I spoke at Brighton SEO

An auditorium filled with faces, a stage bigger than I could have imagined, and heels higher than I have worn in 18 months, I spoke on the main stage at Brighton SEO.

I took the train from Stoke to Brighton on the Wednesday after work, armed with a suitcase and a rucksack that would be more appropriate for a week away as opposed to the two nights I was going for; I have never been able to pack lightly.

Two trains and a tube, I arrived in Brighton to the sound of the sea and headed to my hotel, where I dumped my worldly possessions and walked straight to the beach.

I’m a sucker for a sunset, and it turns out that Brighton has some of the best I’ve seen a long time, so I spent an hour or so dipping my toes and soaking up the scenes and the sounds around me.

As the night started to draw in, I Apple mapped my way to the Vurger Co, and ordered far too much food for one human and a Camden Pale Ale to go with it. With less than 10% battery on my phone and being a solo traveller for those few days, I had no option but to people watch and enjoy the storm brewing outside and lighting up the sky.

I took a long and lamented walk back to the hotel and then set down to rest.

My six AM alarm was a combination of my phone and the seagulls outside, and I got ready for the day ahead. Armed with gold heels and my favourite red lipstick, I headed to The Brighton Centre for a few run-throughs in the coffee shop before arriving side of stage at 11:15.

In a block all about creativity, my talk was about building emotion into SEO copy, sandwiched between two other incredible women from the world of SEO. As a Brighton SEO virgin, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was told to check my Twitter, which I have actually used more in the last five days than in the last five years…

I walked on stage, took a breath, and went for it. Sharing my passion and my work, my tips and my tricks, and highlighting some of the things that we could do better as writers and as SEOs.

It was exhilarating, empowering and emotional.

I’ll be sharing more about the talk itself and its contents in the coming weeks after the online event has been and gone at the end of the month. But, I will say that I feel incredibly lucky to get to write for a living, share my processes and thoughts with people, and have them respond, quote me, and thank me. Crazy.

It was the quickest 20 minutes of my life, flashing by in what felt like five, and before I had time to process, it was done, and the crowd were clapping as I exited the stage, slowly, because of the heels, of course.

After a quick cry and an even quicker change, I went in search of food and a pint with Birkenstocks on my feet and a smile on my face. Gravy mayo and cheese fries washed down with lager and a Diet Coke for good measure; I sat and tried to process the morning and my emotions.

I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Brighton, exploring the shops and streets, taking in as much sea air as I could before it was time to head back home the following morning.

Two trains and a tube later, I was back where I had come from, and I cannot wait to do it all over again.