2020 Events Every SEO Should Know

With 2020 here, we find ourselves thinking ahead about how the industry will change and what we’ll learn this year. If you’re anything like us, you’re eager to connect with innovative leaders changing the game for SEO, customer engagement, analytics, and more. What better way to do so than to participate in key conferences and workshops — to not only network but to get your name out there, too!

Take a look at the events we’ve got top of mind this year. Maybe we’ll see you there!

SEO events to watch this year

Pubcon

February 6 at AT&T Center in Austin, TX

March 24-27 at Kovens Conference Center in Miami, FL

October 12-15 in Las Vegas, NV

Entering its 20th year, Pubcon is a conference for digital marketers by digital marketers. At the February conference, you can look forward to hearing from Gary Illyes (Google), Roger Dooley (author), and Nagendran Rangan (Microsoft), among others. In March, keynote speakers include Gary Illyes (Google), Annie Cushing (analyst/author), and Jen Slegg (The SEM Post). Details for Pubcon Pro Las Vegas are yet to be announced. Tiered ticket pricing is available.

Search Y

February 7 at Salons de l’Aveyron in Paris, France

Search Y, a global event dedicated to search marketing, invites SEO and SEA (search engine advertising) experts together to discuss industry news and future innovations. Speakers at this year’s event include Kaspar Szymanski (SearchBrothers), Martin Splitt (Google), Marjolaine Tasset (JDN – CCM Benchmark Group), Fabrice Canel (Bing), and more. Early Bird tickets are going for 180€, and Full Passes are 250€.

Psst! Check out our recent interview with Kaspar Szymanski here.

Women in Tech SEO Festival

March 6 at Barbican Centre in London

In honor of International Women’s Day (March 8th), the Women in Tech SEO community is hosting an exciting festival for women at all stages of their SEO careers. The day will feature a women-only lineup, including Emily Potter (Distilled), Hannah Smith, (worderist.com), Miracle Inameti-Archibong (Erudite), and more. Take a look at the full agenda for Women in Tech SEO Festival here. This event is currently sold out.

Engage Marketing Conference

March 12-13 at Sentinel Hotel in Portland, OR

Engage by SEMpdx is a 2-day digital marketing conference featuring learning tracks and panel sessions around topics like SEO, paid media, UX/design, and more. This year’s speakers include Ellie Mirman (Crayon), Brian Aldrich (Logical Position), and JR Oakes (Adapt Partners). Early Bird tickets for SEMpdx members are $349, and Early Bird tickets for non-members are $379.

SearchLove

March 26-27 at Kona Kai in San Diego, CA

June 8-9 at Hotel Indigo in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

September 7-8 in London (Venue TBA)

SearchLove is a two-day event dedicated to online marketing. Join together with top marketers to discuss analytics and optimization, content and paid promotions, and more. San Diego’s speaker lineup includes Matthew Brown (MJBLabs), Britney Muller (Moz), Andy Crestodina (Orbit Media Studios), and more. General tickets are $999, video bundles $1049, and VIP bundles $1299.

SEO Camp’us

March 26-27 at L’Usine in Paris, France

At SEO Camp’us, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in talks about mobile-first indexing, knowledge graphs for AEO strategies, Google penalties, and more. Some of the participating speakers include Bill Slawski, Cindy Krum, and Craig Campbell. Take a look at the full schedule here. Tiered ticketing is available, from 259€ (1-day) to 1,699€ (5-seat business pack).

Adobe Summit

March 29 – April 2 at the Sands Convention Center and Venetian Congress Center in Las Vegas

Adobe Summit brings together leaders in marketing automation, analytics, advertising, and commerce. The five day event will include Magento Imagine keynote and breakout sessions, an exhibit hall, and networking opportunities. They’re also offering certification exams to level up your career. Some of this year’s speakers include Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Mindy Kaling (Actress/Producer), Pam Oliver (Fox Sports), and more! Summit and Imagine full passes are $2095. If you register by January 21st, you’ll save $200 with advance pricing.

brightonSEO

April 16-17 at the Brighton Centre in Brighton (and another date in October!)

brightonSEO is a biannual search marketing conference and training event. At the event, you can hone your skills at in-depth training workshops on content creation, advanced Google Analytics, JavaScript SEO, and more as well as enjoy talks on demand analysis, Python and machine learning, and earning high-quality links, to name a few. brightonSEO offers tiered ticketing ranging from £150-600+. Free entry ballots have now closed.

Advanced Search Summit

April 22-24 at Meritage Resort in Napa Valley, CA

This year’s Advanced Search Summit will take place in Napa Valley, CA. This annual event is devoted to developing your skills as an SEO/SEM by bringing together industry thought leaders to discuss advanced tactics and come away with actionable data. You’ll have the chance to hear from 33 speakers, receive mentorship in a casual environment, and explore everything Napa Valley has to offer through an exciting schedule of activities. Early Bird tickets are going for $1099 (GA) and $1349 (VIP) through February 24th. After that, regular ticketing is listed at $1699 (GA) and $1949 (VIP).

SMX Advanced

June 8-10 at Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle, WA

SMX Advanced by Search Engine Land is dedicated to elite search marketing training. Learn how to drive awareness, traffic, conversions, and profits for your brand through deep dive sessions with hand-selected experts. You can register for a free expo + pass, a workshop-only pass for $895, or tiered All Access passes starting at $1,100. There are also group rates available.

MnSearch Summit

June 19 at St. Paul Rivercentre in St. Paul, MN

MnSearch Summit invites digital marketers from around the world to engage in topics like SEO, PPC, media, email, content, video, and more. This year’s speaker lineup includes Ginny Marvin (Third Door Media), Ross Simmonds (Foundation Marketing), Britney Muller (Moz), and more. The event is beneficial for digital marketers at any stage in their career. EarlyBird ticket sales ($435) end on February 28th.

MozCon

July 6-8 at Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA

MozCon is a search marketing event offering the opportunity to connect with industry-leading practitioners working in SEO, mobile, conversion, optimization, local search, and more. This year’s speaker lineup includes Alexis Sanders (Merkle), Cyrus Shepard (Moz), Dana DiTomaso (Kick Point), Flavilla Fongang (3 Colours Rule), and many more. Early Bird tickets are $999 (Moz subscribers) and $1499 (GA) through January 31st.

Inbound

August 18-21 at The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, MA

Inbound is an annual experience bringing together innovative, break-out industry leaders to share their wisdom with founders, marketers, and more who are looking to change the game in their industry. Speakers include Elizabeth Gilbert (author), Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah (HubSpot), Jennifer Garner and John Foraker (Once Upon a Farm), and more. All-access passes range from $599 (1-day) to $799 (4-day), and 4-day community passes are available for $49.

One to One Digital Marketing Biarritz

October 6-8 in Biarritz, France

One to One Digital Marketing Biarritz by Comexposium provides a unique opportunity for digital marketers to discuss industry challenges and work towards improving ROI. Attendees can participate in 20 one to one meetings over the course of three days while enjoying casual networking opportunities. You can also spend time surfing or enjoying meals by the beach, side by side with industry leaders. Applications to attend will be open shortly.

SMX East

November 11-12 in New York City (Venue TBA)

SMX East by Search Engine Land provides an opportunity for search marketers to engage in expert-led SEO and SEM training. The event is a two-day intensive experience to help practitioners gain actionable tactics to generate traffic, increase high-quality leads, and improve conversion rates. Check out the coverage from SMX East 2019 here, and stand by for more 2020 event details.

TechSEO Boost

Date and location TBA

TechSEO Boost by Catalyst is a conference all about technical SEO. The event is 100% free with lottery entries available starting in August. This is a fantastic event for SEOs at every stage in their career to further their knowledge of website visibility and performance while networking with SEO veterans. Last year’s event included talks from Dawn Anderson (Bertey), Jori Ford (G2), Martin Splitt (Google), Frank Vitovitch (Botify), and many more.

Take a look at our recap of TechSEO Boost 2019 to soak up new knowledge and get a peek at what you can expect this year. Event details and ticketing TBA.

UnGagged

Dates TBA in Los Angeles and London

UnGagged is a two-day SEO and digital marketing conference for intermediate to advanced practitioners. Topics range not only from technical SEO to digital marketing strategy but also include topics like influencer marketing, legal, and reputation management. No recording is allowed, encouraging speakers to present candidly and enabling attendees to get an unrivaled, exclusive experience. The event also offers a full day of hands-on masterclasses. Stay tuned for date and ticketing announcements.

Events for retail and commerce

Salesforce Connections

May 4-6 in Chicago (Venue TBA)

Salesforce Connections invites marketing, commerce, and service experts to envision the future of technology as it relates to customer engagement. Speakers and attendees hail from retail, consumer goods, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, and manufacturing. Last year’s speakers included Yo-Yo Ma (cellist), Soledad O’Brien (journalist/entrepreneur), Stephanie Buscemi (Salesforce), and more. Ticking and venue TBA.

NRF NXT

July 14-16 at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA

NRF NXT blends physical with digital through deep dive sessions and relationship building opportunities. You’ll get the chance to engage in talks about customer loyalty, omni-channel strategies, AI, smarter cart abandonment marketing, and more with speakers from the retail industry including Lockie Andrews (UNTUCKit), Carrie Bienkowski (Peapod), Mike Carmody (Saatva Mattress), and more. Ticket pricing TBA.

CommerceNext

July 28-29 at Hilton Midtown in New York City

Join retailers, DTC brands, and tech companies to discuss next-level customer acquisition. With 100+ speakers, 1200+ attendees, and 50 sessions (including keynotes and breakout sessions), CommerceNext is a fantastic opportunity to expand your network and learn from the best. Last year’s speakers included representatives from Rent the Runway, Bonobos, and Casper. Stay tuned for this year’s lineup announcement. Tickets are $795 through June 1st, then $995 through July 30th, and $1295 onsite. Apply to attend here.

C-suite executive marketing events

CMOgala

February 20th at The Westin in Times Square, NYC

CMOgala by CXOsync is an opportunity to engage in thought leadership conversations with an intimate group of C-suite marketing executives. At the event in February, a hand-picked group of prosperous, innovative retailers will join together for dinner, a roundup of panels, and roundtable discussions. This event is invitation-only. Apply to reserve your seat, and join industry leaders to uncover new strategies and lessons learned. There is no fee to attend.

CMO Summit – Forbes

Date and location TBA

Every year, Forbes hosts an invitation-only summit dedicated to driving positive CMO influence. At the event, CMOs from top marketing brands work together towards accountability for authenticity, trust, purpose, cultural dialogue, human connection, technological innovation, and business growth. Last year’s event included speakers from Pinterest, Postmates, Facebook, Adobe, and more. Stay tuned for details on this year’s summit.

A couple more to add to the list!

Digiday

Various dates and locations 

Digiday hosts an array of events throughout the year, from media buying summits to publishing summits‚ all well worth a look! You can find the full schedule of Digiday events here and stay in the know by becoming a Digiday Event Insider here (you might even score discounted tickets!).

JOIN

Date and location TBA

JOIN by Looker is an annual user conference that brings innovative minds together to collaborate, share ideas, and connect over what data can make possible for business. You can find video footage of talks by Cal Fussman (journalist ), Hyoun Park (Amalgam), Jen Grant (Looker), and more from JOIN 2019 here. Date and location TBA.

By the way, curious what Looker can do for your data? Take a look at our recent partnership with Looker, and see for yourself!

Seize the day!

While we hope this roundup gave you a glimpse of some of the very best SEO events (and beyond) to look forward to this year, we know there are still so many more opportunities worth considering. With topics around automation, UX, transparency, and intent (to name a few) becoming more critical across the board, the conversation around innovation is not only growing but touching upon more industries, departments, and processes. For example, while SEO helps get people to your website, how do you also provide a relevant customer experience? Check out our upcoming webinar, “From Search to Transaction: How to Master the Customer Experience,” with Search Engine Journal and AB Tasty to hear more on that!

In addition to presenting at a number of events this year, we’ll also be hosting some of our own — including our quarterly BotifyConnect and Crawl2Convert. Follow us on Twitter to stay in the know on these events (and get tips and tricks for boosting your SEO!).

See you in the action!