Last week, Danni and I attended brightonSEO, the world's largest search marketing conference and training event. I was lucky enough to attend all three days, which included a training day, followed by two days of masterclasses and talks from some of the biggest names in the industry.
While there was plenty to take away, three themes in particular really stood out to me:
Understanding users' needs and behaviour
Learning from real-time conversations online
Looking beyond rankings to understand what makes people click
Let’s dive into the three key lessons I’m taking back into my work as an SEO & Campaign Executive at PP.
1. SEO starts with understanding people
The training course I attended was ‘UX for marketers’, led by UX expert Luke Hay. It was a useful reminder that effective marketing is about more than driving traffic. It’s about understanding what users need and making it easy for them to find it.
As SEO specialists, we have plenty of data at our fingertips. Analytic insights show us where users land, how they navigate a website and where they drop off. Heatmaps can highlight areas attracting attention, while performance data can help us identify pages that might need improvement.
But data doesn’t always tell us why people behave in a particular way. That’s where user testing and research come in. Physically watching someone explore a website, seeing where they hesitate or listening to how they describe a problem can reveal issues that aren’t immediately obvious.
This training course was a valuable reminder for me that combining UX with SEO can help us create landing pages that are not only discoverable in search, but also inherently useful once a user lands on the site.
2. Reddit as an SEO goldmine
The importance of Reddit was another topic that caught my attention, particularly during Frank van Dijk’s talk on where to find content opportunities beyond keyword research.
Online communities offer a different perspective on search behaviour. Instead of relying completely on keyword data, we can see how people discuss their experiences, ask questions, compare options and explain what matters to them in their own words.
This makes Reddit an incredibly valuable source of insight when researching an audience and creating a content plan. Reddit discussions can help uncover recurring questions, common frustrations and gaps in the information currently available online.
Frank also linked this to the idea of information gain: creating content that adds something valuable, rather than repeating what already exists. If a page offers a clearer explanation or answers a question competitors haven’t discussed yet, it’s going to stand out.
Reddit is worth paying attention to as search continues to evolve. People use a range of sources to research topics, and community discussions can contribute to that process. Reddit isn’t just somewhere to look for mentions or links; it can help us understand our audience better and create content that reflects real questions and experiences.
3. SERP psychology matters
Another standout theme was SERP psychology, discussed in Jess Atkinson’s talk: ‘From WHAT people search to HOW they search’.
It’s easy to focus on rankings when measuring SEO performance. Obviously, position matters, but ranking well doesn’t automatically mean users will want to click on your page.
Before clicking, people make quick judgements about what they see in SERPs. Page titles, meta descriptions, reviews, branding and other search features can all influence which result appears most relevant and trustworthy. This means the context around a search result matters just as much as its position.
A useful exercise is to review search results from the perspective of someone looking for the product, service or information you offer. Ask the following questions:
What stands out?
Which competitors are more compelling?
Does our messaging communicate a clear benefit?
Can we see trust signals that could help someone make a decision?
These questions can help shape how we approach search features and how we evaluate competitors. They also reinforce the importance of aligning search intent with the page itself. If someone clicks expecting a particular answer, the landing page should meet that expectation.
Ultimately, SEO isn’t just about visibility; it’s about reaching the right people, giving them a reason to click and making sure they find exactly what they’re looking for.
The sense of community at brightonSEO
As well as gaining new SEO insights, some of the most memorable moments from my time at brightonSEO happened outside of the lectures and training sessions. I attended Thursday evening’s Women in Tech SEO (WTS) networking event, which was a fantastic opportunity to meet other women in the industry, share experiences and hear different perspectives. It was valuable for me to step outside my usual circle and learn how SEO specialists at other agencies and in-house teams approach similar challenges.
I woke up bright and early on Friday morning to join some fellow search marketers on a 5K run organised by brightonSEO. This was a fun way to start the day, explore the beautiful Brighton seafront and enjoy a different side of the event before the final day of talks began.
I’d highly recommend getting involved in the extra activities and networking events that brightonSEO has to offer. They’re a great way to meet people outside the talks and make the most of your time there!
Bringing these lessons back to my role at PP
My biggest takeaway from brightonSEO is that good SEO requires us to look beyond rankings and keywords. We need to understand the people behind the searches, use real-world conversations to identify what matters to them, and consider how our results appear alongside competitors. We also need to ensure the experience continues once someone lands on the page. These are all important considerations in our approach to SEO at Pretty Pragmatic, and insights I’ll continue to apply in my work with clients.
Search will keep evolving, particularly as AI changes how people discover information. But the fundamentals still matter: understand your audience, give them something useful and make it easy for them to take the next step.
Overall, brightonSEO was a great opportunity for me to learn from industry experts, discover new approaches to SEO and connect with the wider search community.
Do you know your SEO?
Got a question about the future of search? Or maybe you're just getting started and not sure where to begin. Either way, our SEO specialists are here to help your site get noticed.