Hot topics from Brighton SEO
After over a year of virtual events, the team at Varn were happy to be back at BrightonSEO for 2 days of networking and learning about the latest developments in the world of SEO.
Here we have compiled some thoughts on the hot topics from the world’s largest search advertising show and what you need to know about implementing the latest best practices in SEO going forward in 2021 and beyond!
How to manage an SEO team in Hybrid workplaces
There has been a lot of focus on managing remote teams and the challenges that can come into play when it comes to building an SEO team with people working at home and in the office.
A talk from Sean Butcher (COO at Blue Array SEO) focused on how you can avoid burnout working through the new normal.
Some of the key takeaways from this session are listed below:
- Use your annual leave, and encourage staff members to use it too
- Try not to check emails during holidays
- Focus on optimising for the upper limit of deep work at 4 hours a day
- Manage your to-do list and be realistic about the performance
- Implement a shut-down ritual at the end of the day
- Use tools like Myers Briggs to work out the personality of you and your team
Next up, our very own Tom Vaughton delivered a talk on how you can develop a winning SEO team with a little help from the world of F1. You need to invest in your team, both in terms of time and development. If you are not hiring people that inspire you to push yourself and drive the business forward, you could be left behind in a growing and fast-changing industry.
Tom also discussed the importance of employing attitude and training for skill, this is essential when it comes to creating a team that can get through difficult periods whilst also maintaining a positive environment to work in.
Lastly Tom emphasised the importance of employing different people. Different minds work better for different tasks, and in the world of SEO having a competent Technical SEO and content team is as critical as having strong aerodynamics and enough fuel in an F1 car.
You can read about this more in Tom’s article on what F1 can learn from SEO.
Why you should look at smaller PR campaigns alongside hero projects
2020 proved a very different year for the digital PR industry and this led to a re-think in the way that many companies approached building links and brand equity for their clients.
The talk on how to develop an opportunity approach to digital PR from Jane Hunt (founder at JBH Digital PR)focused around the value of reactive and proactive digital PR without a big focus on expensive and time consuming hero campaigns. The main takeaway? Have time dedicated to news-jacking as a way of monitoring potential opportunities for your clients and also have some draft content ready to go for proactive PR that can be launched at the right time.
What we would have loved to see more of
Updates on GA4 and what it means for the industry
Whilst there was a lot of focus on good practices in SEO and a lot of great takeaways, we did feel there was a lack of coverage over Google Analytics 4 and the changes it could bring to the way we measure performance on client websites.
If you want to find out more about GA4 we have a series of great blogs on the subject listed below.
Coverage on competitor analysis and how it feeds into SEO
SEO is a zero-sum game, meaning whilst you should aim to be as optimised as possible you only need to be better than your competitors to outcompete them in the SERPs. We felt there was a lack of focus on competitor research and the key part it plays in developing an on and off-site SEO strategy that will help you climb the rankings. Watch this space as we have some useful ideas and thoughts on this topic which we will be sharing.
