content strategy for large websites
- Conversion optimization strategies
- Forecasting SEO results in GA4
Networking
BrightonSEO offers multiple networking events and activities:
- Roundtable discussions
- Thursday party
- Pre-conference beach clean
- SEO Mastermind borrel
Educational Sessions
BrightonSEO offers in-depth training day on 2nd of October. It’s a practical, hands-on analytics, PPC, and SEO training course and workshop that helps you upskill in a specific area of search marketing.
Price
BrightonSEO offers five ticket tiers:
- Ballot: Free one-day ticket that includes access to parties and networking events. Plus video recordings 3-7 months after the event. You need to join the waitlist as the free tickets aren’t guaranteed.
- Fringe: For £200 (early bird rate until August 2nd), you can buy a one-day pass that includes the same as the Ballot tier
- Friend: £300 (early bird rate), includes two days at BrightonSEO, parties and networking events, and video recordings soon after the event
- Training: £670 (early bird rate), includes everything in the Friend tier, plus training day before the conference and lunch on the training day
- Video bundle: £125 (early bird rate), includes only video recordings soon after the event
3. State of Search
Date: October 28-29, 2024
Location: Grapevine, Texas
Price: Early bird rate from $597
State of Search is a two-day digital marketing conference offering actionable intelligence and insights from experienced practitioners and experts in the field.
Speakers
Some of the speakers you’ll see at the State of Search are:
- Kyle Roof: Lead SEO at High Voltage
- Martha van Berkel: CEO and Co-founder at Schema App by Hunch Manifest
- Julie Jones: Product Manager, Marketing Analytics at Baylor Scott & White Health
Topics
- SEO strategies and tactics
- Local SEO
- PPC (pay-per-click advertising)
- Social media marketing
- Algorithm updates
Networking
Interact with other attendees throughout the two-day conference. Likely during coffee and lunch breaks.
Price
State of Search ticket price ranges from $597 to $997 depending on the purchase date.
4. NESS (News & Editorial SEO Summit)
Date: October 29-30, 2024
Location: Online
Price: $225 or $180 (for groups of 10+ people)
NESS (News & Editorial SEO Summit) is an online event focused exclusively on SEO strategies for news publishers. It’s designed for journalists, editors, audience growth strategists, SEO professionals, and web developers seeking to maximize their organic search traffic.
Speakers
Speakers lineup include:
- John Shehata: CEO and Founder at NewzDash
- Barry Adams: Specialized SEO Consultant at Polemic Digital
- Rand Fishkin: Cofounder of Sparktoro
- Martin Splitt: Search Relations Engineer at Google
- Ed Hyatt: Director of Newsroom SEO at The Wall Street Journal
Topics
- Technical news SEO
- Google helpful content updates
- Google algorithm updates
- Local news SEO
- Topics, entities, and knowledge graphs
Networking
While it’s an online event, NESS has still allocated time for networking throughout the two-day event. You can connect with others during coffee and lunch breaks, similar to how it would’ve been done at an in-person event.
Price
A standard ticket to NESS costs $225 and includes live access to all sessions, video recordings, and presentations.
For teams of 10 or more attendees, the price is $180 per ticket.
You can also purchase video recordings of last year’s event for $199.
5. Spotlight by Semrush
Date: October 30, 2024
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Price: Early bird rate from €390
Spotlight by Semrush is a full-day conference focused on learning, inspiration, and networking. Spotlight offers exclusive certification workshops led by industry experts, where you can deepen your expertise and gain a recognized certificate.
Speakers
Some of the notable speakers you’ll see on Spotlight are:
- Andrew Warden: Chief Marketing Officer at Semrush
- Sophie Miller: Founder and Director at Pretty Little Marketer
- Crystal Carter: Head of SEO Communications at Wix
- Jasmin Alic: Fortune 500 Copywriter and LinkedIn Coach
Topics
- AI and the future of marketing
- How to stand out in a crowded market
- SEO in 2025
- What to do after you’ve built a community
- How to win when everyone is using AI
- What stops the scroll
- How to win over Gen Z customers
Session Types
- Keynotes
- Panel discussions
- Mastermind sessions
- Certification workshops
Networking
- Pre-event party on October 29
- Coffee and lunch breaks during the day
- Post-event cocktail reception
Educational Sessions and Certifications
You can attend an expert-led strategy workshop the day before the Spotlight conference. Upon completion, you’ll receive an Advanced Semrush Certification.
Certification workshops are scheduled on October 29th from 9 AM to 5 PM.
There are three sessions to choose from:
- Level up Your SEO with Advanced Tactics: Led by Fabrizio Ballarini, Organic Growth at Wise
- Turn Your Social Media Into a Lead Machine: Led by Sophie Miller: Founder and Director, Pretty Little Marketer
- Master Content-Led Growth: Led by Kyle Byers, Director of Growth at Semrush
These workshops are included in the VIP Pass (more on passes below).
Further reading: The 7 Best SEO Courses & Certifications
Price
There are two ticketing options for Spotlight: Conference Pass and VIP Pass.
Conference Pass costs €390 early bird (available until August 1) and €490 regular price.
VIP Pass costs €990. It includes the conference pass, plus educational workshops and certification, a VIP welcome party, and a 60-minute site clinic (on-site or within a month after the conference).
6. International Search Summit
Date: November 14, 2024
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Price: Early bird rate from €145
The International Search Summit (ISS) is an event dedicated to international search marketing topics.
It’s a full-day event with three tracks packed with talks providing tips, tactics, and insights on how to improve your online visibility in international markets. And how to effectively engage your target audience across the world.
Speakers
The ISS doesn’t have a list of speakers for 2024 yet. But here are a few notable speakers who were at the 2023 summit:
- Olga Andrienko: Vice President of Brand Marketing at Semrush
- Crystal Carter: Head of SEO Communications at Wix
- Kayleigh Dibble: Performance Marketing Specialist at Hotjar
Topics
The ISS doesn’t have a list of topics for 2024 yet, but here are the tracks from the 2023 (which are likely to be similar):
- International SEO: Covered topics like how to manage SEO on international platforms without local language knowledge and common mistakes in international SEO and how to avoid them
- International Content: Covered topics like how to create content in the AI era, how to leverage E-E-A-T, and how search intent varies by market
- Audience and Paid: Covered topics like cultural mistakes to avoid when entering a new international market and how to develop an integrated global media strategy
Networking
- Pre-conference drinks reception on November 13th
- Coffee and lunch breaks during the day
- Post-event drinks reception
Educational Sessions
The ISS offers a one-day training course the day before the summit to enhance your international SEO skills. This workshop is led by three international SEO experts from Webcertain.
Price
International Search Summit offers two ticketing options:
An early bird ticket to the ISS costs €145 (until July 12th) and includes access to pre-party, conference, and post-event networking drinks.
ISS ticket + International SEO Workshop costs €750.
7. Chiang Mai SEO Conference
Date: November 18-22, 2024
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Price: Starts at $597
Chiang Mai SEO Conference is an annual gathering of 800 SEO professionals, entrepreneurs, agency owners, and affiliates dominating the search rankings in different niches.
This five-day event features presentations, workshops, and networking events focused on sharing innovative SEO strategies and tactics.
Speakers
The lineup of speakers at the Chiang Mai SEO Conference includes:
- Nick Eubanks: Vice President of Owned Media at Semrush
- Koray Tugberk: CEO and Founder of Holistic SEO
- Julia McCoy: President at Content at Scale
- Tim Soulo: Chief Marketing Officer at Ahrefs
Topics
While the detailed agenda is still unknown, the conference mentions delving into both black and white-hat SEO strategies.
Networking
Connect with fellow attendees and speakers during coffee and lunch breaks.
Plus at various meetups hosted at popular spots around Chiang Mai throughout the week.
Price
Chiang Mai SEO Conference offers three pricing tiers:
- Standard: $597. Includes conference seating, buffet lunch, access to closing and opening night parties, and workshops and networking events
- Deluxe: $897. In addition to standard ticket offerings, you’ll get upfront classroom seating and a goodie bag with a t-shirt and sponsorship swag
- VIP: $2,199. Includes the Deluxe ticket offerings, plus you’ll be seated in the front row of the classroom seating and invited to a private speaker dinner
The Next Step in Your SEO Career
Attending SEO conferences is an incredible way to learn and network.
But the journey doesn’t stop there.
To continue growing your knowledge, connections, and accountability, consider joining online communities. For example, a premium community like Traffic Think Tank offers a wealth of resources like Slack channels, live sessions, and an academy for $119 per month.
If you’re looking for free options, explore SEO-focused Facebook or Slack groups (like Online Geniuses) where you can interact with peers, ask questions, and regularly share insights.
The post The 7 Best SEO Conferences to Attend in 2024 appeared first on Backlinko.
