The Best SEO Conferences You Didn't Know ExistedExceptional events can help you develop much-needed skills to outshine the competition in today's online marketplaces.

ByEric 'ERock' Christopher

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Black Hat Events | Facebook

Digital marketers and ecommerce specialists have one question on their minds: Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) still relevant? Recent debate around whether SEO plays an essential role in marketing efforts has prompted some SEO experts to make dire predictions. If it isn't dead now, they've said, it will be extinct in the near future.

Other SEO consultants and researchers disagree. They believesearch engines are evolvingto focus more onquality content, social signals and user intent.Simply put, this means that marketers who produce engaging content will have better long-term odds of higher rankings. At the same time, those who rely on keyword-stuffing, low-quality content and spammy backlinks will see their rankings drop. Altogether, traditional SEO strategies such as backlinks and a well-optimized websites remain valuable tools in a marketer's kit. But to compete for top rankings, savvy professionals must integrate all the components.

Related:SEO Tutorial: 12 Immutable Laws for Dominating Google's Search

Google's algorithm updates are a key driver. Becausemost of the world uses Google to search for anything, its algorithm significantly influences SEO best practices. Throughout the years, Google has updated its algorithm to generate the most useful and accurate search results. The development ofRankBrainhas the SEO community bracing for more frequent algo changes. Here are just a few of the updates in the past year:

With Google's constant changes and updates, adapting to implement the best SEO practices can be quite a challenge. But it's a must for any marketer who doesn't want to incur thedreaded Google slap

Popular SEO conferences.

SEO conferences offer an interactive way to stay current on developments in a continuously changing industry. You'll learn valuable information about what's hot, what's trending, what's new and what's still relevant. Seeing (and possibly meeting) cognoscenti and gurus in person can energize you in ways that reading e-books and watching webinars never can replicate.

Here are a few of the most popular SEO conferences running today.

1. MozCon

MozCon
Image Credit: MozCon

A three-day conference known for its dynamic content, idea-filled sessions, actionable tips and deep insights delivered by industry leaders,MozConfeatures topics beyond SEO. Additional tracks include brand development, conversion-rate optimization, the mobile landscape, analytics, customer experience, social media and content marketing. Speakers include the "Wizard of Moz" himself (Rand Fishkin), award-winning digital-marketing consultantMatthew Barby,CEO of STAT Search AnalyticsRob Bucci and Google Analytics Team AdvocateKrista Seiden

Related:It's Not About Just the Experience, It's the Journey -- With Analytics

2. Search Marketing Expo (SMX)

Image Credit: Search Engine Land

Founded in 2007,SMXhas grown into multiple events around the world. It's programmed by some of the sharpest minds in search marketing and produced byThird Door Media.SMX helps thousands of SEO and SEM professionals and marketing practitioners fine-tune their skills through exclusive training workshops and conference sessions. Former speakers include Olga Andrienko (head of global marketing forSEMrush), martech pioneerScott BrinkerandJerry Dischler(Google's VP for AdWord Product Management).

3. Search Engine Journal Summit (SEJ)

Image Credit: Search Engine Journal

TheSEJ Summitis a one-day event focusing on original, first-run presentations that highlight topics such as link-building, on-page SEO and content strategy. The event is known for its 18-to-1 attendee-to-speaker ratio, which gives participants more opportunities to connect and interact with speakers. The Summit's unique format guarantees attendees get the most for their time -- and promises to get them back to work the next day. For maximum efficiency, speakers focus only on the important points. This helps optimize how much knowledge the attendee retains.

Emceed byBrent CsutorasandLoren Baker, the Summit has featured pre-eminent speakers such as Larry Kim, the former WordStream founder who left to start themarketing-bot company MobileMonkey.Google's Webmaster Relations Project ManagerEric Kuanand industry veteran Duane Forrester also are among previous presenters. (The latter leftBing's Webmaster Outreach program to become Yext's vice president of industry insights.)

Related:The Psychological Effect That Stops Smart People From Listening to Good Advice

Underground and underrated SEO conferences.

选框SEOconferences certainly will keep you up-to-date on performing mainstream SEO, but a crop of new -- and vastly underrated -- conferences showcase unconventional methods to help attendees dominate SERPs. Speakers at these smaller, more intimate events tend to reveal some of their best SEO strategies, tactics and secrets.

These SEO conferences are a sure-fire way to learn nifty tips and tricks participants can use to their advantage. Bonus: Attendees also get to meet plenty of SEO and marketing experts to add to their networks, and that can be more valuable than the conference content itself. Here are three of the best "underground" conferences few people have heard of ... until now.

1. White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO Symposium

Image Credit: Josh Bachynski

This innovative, dynamicconferenceis a panel-style, two-day event.A white-hat presenter and a black-hat presentershare their best strategies to overcome any SEO problem. They tackle topics typically not discussed in SEO conferences, and recordings are not permitted. Two more unique features: the Mastermind and Extended Q&A sessions, during which speakers will answer any question, on the spot. The event is hosted by Josh Bachynski, a 20-year SEO veteran who titled his TEDx talk "The Future of Google Search and Ethics," and video-marketing leader Holly "Greeny" Starks.

演讲者从高调白帽SEO高手sultants such as YouTube expertDerral Evesand Australia's top SEO expert,Dan Petrovic, to some of the sneakiest black-hat practitioners -- among themJedediah HuntandDerek Booth.与会者投票事件最好的主持人,who wins a $5,000 prize. Not a bad incentive for speakers to divulge their best SEO secrets.

Related:15 Great TED Talks for Sparking Creativity

2. SEO Rockstars

Image Credit: SEO Rockstars

TheSEO Intelligence Agency developed this two-day conferencefilled with activities, tips and tricks. Attendees can expect fun and scientifically tested SEO techniques. The event's tagline is meant to lure guests: "SEO keeps changing and so do our methods! We don't tell the world our proven tests but we do tell each other." Emcees areDori Friend, a former Apple designer who worked on products for the Mac OS (and as part of the team behind the first digital interface for cameras) and Kyle Roof, CEO ofHigh Voltage SEO.Past speakers include Eric Lancheres (aGoogle penalty recoveryandtraffic expert),Smart MarketerCEO Ezra Firestone andPool Builder Lead RocketCofounder and CEO Geoff Frink. This year's speakers include underground ninjas such as SEO expert consultantBill Hartzerand fellow SEO wizardsClint ButlerandBrian Hong

Related:Why Entrepreneurs Should Question Everything and Everyone, Even the Experts

3. UnGagged Digital Marketing & SEO Conference

Image Credit: UnGagged

Thisthree-day SEO and digital marketing conferencecovers intermediate to advanced internet-marketing topics. Recordings are prohibited, and speakers aren't allowed to give sales pitches or similarly fluff up their sessions. UnGagged's roster of speakers includesBiddable MomentsFounder Samantha Noble,SiteTunersCEO Tim Ash, Dixon Jones,MajesticMarketing Director Dixon Jones andChatty PeopleFounder Murray Newlands.

Eric 'ERock' Christopher

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® Writer

CEO of BizFamousTM Media Group - Executive Producer - Entrepreneur

Eric Christopher, also known as ERock, is an innovative marketing strategist and respected business consultant who's a featured contributor on Entrepreneur.com, Business.com, Thrive Global, Huffington Post, and other major media outlets.

ERock has been a successful entrepreneur for nearly 2 decades. He graduated from Arizona State University with a 4.0 GPA, granting him Summa Cum Laude honors.

He started his first brick-and-mortar business as a strength and conditioning coach, working with amateur athletes to Olympic gold medalists. He then started a part-time marketing business, which generated multiple 6-figures over the next half-decade.

This experience ultimately evolved into a career as a branding, marketing, and media expert.

ERock is an accomplished writer, award-winning speaker, business strategist, and media consultant. He's described by his peers and clients as innovative, vivid, and quick-witted.

His philosophy is that ALL branding and marketing must be educational, engaging, and entertaining in order to succeed in today's competitive business world. His passion is to invent unique and creative branding and media strategies that generate exceptional ROI and PR for clients.

He's consulted with a wide range of enterprises, including local business owners, national franchise chains, respected cryptocurrency companies, and world-renowned brands, including Shark Tank companies and an original Shark Tank investor.


ERock is also an accomplished business coach, having mentored thousands of entrepreneurs around the world, teaching them how to run successful businesses themselves.

ERock is the founder and CEO of (BizFamousTM Media Group - link: https://www.BizFamous.com), a media consultancy designed to promote large brands and enterprises and (Local Business Rockstar - link: https://LocalBusinessRockstar.com), a company dedicated to empowering small businesses in their markets.

Want to learn from the Sharks and other successful entrepreneurs?

ERock is the Executive Producer and host of The BizFamous Show that is launching soon, (so feel free to subscribe to this brand new channel now - link: https://www.youtube.com/c/BizFamous?sub_confirmation=1)!

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