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A summary of my day at this year’s WTS Fest. I’ve been in SEO for 15 years, and it’s my favourite industry conference.
On February 5th I had the privilege of attending the Women in Tech SEO Festival at the Barbican in London. Thank you Impact for sending me! It was my second time attending, the last being in 2023, and just like last time, it was a really inspiring and uplifting experience.
The energy in the venue was infectious and the vibes were off the chart. It was so nice to be surrounded by so many talented, passionate people working in SEO, web development, and digital marketing.
From seasoned experts sharing their insights to newcomers asking brilliant questions, the sense of community was undeniable, and it’s so good to be able to talk to people at all stages of their career, from people in their first ever SEO role, through to us oldies who’ve been in the industry for 15-20+ years.
The speakers brought their A-game with sessions covering everything from technical SEO and AI’s impact on search, to career development and breaking through barriers in the industry.
As per usual, there was a mix of seasoned speakers, and those on the stage for the first time. WTS Fest is such a great event for first-time speakers, providing a supportive environment.
I headed back to work with a notebook full of ideas that I can’t wait to implement.
But beyond the tactical knowledge, what struck me most was the conversations between sessions; the shared experiences, the supportive advice, and the genuine connections being made. Events like this remind me why representation and community matter so much in tech.
I was up bright and early to catch a train into London Liverpool Street, from where it was just a 15 minute walk to the Barbican.
The Barbican is such a fantastic venue, so I was really happy WTS Fest was back there this year. Another thing I love about this event is that it has a single track, so everyone gets to see every talk. There is no worrying about clashes or creating a schedule, you just get to sit back and enjoy the whole thing.
Registration was between 9 -10AM, which gave me time to collect my badge, have a coffee and a pastry (all provided for us), and have a mooch around the exhibitors stalls to bag that all important conference swag! Everything was smooth and simple, with an amazing team their to help.
At 10, we all filed into the theatre for the opening notes from the organisers, Areej AbuAli and Erin Simmons, and then they handed us over to the alway excellent MC, Hannah Smith.
Session 1, themed Analyse, comprised of 3 talks. I recommend following these talented people on LinkedIn, many of whom shared their speaker decks there.
Crystal Carter – When Agents Meet Websites: How To Get Up To Speed
Crystal was a speaker when I attended in 2023, and it was great to see her up on stage again. With so much chatter about agentic at the moment, it was great to have such a great summary of where things currently stand, and how to prepare.
Tina Reis – How To Use Data To Get Buy-In For SEO: Real World-Strategies
Tina delivered an excellent talk on data storytelling, and getting buy-in by appealing to both the intellectual and emotional side of the person/people you are trying to persuade. They provided lots of great advice, and I jotted down lots of useful notes.
Zoe Burke – Crafting Content With Purpose: Making Your Words Work Harder
Zoe’s talk was very enjoyable, and I loved that she is also a big proponent of asking ‘What is the point?’ when creating a piece of content. She shared her approach to content and how to make it do more for you; something we should all be trying to achieve.
The day is really well paced, with plenty of breaks scheduled in for refreshments and chatting. After session 1 I grabbed another coffee and some very yummy biscuits, and also had a little wonder around the Barbican shop. I picked up a book I’ve been meaning to read, to add to my pile of other books I’ve been meaning to read.
Session 2, themed Advance, featured 2 talks.
Aleyda Solís – AI Search: Where Are We So Far & How To Win
If you’re in SEO, Aleyda needs no introduction, and you’re probably already subscribed to her newsletter SEOFOMO.
Aleyda provided a really good summary of where things currently stand with AI and search, how brands can position themselves for success going forwards, and an important reminder that traffic can no longer be relied upon as an important metric of success.
Dawn Anderson – Demystifying Generative Information Retrieval
I really enjoyed this talk from Dawn, as certain spaces are filled with so much SEO hearsay, myths, misinformation, and knee-jerk reactions. It was good to hear a measured and data backed look at many of the current SEO hot topics.
I also loved that she mentioned Bill Slawski (the patent legend), who was always a favourite of mine, a delight to talk to back in the Twitter days, and is greatly missed in the SEO community.
Lunch was a delight. WTS Fest is always so well catered with plenty of food for all dietary preferences and requirements. I scoffed down plenty while chatting with other attendees, and then had a little walk about the Barbican, and started my newly purchased book because I lack impulse control.
Session 3, themed Innovate, has 3 talks, and I’m always impressed at how the speakers manage to keep the audience so engaged straight after lunch. But it isn’t surprising, as the quality is always so high.
Chima Mmeje – 6 AI Content Workflows To Diversify Your Traffic Sources
Chima was another familiar face, as she also spoke when I attended in 2023. She gave us a really fun insight to how she uses AI content workflows in her daily role at Moz, for use across multiple marketing channels, along with access to lots of resources.
Marie-Paule Kenmogne – Everyone Needs An AI Agent In 2026…Except Me!
At a time when people are concerned that AI will replace SEO roles, Marie-Paule countered this. She recognises that it is more about repositioning ourselves as system designers, creating strategy and rules (and other parts of the process that AI is not good at), whilst AI and workflows take over much of the execution and repetitive tasks.
Victory Umurhurhu-Michael – Reddit Joins The Search Wars: Building Authentic Content
Victory delivered a really interesting talk full of great advice. I see so many brands get Reddit wrong and they are instantly recognised as inauthentic and rejected by the communities they are trying to engage with. As a longtime Reddit user, and marketer, I found her approach was really well crafted for success on a platform that can be really hard to crack.
After another tea break, with delicious cookies this time, everyone was feeling refreshed and ready for session 4.
Session 4 wraps up the day with 2 talks on the theme of Empower.
Mo Kanjilal Williams – Turning What Makes You Different Into Your Superpower
Mo had such great energy, and was a very inspiring speaker. She shared her own experiences, including that of working in tech, and how her she met her career goals once she moved away from trying to emulate others, to being her authentic self.
Her talk highlighted the importance of inviting different people to the leadership table, and how this benefits a business, and she also shared some great tips on identifying you differences and embracing them.
Poorna Bell – Fireside Chat: Redefining Strength & Authenticity
Poorna was super inspiring. She made me want to get back to strength training. Rather than a traditional talk, Poorna sat down with Hannah Smith for a fireside chat. This covered her journalism, the inspiration behind her books, and what led to her taking up lifting competitively, alongside jujitsu and wrestling, in her 40s.
It was a really positive note to end the day on, and despite it being a long day, I think everyone left the theatre feeling energised and inspired.
The day was followed up by networking drinks in the gorgeous Barbican garden room/conservatory. I joined some other plant nerds to explore, and then we got to relax and chat informally with drinks and nibbles in the beautiful surroundings.
There was an incredible female magician mingling and blowing minds, and a photo booth for creating memories of the day.
I walked back to the station, got on my train, and got home at about 9pm. It was a long but very rewarding day.
To the organisers, speakers, and everyone who made this event happen, thank you for creating such a welcoming space. To everyone I connected with yesterday, it was so great to talk and I hope we stay in touch!
If you didn’t make it this year, I highly recommend keeping an eye out for future events, which take place all over the globe. I know I intend to make next March my third WTS Fest.
Here’s to lifting each other up and continuing to make space for more voices in tech and SEO!
