A Look Back on the first ever Barbados SEO 

Where did the year go? We are at the end of 2022, and we can say it’s been a ride. And not only because of all the work, clients, and stuff we have done as a team… but because in November 2022 we hosted our very first advanced SEO event in Barbados. And it was a success! So, sit back, grab a cup of tea – or some rum, if you want to feel as if you were by the sea in this Caribbean paradise – and let us tell you how it went… In numbers.  

But first, some basics.  

Barbados SEO 2022 took place in Clifton Hall Great House from November 16^th to 18^th. Two days full of talks, panels, amazing bajan cuisine, some of the biggest experts in SEO out there, and a really engaged crowd. Plus, one last day for networking on board a catamaran and sampling rum at Mount Gay Rum Distillery, the oldest in Barbados.  

Our CEO and Barbados resident, Martin MacDonald, may write a whole blog at some point about his experience hosting Barbados SEO. But yours truly will show you all the photos, give you a flavor of the event and share all the numbers that show what a success this was.  

1 incredible venue 

Clifton Hall Great House was the chosen location for Barbados SEO and it couldn’t have been more perfect for what we wanted the event to be. The House is a historic property on the east coast of Barbados and sits on beautiful grounds. It was restored lovingly by Massimo Franchi in 2009 and is an incredible venue.  

1 rum distillery tour and 1 catamaran trip 

We did a lot of learning at Barbados SEO but there was also time for some play. And on the third and last day of the event, we treated our VIP ticket holders and speakers to an incredible catamaran cruise (with lunch) in the morning. Then, in the afternoon, we headed to Mount Gay Rum Distillery for their historic tour and rum-tasting experience. Overall, it was a hit.  

3 Full days of talks and activities 

From technical SEO to link building. From e-commerce to black hat SEO. From sailing in a catamaran to tasting rum in the oldest rum distillery in Barbados. Barbados SEO was packed with incredible things.  

3 Panels 

In total, we hosted 3 different panels, with a wide range of experts.  

1. “Working in Digital, in Barbados”, with Corey Francis (American Apparel), Maggie Gonsalves (BTMI), and Martin MacDonald. Moderated by Mike King.  

2. “Is SEO dead, or just Blackhat SEO?”, with Rishi Lakhani (FastFwd Digital) and Kristine Schachinger (Sites without Walls). Moderated by Martin MacDonald.  

3. “The Future of SEO tools, by SEO tools”, with Patrick Hathaway and Gareth Brown (Sitebulb), and Dixon Jones and Grant Simmons (InLinks). Moderated by Martin MacDonald.  

10 Panel members 

1. Corey Francis, American Apparel 

2. Dixon Jones, InLinks 

3. Gareth Brown, Sitebulb 

4. Grant Simmons, InLinks 

5. Kristine Schachinger, Sites Without Walls 

6. Maggie Gonsalves, Barbados Tourism Marketing 

7. Martin MacDonald, MOGmedia Inc.  

8. Mike King, iPullRank 

9. Patrick Hathaway, Sitebulb 

10. Rishi Lakhani, FastFwd Digital 

12 speakers and Talks 

Barbados SEO had some seriously great people speaking. From Mike King, who delivered the opening keynote, to Martin MacDonald, who closed it. Here’s a full list of every single speaker at Barbados SEO 2022:  

1. Barry Adams, NESS 

2. Charlie Whitworth, Whitworth SEO 

3. Corey Francis, American Apparel 

4. Grant Simmons, InLinks Ltd 

5. Heather Physioc, VMLY&R 

6. Jenny Halasz, Lumber Liquidators  

7. Kev Wiles, MOGmedia UK Ltd.  

8. Kristine Schachinger, Sites Without Walls 

9. Maria Amelie White, Kurt Geiger 

10. Martin MacDonald, MOGmedia  

11. Mike King, iPullRank Inc.  

12. Stacey MacNaught, MacNaught Digital 

You can find the full breakdown of talks on the Barbados SEO agenda page.  

22 attendees 

For a first conference aimed at SEO experts, Barbados SEO wrapped up with a total of 22 attendees. These were a good mix of local SEOs and others who traveled from as far as Canada, several cities in the USA, and the UK.  

256 Social Media posts 

From the announcement of Barbados SEO until the end of the conference, we released up to 256 social media posts (not including replies or retweets). These were distributed thus: 

• 38 LinkedIn Posts 
• 47 Facebook posts 
• 49 Instagram posts 
• 122 Tweets 

19.4k Engagement 

Below you will find the total reach we achieved on social media… But, for starters, let us tell you that we also got 19.4k engagements. For a first edition of a conference, it’s not bad at all. We’re certainly quite impressed… And now we have a number to beat next time!  

745.5k Reach 

Overall, through our joint efforts across social media, the first edition of Barbados SEO managed to reach more than 745.5k people. Pretty impressive if you ask us!  

Lots of things we couldn’t count 

Like, for example, the kilos of bajan food that were consumed during the lunch breaks, dinners, and on the catamaran. Or the turtles our attendees could see while dipping into the Caribbean from the catamaran. Or the many times people said “SEO”.  

And with this, it’s a wrap! We’re currently cooking and preparing a few new events we will share in time with you all. Stay tuned and get ready to grab tickets for those.