Another year has passed, and with it, so many new trends and changes in search marketing. In the search field, every week is a lifetime, and as search marketers, we never stop learning. We must stay up-to-date, follow the latest tweets, keep up to speed on search conference recaps, watch the In-Office Hours Hangouts by Google, the list goes on an on. Case studies, research, surveys; we are constantly surrounded by amazing insights.
We can never get enough, and it is hard to keep up! One of my favorite activities is combining a great business trip with the opportunity to learn and see real-life influencers in action, on stage! It is a chance to meet great people, plan co-marketing activities for our brand, and try out new tools and platforms.
Last year, I had the pleasure of speaking at one of the great SEO conferences in the UK — Brighton SEO. I got to meet some of the industry’s best experts and was given the opportunity to share my knowledge. A recommendation: after attending some conferences, consider speaking to increase your industry connections.
Just like last year, I am going to help you decide which search conferences you must attend in 2019, from all the great conferences out there. Read on to discover the top 9 search conferences you shouldn’t miss. And, start writing a memo to your boss, and get that flight booked!
#1 SMX West
When? January 30-31, 2019
Where? San Jose
Rates:Â $1695 and up
What you will take away: You will get both SEO and SEM insights from industry experts, focusing on voice and visual search, local search optimization, Google Ads and Bing audiences, a/b testing in a multi-format world, and how to optimize for the mobile-first world in 2019. There is an option for boot camp and workshop registration only. Best value for money, IMO; this is one of the best conferences for search marketers.
#2 YoastCon 2019
Do you use the Yoast SEO plugin for your WordPress SEO efforts? Of course, you do!
There is a reason why this plugin has reached more than 5 million active installs, and now Yoast is coming to share their best practices with all of us.
When?  February 7-8, 2019
Where? Nijmegen, Netherlands
Rates: €499
What you will take away: This first-time-ever YoastCon will be focusing on SEO and WordPress challenges, tips for bloggers, AI in search, knowledge graph, Progressive WordPress, AMP and more. There are a terrific speakers list and actionable workshops, panel discussions, and in-depth analysis from Yoast experts.
#3 SearchLove San Diego
When? March 4-5, 2019
Where? San Diego, California
Rates:Â $999 and up
What you will take away: As always, SearchLove is bringing great speakers with insightful tips to boost your search marketing. Rand Fishkin will open the event by showing us how to break the outreach barriers we are all facing — SEO A/B testing study, technical SEO and machine learning. SearchLove always maintains the highest quality at their conferences, so no doubt you won’t regret traveling to sunny Calif for this one.
#4 Pubcon
When?  March 5-7, 2019
Where?  Florida, USA
Rates: $699 and up
What you will take away: If there is anything I can say for sure, it’s that Pubcon is one of my favorite conferences in the world. At Pubcon, you will hear Gary Illyes and Ben Morss from Google, learn actionable strategies for SEO, PPC, social advertising, audits, Amazon, etc., and join in on an AMA panel with industry experts from all around the world. When I visited Pubcon, my laptop keyboard was on fire from all my frantic note-taking!
#5 SearchLeeds
When?  June 20, 2019
Where? Leeds, UK
Rates:Â TBD
What you will take away: Now here is a conference that had the entire industry talking last year; with such great feedback, you can’t go wrong! SearchLeeds focuses on the less-common side of things, so last year, we got to hear about Amazon SEO, e-commerce SEO, Google Shopping, Google Tag Manager and more. SearchLeeds is new in town, but definitely promising!
#6 SearchCon
When? April 11-12, 2019
Where? Breckenridge, Colorado
Rates:  $349 – $739
What you will take away: SearchCon is an exciting search and digital conference where you can enjoy winter sports, skiing, brewery tours, shopping, or the Beaver Run Resort Spa during your downtime. Networking is the name of the game here, and if you decide to attend, you will definitely get the opportunity to meet loads of search industry professionals and agencies.
#7 BrightonSEO
When? April 11-12, 2019
Where? Brighton, UK
Rates: Early Bird £500
What you will take away: This conference began with a bunch of marketers in a bar talking about SEO and search marketing. Today, it is one of the largest SEO conferences in the UK and Europe. Attendees will hear inspirational talks and attend hard-core training lessons. There are always exciting and surprising guests, and John Muller’s Q&A session will be one of the most interesting moments at this conference.
#8 MozCon
When?  July 15-17, 2018
Where? Seattle, WA
Rates:Â $799 and up
What you will take away: Think of it as a 3-day training session for all kinds of search marketers, featuring actionable SEO and search insights, search-driven content strategy, an agency focused session, and an opportunity to expand your knowledge of BI and SEO, and proper reporting. Oh, and what would you do in a world without any traffic? Moz will focus on voice search, knowledge graph, and more.
#9 3XE Digital
When? October 17, 2019
Where? Ireland
Rates: Early Bird starts at €195
What you will take away: This conference is dedicated to the world of search, UX and conversion optimization. These three can’t really exist without each other, so at 3XE Digital you will have the chance to learn about them all in one day, with 20 speakers and six workshops. The conference covers all things digital, from email lists, PPC ads, analytics, and reporting, to SEM and SEO.
Summary
Yes, there are so many great conferences out there, and 2019 will be a busy year for search marketers who want to stay up to date. I hope my 2 cents has been helpful for you in deciding which conferences are worth traveling to. Whatever you do, always keep up with the latest schedules and changes, and be sure to follow the recaps that pop up after the conferences, especially if you couldn’t attend for any reason.
Have I missed an important conference on the list? Write to me in the comments section!
