Ten years, countless stages, and a decade of lessons—from sweaty-palmed meetups to international spotlights. As an SEO consultant, tech entrepreneur, and engineer, I never imagined thriving on stage. Here’s what I’ve learned and what’s next.
Preparation is Key: The 75-Slide Lesson
My approach to preparation has evolved dramatically. Early on, I bombed an SEO conference with 75 slides in 20 minutes. Lesson learned: structure beats brilliance every time. Now, I outline meticulously, time my talks, and prioritize quality over quantity, save the data dumps for courses.
Audience Engagement: The “OMG, I Relate!” Moment
Connecting with an audience is an art. I love seeing those “OMG, I relate!” expressions. It’s like I’m giving voice to their experiences. I’ve discovered the power of storytelling, injecting humor, and fostering interaction. It’s about creating a shared experience, not just delivering information. Remember, you are here to help your audience and give value and not just to shine.
Dealing with Nerves: From Stressed to Confident
Stage fright is real, especially for a self-proclaimed “stressed person” like me. What’s changed is how I manage it. Rythmic breathing is a lifesaver. But more importantly, positive self-talk: “I’m going to rock this stage!” “They want me to succeed!” My routine now includes breathing exercises, positive affirmations, and even homeopathy (yes, it works for me!).
If you struggle with nerves, find a public speaking coach or a mentor. I recommend these two coaches:
- Caroline Goyder – Gravitas Method
- Matt Matheson – The Speaking Coach
Also, think about talking with your peer speakers before the event. This creates links/relations and help reduce the amount of stress. Another thing that helped me is finding familiar faces that will sit first row. Ask your friends, colleagues who will attend the event, they will root for you. (Thanks to Julien, Myriam, Serge, Maria, Nicolas, and many other friendly faces who supported me may times).
Before the event, try to speak with previous speakers if it is your first time there. BrihgtonSEO team does efforts on this and match first-time speakers with seasoned speakers (Aka mentors). Even if I’m not a new comer, I always ask for it since it is a cool way to connect with peers but also to get useful and honest feedback on my slides. Becky Simms and Giulia Panozzo helped me a lot improving my talk preparation.
Adaptability: The Unexpected Stage Takeover
No two audiences are the same. I’ve had to adapt on the fly, like when an agenda change had me filling in for an absent speaker. My opening line? “I took over the stage because my topic is more important than XXX (the absent speaker)… just kidding!” It broke the ice and set a lighthearted tone.
Feedback is Crucial: The Power of Slowing Down
One tip transformed me: ‘Talk slowly.’ Pauses breathe life into a talk—they let you think, build confidence, and hook the audience. Body language seals the deal.
Pauses are so powerful:
- Breathe (it’s important)
- Tease for the next part
- Gives you time to gather your thoughts
- Convey confidence
- Keep the audience focused
- Avoid filler words
Authenticity Matters: Real Stories, Real Failures
The most impactful talks are genuine. I share real stories of challenges, failures, and how I overcame them. People connect with vulnerability and spontaneity, not superhero capes. Never try to impress at all costs, it’s easy to distinguish between authentic and fake postures. Stories make your message memorable. I weave anecdotes of project challenges and triumphs, always aiming for empathy and relatability.
Evolving with Trends: Technical Talks and Real-World Examples
I’ve moved towards more detailed and specific talks, focusing on actionable insights in technical SEO areas like web performance, structured data, and real user monitoring. Real-world examples always resonate. Don’t do vague topics, choose a specific issue and address it. Let’s take an example:
Don’t do talk like :
“How to improve your Web Performance”
Do this :
“How to validate your Web Performance optimization efforts”
Keep your content simple
Simplicity is key when it comes to the copy of your talk. Here are my guidelines when working on slides:
- One idea per slide. Just one, if there is doubt, break it down
- Content text should be at least sized 34
- Titles text should be at least sized 54
- Dare giant titles
- Use engaging visuals
- Alternate the position of the most important element : left, right, avoid monotony
- Use colors, emphasize the most important words with different color
You can also, if needed, hire a slides design coach. I highly recommend Illiya Vjestica for this, he is really good!
Building a Personal Brand: Speaking Brings Opportunities
Public speaking has been instrumental in building my authority and personal brand. While direct leads are a bonus, the real value lies in building relationships and credibility. The amount of feedback I get after every talk, the discussions, the connections, and the “Thank you”. When you do public speaking on specific topics and deliver valuable content, people attach more and more “skills tags” on your name and this brings trust. Trust > Recommendations > Business opportunities.
Giving talks brought me and my startups (Speetals, Sawtly, Mongo Pilot) authority and visibility.
Quality > Quantity: Choosing the Right Stages
In recent years, I’ve shifted my focus from quantity to quality. Fewer conferences, but more impactful talks. Selecting the right events and investing in thorough preparation is more valuable. This helped me since I’m having less time (Being a new dad and having much more projects). During the first 3-4 years in public speaking, I was giving an average of 1.5 conferences per month.
Inclusivity is a Real Problem: Speaking Out and Facing Backlash
I’ve noticed a significant lack of inclusivity in many speaking events. Two years ago, I called out a major French SEO event for having only 5 women out of 45 speakers. The backlash was intense, but it highlighted the need for change. BrightonSEO stands out as a beacon of inclusivity in the industry. They inject a good dose of awesomeness in every single detail.
In the previous years, I refused to participate as a speaker in many conferences due to the lack of inclusivity.
Talking in Other Than My Native Languages: English
Speaking in English has been both challenging and rewarding. Doubts about accent and comprehension are natural, but “fake it till you make it” works. Immerse yourself in the language, learn expressions, and understand the nuances of different audiences. My native languages are Arabic, and French.
You did a talk, now what?
You gave a talk and it went well, congratulations! Many forget that a talk is an asset and it has value beyond the event. Here is my to-do list after giving a talk to maximize its value:
- Thank my audience and keep the discussion going on social media
- Thank the organizer and give feedback about how it went
- Share my deck on SpeakerDeck (Previously I used to publish them on SlideShare)
- When the recording is available, I transform the video into a blogspot. You already invested time on your content, so try to maximize its value through SEO.
- If possible, I translate (dub) the video into other languages to reach more audiences. How many talks in the world are only in one single language. What a waste.
- Share a photo with some facts from your talk on social media
- Pitch for your next talk gig!
Invite me to speak at your event ? Drop me a mail
International SEO Consultant
