A Look Ahead to BrightonSEO, and the Industry as a Whole in the Region

As we begin to discuss the upcoming BrightonSEO event that is scheduled for September 15th, some of you could be forgiven for thinking that you were experiencing Déjà vu.

After all, the upcoming event will be the second installment of BrightonSEO this year, with the first having taken place in April. Given that this popular gathering has quickly become a key feature of the SEO and web marketing industry in recent times, it is little wonder that there has been significant demand for more than one installment during the course of a single calendar year.

So what should newcomers expect from the scheduled BrightonSEO event, and what were the key takeways that the industry learned last time out?

BrightonSEO: A Think-tank with a Brief but Rich Heritage

In simple terms, BrightonSEO has emerged from humble beginnings to become a truly seminal event that defines a thriving industry. Having started out as a conversation in a pub and a simple desire to gather the brains behind the country’s leading SEO brands, the event has snowballed and now tailors to a domestic audience of thousands while resonating throughout the UK (and even beyond). In fact, the last event had a capacity of 3,500, with tickets selling out in less than 13 minutes!

There is method to the madness here, with Brighton renowned as a hotbed for SEO talent and cutting edge ideas. This made the seaside town a natural location for hosting the event, with practioners and workers from across the UK increasingly keen to meet colleagues within the sector, discuss best practice and consider the latest trends that are likely to shape the sector in the coming years.

It also delves beyond the headlines of these trends to uncover the finer details of the sector, while generating practical strategies for professionals.

Exploring the Key Takeaways from the Last Event and the rising Popularity of the Event

With this years’ event also sold out, it is worth considering exactly why BrightonSEO is so popular? While the location of the event and the fact that it is free remain compelling features for those active within the industry, the economic climate is also having an impact. With Brighton experiencing a decline in corporeal visitors as real wage growth stalls and online shopping enjoys exponential growth, there is a pressing need for brands (and retailers in particular) to develop their online presence and optimise this as a way of increasing conversions.

With service providers such as the Web Marketing Group also delivering specialist retail packages, BrightonSEO is growing in relevance with every passing year.

As if this was not enough, the event is also renowned for offering key insights into the UK’s SEO industry. There was a clear focus on content during April’s installment, for example, with data revealing that customers are now 80% more likely to engage with content that includes relevant images. The importance of online reviews and website loading times were also discussed at length, and marketers look to tailor their services to help brands optimise their sites as effectively as possible.

There were even more telling insights revealed during April’s event, with an estimated 50% of all searches expected to be conducted by voice by the year 2020. Revealing this as a seminal trend ahead of time enables service providers to discuss their response, which in-turn enables brands to leverage the best possible insight when optimising their website, service and virtual identity.

This is the core purpose that drives BrightonSEO and its popularity, as the industry’s leading lights continue to collaborate to improve the service delivered to businesses nationwide.