Your own talks are a funny thing: you can never really get enough of them, yet when the big day approaches, the excitement grows again. Fortunately, SEODAY in Cologne always feels like coming home. That's why after my first presentation at SEODAY 2024, it was clear that I wanted to be on stage again this year. And what can I say: The day at RheinEnergie Stadium was incredible once again!
Everyone's Talking About AI
The timetable made it unmistakably clear: AI is currently THE topic #1 among us SEOs. Text with AI, research with AI, offpage with AI, visibility with AI – if you were interested in the topic, you definitely got your fill. That's precisely why it was important to me to break the mold. My plan: Let's create a presentation for people to "breathe easy." That's why I chose an underestimated basic topic with a high practical approach: Internal links.
Internal Linking for the Perfect User Journey
Well, it wasn't entirely without AI after all. As an introduction to the topic, I presented a study by OpenAI and Harvard University. It explored the question of how people actually use AI. The study shows that LLM users are primarily concerned with everyday topics and application questions. According to the study, only 2.1% of queries relate to product-related topics.
This means for me as a content nerd: valuable and informative content is still just as important as before the big ChatGPT launch in 2022 – despite so many experts having already written off content sites and only focusing on how websites can be found in LLMs.
In my presentation, I showed how I would proceed when building a new internal linking strategy and what my most important steps are. And then it became very screenshot-heavy: Step by step, I showed using Screaming Frog what data basis I build my strategy on, how I form clusters, how I find the right keywords for anchor texts, and much, much more.
This also included a detailed battle plan on how to identify orphan pages and how SEOs can deal with them. At the end, as always after my presentations, there was a little goodie: My own internal linking Spotify playlist with many exciting expert podcasts on the topic. 🎧
My Highlight Presentations
The biggest benefit of SEODAY, besides the opportunity to meet great new people, is also listening to their presentations. Even before the start of the day, I put together my personal timetable with presentations I definitely didn't want to miss.
Marco Lauerwald on Skill Gaps
Right at 09:00 AM, Marco spoke in Room 3 about a topic that gets far too little attention in everyday work: upskilling and reskilling. He described how AI development is changing our work and what skills we need for tomorrow's jobs so we don't get left behind. At the same time, he gave many exciting impulses for employees and managers on how we can better integrate learning and continuing education into our work routine.
Johannes Beus with His Presentation on the Search of the Future
When Johannes gives a presentation, the room is simply always PACKED. I've now seen him live at many conferences – most recently at CAMPIXX 2024. I particularly enjoy listening to Johannes' presentations because they are incredibly data-driven and he simply comes across as smart. This time too, it was very insightful to listen to him. Rarely have I had such a scrawled notebook page full of new impulses.
Björn Darko with His Insights into His Google Discover Strategy
To be honest, I hadn't really paid attention to Google Discover yet. Björn described why a Discover article brings up to 150x more clicks than an ordinary blog post – using his own results as proof. The successful SEOPRESSO Podcast Host filled the stage as always and came across as simply authentic. I like his presentation style because it's not so dry and he captivates the audience from slide 1.
Rene Dhemant on Citable Content
Not for the next academic paper, but for LLMs. I already heard Rene at koks.Digital 2024 and love the deep dive he always brings to the stage confidently and understandably. In his presentation, Rene described what kind of content is irresistible to LLMs and how we can maximize the chance of being cited by them.
What Else Does SEODAY Have to Offer?
Both as a speaker and as a visitor, you get plenty at SEODAY. The team supplied us all day with soft drinks, coffee, and snacks. Additionally, there was a generous lunch during the lunch break again – perfect for chatting with old acquaintances or getting to know new faces.
And of course, networking in the evening was not to be missed: inspiring conversations, many familiar SEO faces, and the good feeling of being part of this community.
Conclusion
Again and again – I'm already looking forward to next year!
