The brightonSEO conference has evolved from a small group of search specialists gathering in a room over a pub in Brighton, England to a world-spanning series of regular and popular events. As brightonSEO’s website puts it, “in just a few short years brightonSEO has become one of the most popular and respected search conferences in the world. We now welcome thousands of people to Brighton’s biggest venue twice a year with more people catching the online editions.”
I was eager to catch up with brightonSEO’s founder Kelvin Newman to discuss the conference’s origin story and trade notes on SEO issues that are top-of-mind today, including the intersection of AI and SEO. (BTW I will soon be speaking at the brightonSEO event that will be held on November 19th and 20th, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, so if you plan on attending this show, please let me know and perhaps we can meet up!)
Kelvin and I cover numerous topics of interest to search specialists and event organizers; they include:
- The importance of AI visibility in SEO (and why some clients have become obsessed with this issue).
- How AI hype is now quietly yielding to a focus on how AI will affect individual workflow.
- The rapid evolution of digital marketing roles and tasks, which highlights the importance of future-proofing conference agendas.
- How conference organizers must create a skillful balance of content between tactical-level and strategic-level topics.
- The importance of creating authentic and helpful content that resonates with customers.
- How Google’s “helpful content update” dovetails with social media algorithms, prioritizing high-quality content that bubbles up in feeds.
- How AI-generated content, ownership, and copyright issues are raising questions about the future of content creation and distribution.
- How AI-generated content may become more personalized, with authorship becoming a key factor.
- The power dynamic between creators and media organizations, with creators building their own brands and having more influence.
- How changing social media algorithms have shifted the focus from domains to individuals, leading to breakout viral hits and increased visibility for creators.
- The current and future state of visibility, including AI-generated content and its potential impact on SEO.