Our key takeaways from this year’s Brighton SEO

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25 May

Key themes from Brighton SEO Spring 2022 that search marketers can’t ignore

Search Engine Optimisation can be a complex beast. With all its influencing factors, there aren’t exactly black-and-white rules for SEO, rather defining best practice guidelines from Google, along with years of industry learnings.

When correctly applied, these can dramatically improve a brand’s organic visibility, gaining them new traffic, new customers and ultimately more business.

However, it’s not just that SEO isn’t straightforward - it’s also forever changing. With frequent updates to Google algorithms, the contest against competitors and the ever-evolving online landscape, it seems that every day there is something new to learn.

At Accord, our SEO team of experts make it their job to stay on top of these evolutions and are always on hand to share their learnings and experience in order to ensure we are devising and delivering the most up-to-date solutions.

As part of our quest to have the skills, know-how and strategy, in April, two of our SEO Content Leads, James Dart and Holly Paddon, attended BrightonSEO Spring 2022, the world’s largest search marketing convention.

Over two days, they watched 52 talks from speakers at all levels, met industry leaders, and learnt about the newest tools, trends and techniques on offer. Now, after many discussions and debates, we’re in a position to share some key takeaways.

If you aren’t doing Digital PR, it’s time to start

‘Digital PR’ has become a buzzword in the industry as brands create campaigns that don’t just offer an SEO advantage but generate awareness and exposure. This sort of content can influence social discussions and position the brand as an authority in their field (more on the advantages of that later).

Maciej Wroblewski, Head of Marketing at Prowly, shared that “79% of SEO practitioners consider Digital PR a part of their SEO strategy” (a majority that Accord Marketing falls into).

At Accord, Digital PR campaigns sit within a larger organic content strategy that allows us to not only create amazing, high-ranking content for our clients’ websites but also content that excites, informs and educates a new audience.

The Unyielding Power of E-A-T

Expertise, authority, and trust make up E-A-T, every search marketer’s favourite acronym. Whether it was a discussion on link building, a talk about strategy or a PowerPoint on content management, E-A-T was unavoidable, and for good reason.

The principles of E-A-T, although not a ranking factor, feed into the quality signals Google looks for when reviewing a website and shaping the algorithm. What’s more, it demonstrates three key pillars to customers, giving them increased belief in a brand over competitors. So, how does Accord deliver the principles of E-A-T in our content strategies?

Expertise – collaboration with clients or third-party industry professionals ensures that all content created provides expertise and up-to-date information.

Authority – content strategies that allow clients to explore every aspect of their field of expertise show Google and users that they are an authority on that topic.

Trust – authenticity at every level of a campaign and a focus on speaking to the audience, rather than just creating content for search engines, demonstrating dependability and trustworthiness.

As Chima Mmeje said in her talk at this year’s conference: “I don’t just want to rank in Google, I want to rank in my users’ minds.” By demonstrating E-A-T, brands don’t just establish themselves in the digital world, but in their target audiences’ minds.

Accessibility consideration is not optional, it’s essential

This year, one of the major themes across BrightonSEO was that, in 2022 and beyond, accessibility cannot only be a consideration when it comes to your online presence, it needs to be at the forefront. At every level, prioritising cultural sensitivity and inclusivity is vital for reflecting your brand morals and messaging. Prioritising accessibility should be presented as an ongoing solution and not simply as an ad hoc answer as and when it’s advantageous. How can this be achieved?

· Use image alt text as an accessibility feature first, and an optimisation tool second.

· Be aware of the readability level of your audience and cater to it.

· Don’t just include LGBTQ+ messaging during Pride month.

· Make sure creative assets are accessible and demonstrate diversity and inclusivity.

Content should consider users first and search engines second

We know it might sound counterintuitive for one of the key takeaways from a search engine marketing conference to NOT think about search engines first, but hear us out. Quite simply, it doesn’t matter how visible the content being created on a site is if it isn’t speaking to the audience.

Corrie Jones, Founder & CEO of UNTAPPED, shared some fantastic insights in her talk, ‘How to create genuinely compelling content for your customers’. Did you know that the average person will see between 6,000 and 10,000 ads every day?

Simply being visible is no longer enough, and content needs to be able to cut through the noise by sparking emotion, creating conversations, and speaking to a culture. This is where Digital PR campaigns come in, where E-A-T becomes so vital, and is where ensuring you’re being inclusive comes into play - each, when done right, gives users reason to engage.

We can’t put it any better than Corrie did in her talk: “The best way to sell to your customers is to talk to your customers. Organic content is the best way to talk to your customers every day.

Strategy, strategy, strategy

So, how do you achieve all of the above? Well, it’s all in the strategy. There is no doubt that a well-thought-out and expertly advised approach is the best way to tackle a digital marketing project, and the key takeaways from BrightonSEO Spring 2022 are all things that, with the right strategy, fall into place easily.

Accord has years of experience building strategies that yield exceptional results, appeal to users, and turn a brand into an authority. With our ears to the ground, our team of SEO experts are passionate about all things search marketing and, throughout every stage of your project, will think flexibly, respond swiftly and operate at the very heart of your business. Plus, we have a proven track record of working with entrepreneurial start-ups, challenger brands and market leaders.

Want to learn more about how we can help implement an SEO strategy that will take your brand to the next level? Connect with us today.

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