How to Prepare for any SEO Conference, Including MozCon - Whiteboard Friday - Moz

How to Prepare for any SEO Conference, Including MozCon - Whiteboard Friday

May 22, 2026 15 min read

Written by: Jo Cameron Edited By: Meghan Pahinui

Conferences are a whirlwind experience. Regardless of your industry, conferences give you the chance to step out of your home office and into a dynamic environment filled with valuable talks from industry experts, vendor booths offering swag and software solutions, networking opportunities galore, and unforgettable experiences with your favorite SEO pals.

SEO conferences, like MozCon, are more important than ever as more teams are distributed across countries and time zones. With the right preparation, you can use conferences to boost your energy, strengthen your team, and enhance your enthusiasm for work during and after the event. This guide will equip you with essential tips to make the most of SEO conferences, in-person or virtual.

How do you pick the right SEO event?

The fantastic thing about this industry is that there is usually a meetup, event, or fully-fledged conference that suits your bandwidth and budget, no matter where you’re located. I'm based in London, where the SEO community is truly thriving, and I have attended lots and lots of conferences, community events, and meetups. I don't think I would be where I am today without these fantastic experiences.

Preparation for any SEO event starts with securing your spot, so do these things first:

Search for a conference in your location or in areas you can easily reach.
Connect with your peers and ask them where they are going.
Follow speakers on LinkedIn you'd like to see and catch them at their next speaking gig.
Convince your boss to send you to your preferred conference.
Snag your ticket early to get the best price.

It's always important to snag your ticket early. This is because you'll get the best price, and also it means you can get ahead of booking your travel and accommodation. Prices of these things always tend to rise, so it's really important to be prepared if you can.

How to prepare for ANY SEO conference

Moz

Ramp up your SEO learning

Define what you want to achieve and create a plan to maximize your experience. Having clear goals will help you stay focused and make the most of the event. Subscribe to Moz's Top 10 Newsletter, check out the latest here on the Moz Blog, or explore the SEO Learning Center to refresh your knowledge. This will give you access to a wealth of content to boost your knowledge before the big event. From basic SEO to local search and technical details, there's something for everyone.

Gather your note-taking tool of choice

Make sure you have all the necessary tools at hand. Charge your laptop or tablet or choose any other preferred method for note-taking. If you plan on sharing takeaways with your team, well, you can still find ways to communicate effectively.

Before the event

Find and connect with your people

MozCon and many other SEO conferences offer you ample opportunities to meet new people and expand your professional network. Maximize your networking opportunities before you get there.

If you are already in the Women in Tech SEO or Noah Learner's SEO Community, you can join the #MozCon channel in these Slack communities. This will keep you updated on MozCon fellow attendees’ plans and movements and allow you to engage with speakers and ask questions.

Create a plan of what sessions to attend

For multi-track conferences, in particular, it's important to know what sessions you want to attend. For those who have attended Brighton SEO, you'll know that the smaller rooms tend to fill up quickly. I like to turn up early to the session and snag a chair, so I don't miss out.

Tips for attending virtual events

Many of our tips are applicable to attending virtual events. You just need to get creative about how you network and stay engaged. To get the most out of any virtual event, you will still want to plan how you will take notes, connect with speakers on social media, and set your team up to make the most of the talks.

Treat it like an IRL event

I still recommend booking out your calendar when attending virtual events. It’s so easy to get distracted, and as much as we tell ourselves we are capable of multitasking, how much are we really absorbing? Clear your calendar and your headspace, take as many notes as you feel would be helpful to you.

Why are conferences more important than ever?

With so many teams moving towards partial or fully distributed setups, finding time to get together is more valuable than ever. Conference attendees have the unique opportunity to connect with industry contacts, ask questions, and establish genuine professional relationships with experts in search marketing and SEO.

During the event

Hydrate

Even if you’re solely powered by caffeine, nothing hinders memory and productivity like hunger and dehydration!

Give yourself time to think

If, like many of us, you're busy executing projects five days a week/52 weeks a year, this may be the time you need to let thoughts enter your brain and connect with other thoughts in order to find a solution. Let your mind wander. It's ok; you can watch the video later.

After the event

So what happens once the event is over? You've had a fantastic time. You've met with people. You've learned lots of things.

First of all, share all those big ideas you've recorded with your team. You can share them through your internal channels or maybe you want to put some time in with some people and talk them through and say, "Hey, let's talk about how we can apply this idea I got from this person at the event I attended."

Be sure to follow up and connect with your contacts. Did you have a valuable conversation with a speaker? Did you meet with someone for the first time who you've only interacted with on LinkedIn? Follow up and say, "It was great to see you."

Written by

Jo Cameron

Jo is the Director of Content Marketing at Moz.