Speaker Application

Want to speak at SEO-Day 2026 on 19 November 2026 in Cologne? Submit your talk proposal here.

Please complete all required fields marked with *. After successful submission you will see a confirmation on screen; our team will contact you if we have questions.

If you apply as a speaker, it helps to know why attendees come to the conference – SEO-Day targets experienced SEO and GEO professionals:

• 01
  Practical knowledge

  Concrete strategies, actionable takeaways and technical depth – no product pitches or agency advertising.

• 02
  SEO, GEO & AI in focus

  Visibility in Google and generative search systems is central; AI is a key theme of the conference.

• 03
  Expert level

  Talks for advanced professionals and peers – in recent years, 600+ attendees and 30+ speakers on site each time.

• 04
  Exchange and networking

  Time for dialogue with peers and direct professional exchange alongside the sessions.

• 05
  Professional setting

  A clearly structured programme, moderation on stage and a high-quality conference experience at RheinEnergieSTADION Cologne.

Please review these guidelines for talks at SEO-Day before applying – all talks are held in German:

• 01
  Ad-free talks

  Manufacturers of SaaS products and agencies are warmly welcome as speakers. With strong case studies, speakers may mention their own tool and agency – but the talk must not become an advertising event. Clear substantive value must be recognisable; if one's own solution contributes to that, that is fine. The focus is on the process and value for attendees – not on one's own software or service.

• 02
  Audience

  advanced & expert only – all talks target experienced SEO professionals; beginner topics are not accepted. About 80% of SEO-Day guests come from brands and work in marketing departments, dealing with search engine optimisation on a daily basis. The remaining audience consists of freelancers and agencies who also work in this field every day. Speakers can assume that technical terms are familiar and that attendees engage with SEO-related topics daily or have done so extensively in the past.

• 03
  Introduction by the moderator

  No self-introduction on stage. In advance, a WhatsApp group is set up with the moderator and speaker so they can agree on what goes into the introduction. The on-stage introduction lasts about 30 to 45 seconds – short and crisp, yet it gives the audience a clear sense of who is delivering the talk.

• 04
  Talk starts directly with content

  No lengthy self-introduction on the first slide – begin with substantive content right away. No typical tension arcs that fail to deliver at the end; the talk may be lively and entertaining, but classic pitch mechanics in this form are off limits – with an audience that knows the field very well, they are recognised instantly and cause disappointment.

• 05
  30 minutes, 16:9 format

  Each talk lasts 30 minutes; create slides in 16:9 aspect ratio. Slides must not be overloaded with advertising – your own company logo is naturally permitted.

• 06
  Technical BYOD

  Bring your own laptop for the presentation (Bring Your Own Device). If you do not have your own device, one will of course be provided on request – but this must be arranged in advance. We only do this reluctantly, because problems have repeatedly occurred in the past. All our speakers are professionals and should deliver their talk on their own familiar equipment.

Imagine you are in the audience. What would excite you?

These talk formats do not fit SEO-Day – experienced attendees quickly see them as a waste of time:

• 01
  Product pitches and tool demos

  Presentations of software, SaaS or agency services instead of substantive value.

• 02
  Superficial best-practice lists

  Generic SEO tips without depth, concrete examples or relevance to current practice.

• 03
  Boring self-promotion

  Long company or career stories instead of jumping straight into substantive content.

• 04
  Beginner level and marketing speak

  Basics, buzzwords without substance or purely promotional success stories.

• 05
  Pure theory without practical relevance

  Abstract concepts without actionable takeaways for SEO professionals.

• 06
  Superficial coach talk

  Generic talk from coaches who only want to sell their services instead of substantive value.