The Best SEO Conferences on Earth [2024]

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SEO (search engine optimization) took the marketing world by storm — and it’s far from over.

A traffic and revenue source without cost-per-click? Yes, please!

Businesses from all industries are deferring dollars from paid marketing channels in favor of cheaper channels like affiliate marketing and SEO. That’s making SEO even more competitive (and lucrative) if done right.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, in-house digital marketer, agency marketer, or a freelancer, you want to stay on top of SEO industry trends. Doing so will make you a better SEO and more importantly, a better businessperson — make no mistake, driving targeted traffic to a website drives revenue.

A great SEO conference:

  • has incredible speakers with deep domain expertise
  • has opportunities for networking in fun ways
  • is affordable
  • and hopefully is in a great location

I’ve been in the SEO industry for 10+ years. These are the best SEO conferences out there. And yea, I’ve been to more conferences than I can count — I know what I’m talking about!

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Which is the Best SEO Conference on Earth?

We curated an updated list of various SEO conferences across the country, what they’re about, and our take on them. 

These are the best SEO conferences.

1. Content Marketing World

Content Marketing World is an annual conference for content marketers in every niche. Whether you’re in IT, fintech, media, wellness, or any other industry, this conference will connect you with other content professionals in your niche. 

Many past attendees praise the conference for its endless actionable insights, reputable speakers, and variety of sessions. Some of this year’s speakers are top content professionals from Google — the entity applying SEO the most! Other notable brands include Salesforce, LinkedIn, and Microsoft, as well as some successful start-up content marketing brands. 

Focus: All things Content SEO — creation, ROI, conversion, strategy, storytelling, and more.

Cost: $2,399 (in-person); $699 (online)

Notable Speakers: 

  • Jessica Bergman, VP of Content Marketing, Salesforce
  • Dale Bertrand, Content and SEO Strategist, Fire&Spark
  • Hassan Minhaj, Comedian
  • Bert Van Loon, Co-Founder, Content Marketing Fast Forward
  • Alison Jarris, Global Demand Content Marketing Lead, Google Cloud, Google

Sponsors: 

  • MarketMuse
  • Crowd Content
  • Vidyard 
  • Sitecore

Location

Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland

300 Lakeside Ave

Cleveland, OH 44113

Cleveland, OH

Date: September 13-16, 2022 (in-person) September 21-22 (online)

What We Think: 

We love this conference’s emphasis on storytelling over advertising and lead generation through intentional copy. 

2. SMX (Search Marketing Expo) Next and Advanced

SMX offers two notable SEO conferences — SMX Next and SMX Advanced — both free conferences. This is a conference for the search marketer that lives and breathes SEO in their day-to-day work. The expo is reputable, having presented the conference annually for the last 15 years. 

Considering the conference is free and virtual, the value is unbeatable. You’ll learn about Google’s algorithm updates, recent tech, landing page optimization, and much more. Every content marketer should consider attending with a notepad to jot down the current trends and actionable tips. 

Focus: Technical, Content, eCommerce SEO

Cost: Free

Notable Speakers: 

  • Avinash Konda, Director of Organic Growth, William Sonoma
  • Jori Ford, CMO, Food Boss
  • Carlos Meza, CEO, Crowd Content
  • Nadiia Sharipova, Head of Performance Marketing, Wrike

Location: Virtual

Date: November 15-16, 2022 (virtual)

What We Think: 

SMX is a fantastic resource for today’s SEO professional but it falls short in the networking category. A solely virtual conference makes genuine connections more difficult. 

3. MozCon

MozCon hosts are a well-respected SEO industry name — Moz. MozCon dives DEEP into SEO tactics, from SERP strategy and link building to keyword research and audience personas. The 2022 conference already took place this July, but tickets are on sale for the 2023 Seattle conference.  

The conference features high-up content and SEO figures in lucrative companies like Uber but also showcases SEO consultants who work independently. 

Focus: Technical and Content SEO, including SERPS, link building, organic traffic, and SEO for different types of content

Cost: $699 (early bird)

Notable Speakers: 

  • Emily Brady, SEO Consultant
  • Will Critchlow, Founder and CEO, SearchPilot
  • Jackie Chu, SEO Lead, Intelligence, Uber

Location: Seattle + Online

Date: July 11-13, 2022

What We Think: 

Moz is a highly reputable name in the SEO industry, and they put on an incredibly detailed conference. We’re impressed with the sheer variety of SEO topics on their roster and love how they discuss SEO for every possible content type(landing pages, product descriptions, eCommerce, and more). 

Also read: Moz Alternatives and Competitors

4. Searchlove Conference by Distilled.Net

Searchlove Conference is a place for everyone — business owners, agency SEO professionals, in-house SEO marketers, and marketing managers will all gain new insights here. You’ll learn about social metrics, brand voice, Google algorithms, SERPs, and much more. 

It’s also an excellent conference for networking. Attendees can connect over a warm fire and refreshments at the Searchlove party or catch up over a gourmet VIP dinner. 

Focus: Technical SEO and General Topics — Google algorithms, PR & SEO, Email marketing, Trends, Analytics

Cost: Not listed

Notable Speakers: 

  • Brittany Muller, Moz
  • John Gagnon, Microsoft
  • Matthew Barby, Hubspot

Location: Kona Kai Resort, San Diego

1551 Shelter Island Dr.

San Diego, CA

92106

Date: March 13-14, 2023

What We Think: 

Distilled is a big marketing agency and a prominent name in the global SEO world. They regularly feature top professionals and the newest technology at their conferences and offer immense networking opportunities. 

5. INBOUND Conference by Hubspot

Hubspot is a marketing platform that supports business with sales, customer relationships, and more. The company hosts INBOUND every year, where marketing and agency professionals can connect over dedicated “community” sessions and listen to keynote speakers and case studies. Even Obama will be there!

While the conference doesn’t revolve entirely around SEO, it covers enough SEO topics to interest us. You can learn about SEO personas and (our favorite) scaling SEO at INBOUND. 

Focus: Sales, Marketing, Customer Success — Some SEO topics like SEO personas and SEO professional meetups

Cost: $1,199 (in-person) free (virtual)

Notable Speakers: 

  • TJ Adeshola, Head of Global Content Partnerships, Twitter
  • Yamini Rangan, CEO, Hubspot
  • Dale Bertrand, CEO, Fire&Spark
  • Rory Hope, Team Manager, SEO, Hubspot
  • Jeff Ponchick, Soundcloud, Head of Creator
  • Jen Spencer, CEO, Smartbug Media®

Location: Boston, MA

Sponsors:

  • Google
  • LinkedIn
  • Intuit Quickbooks
  • Monday.com
  • Vidyard

Date: September 7-9, 2022

What We Think: 

We see INBOUND as a fabulous supplemental conference to attend, but it’s not your go-to for nitty-gritty SEO topics. Branding, customer experience, and conversational marketing are all critical aspects of business that SEO professionals should consider as a backdrop to their important work. 

6. Confab: The Content Strategy Conference

Confab is an event for anyone involved in digital content — marketing managers, SEO strategists, and consultants will all find something useful here. The conference covers a wide range of topics meant to “connect the dots” for every relevant aspect of content marketing, from web design and customer experience to technical SEO and accessibility. 

The 2022 conference took place in May, but you can still sign up for the upcoming 2023 conference in early May 2023. 

Focus: General Content Strategy — SEO, Analytics, Stakeholder Management, and more

Cost: 

In person $2,495 (early bird) – $2,795 (last-minute)

Virtual $995 (early bird) – $1,195 (last-minute)

Notable Speakers: 

  • Gavin Austin, Salesforce
  • Ryan Biggee, Royal Bank of Canada
  • Melinda Belcher, JP Morgan Chase
  • Kelsey Shanesey, Target
  • Gabriel Wardell, Coca-Cola Studios
  • Candi Williams, Bumble

Location

Hyatt Regency

Minneapolis, MN

Date: April 30-May 3, 2023

What We Think: 

Confab is a fantastic resource for anyone involved in content. We notice they feature two speakers from big banks, which might appeal to those in the finance/fintech industries. You’ll also get to attend some juicy sessions with dedicated content agency leaders and founders, as well as individual consultants for that extra entrepreneurial feel. 

7. The MarTech Summit

Marketing executives to the front! The MarTech Summit SEO conference is across the pond in London, UK — but well worth it for budding executives, especially in more traditional fields like insurance, oil and gas, finance, and defense. 

This conference caters to executive leaders and features many CEOs, Marketing Heads, and founders of successful global, UK-based companies. It covers numerous topics that offer a visionary, big-picture perspective to content marketing, including SEO & SEM, IT, digital strategy, and customer experience. 

Focus: Marketing Technology — SEO & SEM, Digital Transformation, Automation, CRM, and more

Sponsors: 

  • ON24
  • Twitch
  • Asana
  • Google
  • Meta (Facebook)
  • SimilarWeb
  • Kaltura
  • Cheetah Digital

Cost: £295 – £395

Notable Speakers: 

  • Daniele Longo, Global Head of Digital Marketing, Western Union
  • Keith Mowbray, Head of Digital Marketing, Towergate Insurance
  • Radmila Blazheska, Chief Marketing Officer, SecurityHQ
  • Kal Vaugn, Head of Digital Marketing Technology and Operations, Janes (Defense and Space)

Location: Virtual & In-Person 

133 Houndsditch

London, UK

EC3A 7BX

Date: November 17-18, 2022

What We Think: 

This SEO conference is a fantastic match for executives and company leaders. Although many sessions cover the more specific SEO topics we’re after, you won’t find as much of an executive focus with other conferences. The MarTech Summit offers private executive workshops and ample networking opportunities. 

8. Conductor C3 Conference

Conductor is an organic marketing platform that dives DEEP into SEO, both for small businesses and large enterprises. It’s only fitting that we’d include their dedicated SEO conference on our list!

The Conductor C3 conference covers topics like brand visibility, organic marketing strategy, SERPs, and more. You’ll find a wide range of speakers, including a nice mix of SEO leaders across retail, finance, entertainment, and other industries. 

Focus: Content and SEO Marketing — SEO careers, strategies, tech, B2B, and more. 

Sponsors:

  • SEMRush
  • Xivic
  • Clear Voice
  • iQuanti
  • Amsive Digital

Cost: TBD

Notable Speakers: 

  • Patricia Atrian, SEO Director, Live Nation
  • Matt O’Such, VP of SEO, Getty Images & iStockPhoto
  • Carla Piñeyro Sublett, SVP, IBM
  • Christina Bronzo, SEO Senior Marketing Manager, Fossil Group
  • Katie Greenwood, SEO Strategy Director, Conductor

Location:

Dallas, TX

Date: February 15-16, 2023

What We Think: 

Conductor does a great job at including SEO heads and executives from a wide range of industries. The conference innovation lab offers a free organic marketing consultation — bonus!

Also read: Brightedge vs Conductor

9. State of Search Conference

The State of Search Conference takes place in Texas every year and promises a “Texas-sized dose” of SEO insights, innovation, and industry know-how. This is a great conference for anyone that gets down and dirty with SEO and needs to learn about the latest algorithms and social media updates. 

Focus: SEO Programming — Local SEO, Technical SEO, Social Media Marketing

Cost: $205 (virtual) $412 (in-person)

Notable Speakers: 

Sponsors: 

  • Page One Power

Location:

Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel

900 E Lookout Dr. 

Richardson, TX 75092

Date: October 22-25, 2022

What We Think: 

State of Search is an affordable SEO conference, perfect for sending a team of SEO strategists. Its specific SEO topics like link building, paid media, and analytics will support any company’s marketing from the bottom up.

10. AdWorld Conference

AdWorld Conference is a renowned digital marketing conference for every type of strategy. With 12+ digital tracks to choose from, you can explore SEO and content marketing, brand building, media buying, and much more. 

We know — SEO beats ads tenfold, but you can still find some useful insights from both fields at this conference. 

Focus: 12 Tracks of Marketing, including SEO, social media, advertising, media, lead generation, and more. 

Sponsors

  • Google 
  • Meta (Facebook)
  • IBM

Cost: 

$128 (attendee)

$278 (company)

Notable Speakers: 

  • Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing Officer, Mastercard
  • Anthony Paluzzi, CEO, Palo Media Group
  • Mark Lefkowitz, Director of Partner Development APAC, YouTube
  • Jorie Waterman, eCommerce Industry Manager, Meta (Facebook)

Location: Virtual

Date: October 11-12, 2022

What We Think: 

You can leverage both ads and SEO to your benefit with a carefully planned content strategy. AdWorld offers the insights and industry professionals to help you merge the two for success. Plus, the conference is quite affordable. 

Conclusion

That’s a wrap on our favorite SEO conferences! No matter your content focus or budget, one of them is bound to help you press forward with your SEO goals. 

Also read:
29 SEO Statistics You Have to Know
SEO Analytics: How to do it Really Easily and Correctly
What is the Value of SEO?


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