In the world of SEO, certain dates stand out as must-attend events, and the Chiang Mai SEO Conference is undeniably one of them. Nestled in northern Thailand, the city of Chiang Mai welcomes each year some of the brightest minds in search, attracting a global community eager to discuss the trends and strategies that will shape the future of SEO. Once again this year, the event brought together experts, enthusiasts, and the curious in an atmosphere that was both studious and friendly. For the French-speaking community, very active on site, it was a golden opportunity to learn, network, and share unique moments. Amaury Duval agreed to share his insights on this event!
CMSEO in brief
This is the second time I have attended SEO Conference in Chiang Mai (which we will abbreviate as “CMSEO” for the rest of the article). This year CMSEO took place from November 18 to 22, 2024, in the magnificent setting of the Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel.
With around 800 participants from all over the world, this edition confirmed its status as a major event in the SEO industry.
This year’s program revolved around inspiring talks and workshops sharing the best current practices. But beyond the content, it’s the unique opportunity to meet influential figures in SEO in person and exchange ideas in a relaxed setting that makes this event so special.
More than just SEO
Although SEO appears in the name and the event’s creator is a long-standing figure in the field, the event is evolving to focus on online business the event is now about much more than just SEO “tips.” CMSEO has existed for several years now (since 2017?) and it evolves alongside its participants as their businesses grow.
There are still highly SEO-focused conferences (for example: “How did I recover from Google’s HCU update?” or “Patents, leaks & positioning”) but there are also several entrepreneur-focused conferences and no longer just SEO (for example: “SEO or CEO?” or “How to stay rich?”).
It's a great place to:
- Evolve your entrepreneurial mindset by exposing yourself to more international ways of thinking and quite different from the French approach. The first time I spoke with Anglo-Saxon entrepreneurs I was surprised by the difference in ambition. Where in France people usually think “10,” they tend to think “100” or “1,000.” A good way to get a fresh perspective for growing your business.
- Recognize that different nationalities have different approaches to SEOFrance is fairly mature in the link-building scene. The US are more focused on quality content and outreach (contacting other sites) to obtain links. Some other countries are very creative in testing the limits of Google’s algorithm.
The 10 key takeaways from the conferences
Information gain
Information gain is a way to push the boundary of SEO and the content currently available online. It involves bringing unique, exclusive information that is not already available onlineBeyond generic content, the goal is to create an original knowledge repository. To do that, it's necessary to conduct in-depth research, interview experts, or leverage exclusive internal data.
It's important to find the a good balance between 100% unique content and 100% already existing contentDuring the conference, Georgia Tan spoke about 10 to 40% informational gain to find the best SEO benefit-to-creation-cost ratio.
Highlight original data in your content
Content referencing first-hand (original) data generates:
- 83% more traffic value
- 51% more traffic
- 34% more links
The figures from tests on other sites are not generalizable (Were the tests well conducted? Is your audience the same?), but these gains seem to justify the interest in creating a unique data repository and therefore ininvesting in exclusive studies and research for your content.
Importance of user experience and engagement
The user is always right. With the growing importance of user experience as a ranking factor, it's increasingly important to test navigation on your site. Ross Hudgens shared some quantified examples of tests with us:
- Sticky navigation (+39% conversions)
- Images in the hero space (+7.62% time on site)
- Strategic internal links
But the idea is not to apply these results directly but rather to encourage you to think about the most important elements in the user journey and to test to improve engagement and conversion (and therefore revenue).
AI-assisted programmatic SEO
This conference offered a mix of programmatic and human supervision. To be able to obtain large quantities of unique content, Chris Kirksey presented an approach in which he spins the prompts (that is, he modifies part of the prompts). This can involve varying tones, personas, approaches…
Variability of ranking criteria
It seems that Google does not use a single ranking algorithm for all queries. Each additional analysis is costly for Google. So it seeks to deliver the best results at the lowest cost.
Semantic analysis, on-page user experience, and analysis of the response to search intent are all factors that Google may consider for ranking.
Content becomes outdated
Creating content is important. Even if it ranks first as soon as it’s published, if you stop maintaining it afterward, it will inexorably descend into Google’s hellBetween information that is no longer up to date and competitors who optimize their content to overtake you, keeping the top spot is a long-term effort.
These conferences gave me lots of ideas and I’ve already started adding new features to SERPmantics to enable creating the perfect content for Google across all those criteria. For example, you can now find the recommendation for the optimal content refresh frequencyNeither too often nor too rarely — you now know exactly when to update each of your pieces of content.
Diversification and asset management
Travis Jamison reminded us of the well-known rule “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Creating 10 SEO affiliate sites is not diversification because you remain dependent on a single acquisition channel: SEO via Google.
It’s important to think about the central point that could impact all your strategies. Diversify channels, geographies, …
Thematic coverage
Topical authority is an increasingly important criterion. Covering the entirety of a topic shows Google the domain’s authority on that subject. This allows him to streamline his costs by analyzing fewer sites to obtain information on a topic.
You therefore need to find the right balance between covering all the domain’s topics but not covering too many, to avoid duplicate content or cannibalization (12 pages is there to help you) or stepping outside the domain.
Growth hacking and systematic testing
Testing scientifically is the best way to know what truly works for you. The ICE methodology allows you to prioritize your tests:
- Impact
- Trust
- Ease
Test methodically by prioritizing what can most impact your revenue and is the easiest to implement.
Traffic is a ranking factor
Buzz has a real impact on a site’s ranking. If many visitors go to a site in a short time, Google interprets this as a strong signal and sometimes propels the site to a higher position.
Real or simulated buzz, it can be a good way to temporarily boost your SEO rankings.
A well-represented French community
Like last year, this edition saw a Remarkable participation from the French-speaking SEO communityFrom agency managers to site publishers and consultants, every profile was present. A great way to delve into the conference topics and share current best practices.
Beyond the very enriching professional exchanges, it was also an opportunity to enjoy some great moments.
Leaving Chiang Mai, one thing is clear: SEO is constantly evolving, and this year’s event provided the keys to stay at the forefront. Whether through AI, new content approaches, or innovative link-building strategies, the insights shared here are a veritable goldmine. For the French SEO community, it was also a unique chance to meet and strengthen ties.
See you next year for a fresh dose of inspiration and discoveries, with even more enthusiasm and expertise!
The article "Top 10 SEO trends revealed at Chiang Mai SEO this year" was published on the site Abondance.
