Women in Tech SEO Fest: Insights from Leading Ladies in the Industry

The Women in Tech SEO community is a beacon of inspiration for women in the tech SEO realm, championing knowledge-sharing and collaboration. After four successful events in the UK, the first US edition recently took place at SEER Interactive in Philadelphia, PA, featuring a wealth of knowledge from industry-leading experts.

Here’s a recap of the insights shared during some of the sessions:

Dana DiTomaso: "Own Your Data: Pipelines for the Rest of Us"

Dana's primary emphasis was on the criticality of data ownership and the pitfalls of relying too heavily on third-party platforms.

To truly own your data, she highlighted the significance of centralizing data sources like GA4, Google Ads, and Microsoft Ads. This centralization not only ensures consistent data but also mitigates the challenges posed by unexpected third-party tool changes, data silos, and inconsistencies.

Dana advised that to extract actionable insights from this data, one should regularly question their reports, asking specifics like the breakdown of traffic by channels or the frequency of phone rings.

Furthermore, she emphasized the power of data transformations, revealing collaborative efforts between organic and paid strategies. For storage, Dana recommended Big Query and concluded by emphasizing the need for a strategic approach to data sourcing based on asking the right questions.

Crystal Carter: "Measuring Media in an Evolving SERP"

Crystal Carter shed light on the evolving and complex nature of Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).

She pointed out that users are increasingly seeking richer search experiences, evident from the rising consumption of multimedia content like videos and podcasts. This trend is illustrated by data showing that 55% of users watch videos while shopping in-store. Similarly, news platforms, such as Medium, are not just relying on written content but are also integrating audio clips to cater to this demand.

Google's SERPs are reflecting this multimedia shift. By 2022, 27.4% of SERP results incorporated videos, marking a staggering 45% increase year-over-year. Additionally, of the 27 unique SERP features, 17 now have the capability to include images.

Crystal also drew attention to the growing importance of Google Lens, emphasizing the rise of visual search amidst local SEO ranking factors. For businesses, this underscores the need to focus on media optimization, even in industries that might not traditionally be seen as 'media-rich'.

To leverage these trends effectively, businesses must have strong SEO technical foundations, such as implementing comprehensive schema markups and ensuring reliable hosting.

Jamie Indigo: "JavaScript SEO: Why Your Perfectly Optimized Content Doesn't Rank"

Jamie delved into the intricate world of JavaScript, emphasizing its role in shaping content interaction.

She explained the detailed process that unfolds from the moment a browser sends an initial request to the final step of full content rendering, in addition to highlighting the potential challenges associated with JavaScript rendering.

Specifically, she stressed the importance of ensuring that sites 'fail gracefully', suggesting developers should actively test and "try" to break their sites to foresee and mitigate issues. She also discussed different rendering methods and the unique challenges they present.

Concluding her insights, Jamie urged the audience to actively engage with and adapt their understanding of JavaScript to optimize SEO effectively.

Kristina Azarenko: "Uncovering 3 Sneaky Technical SEO Issues That Can Harm Your Rankings"

Kristina's session was an eye-opener to the often overlooked, yet impactful, technical SEO issues.

She brought to light the common confusion between buttons and links, emphasizing that they have distinct on-page SEO implications. Additionally, she discussed the drawbacks of using images as backgrounds, noting that this makes them non-indexable, which can hamper their visibility in search results.

Kristina also touched upon the complexities of lazy loading. You shouldn’t require Google to take an action—like scrolling or interacting with content—in order to see important information on your site.

By understanding these intricacies, you can optimize websites better, enhancing their visibility and performance.

Ayat Shukairy: "5 CRO Misconceptions Every SEO Should Know"

Ayat merged the worlds of SEO and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). She introduced:

The SHIP methodology, an approach that stands for Scrutinize, Hypothesize, Implement, and Propagate. Ayat also shed light on the value of A/B testing, emphasizing its non-sequential nature and its pivotal role in fostering a continuous learning process.

She underscored that the journey of CRO doesn't end with the research phase. When the insights from SEO and CRO are strategically combined, professionals can harness their combined strength to boost conversions more efficiently.

April Zhong: "How To Use SEO Data To Drive Product Changes"

April highlighted the goldmine that is SEO data.

She explored a range of SEO data types, including organic traffic, competitive visibility, and search interest. Going beyond mere insights, she detailed how SEO professionals can harness this data to advocate for impactful product changes, whether it's a homepage redesign or optimizing global navigation.

April emphasized the critical step of accurately defining underlying problems and then formulating solutions based on concrete data. Her session was a testament to the transformative power of SEO data in enhancing a website's product potential.

Nerissa Marbury: "Epiphanies of an Entrepreneur"

Nerissa Marbury shared her entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the continuous learning and adaptability required in the entrepreneurial world. She stressed the importance of:

• Creativity, resourcefulness, and utilizing available resources to achieve goals.

• Defining objectives clearly, challenging preconceived notions, and staying resilient despite challenges.

Her insights into entrepreneurship resonated with aspiring business professionals, inspiring them to navigate their entrepreneurial journeys with determination and creativity.

Hannah Smith: "Art, Golden Hammers, & Distorted Realities"

Hannah Smith delved into the realms of strategic thinking and its importance in the SEO landscape. She encouraged professionals to break free from traditional frameworks and adopt a strategic approach to identify and address real problems effectively.

Hannah distinguished between strategic and tactical thinking, emphasizing the importance of recognizing true problems and formulating actionable resolutions. By adopting a strategic mindset, she posited, SEO experts can adeptly handle complexities and generate impactful results in their initiatives.

Closing Thoughts

The Women in Tech SEO fest was not just an event, but a showcase of the brilliant minds pushing the boundaries of tech SEO. From data pipelines to the nuances of media on SERPs, from the intricacies of JavaScript to sneaky SEO pitfalls, the conference offered deep dives into each topic, paving the way for future discussions and empowerment.

For those interested in digging deeper and exploring more on these topics, further resources and insights can be found at Women in Tech SEO.