Benchmark Studios 2024: a summary of the day’s highlights!

What a day!

Yesterday some of the team at Click Consult travelled to the vibrant city of Manchester to deliver our latest instalment of our Benchmark conference: Benchmark Studios.

Whilst the day was a more condensed, intimate version of the full Benchmark conferences we have delivered previously, it certainly wasn’t any less rewarding! Our thought-provoking and insightful day was packed full of actionable insights to drive digital marketing innovation for eCommerce.

Whether you missed the event, or would like to re-live the excitement of yesterday, we have summarised some of the insightful topics delivered by our world-class experts.

Dave Gossage, SEO Manager, Click Consult

You’re thinking about intent all wrong

During his talk Dave debunked some age-old SEO myths and shared his insights on search intent, and consumer behaviour. He used real-world eCommerce examples to illustrate his points and offered practical solutions that will effectively engage and captivate your audience at every stage of the consumer journey.

With his signature blend of expert knowledge, hilarious anecdotes, and those classic, hastily drawn diagrams, Dave had the audience both engaged and entertained.

Ellie O’Sullivan, Commercial Director, Microsoft Advertising

Generative AI and the future of digital marketing

Ellie delved into the exciting world of generative AI, exploring how it can revolutionise digital marketing and potentially alter future consumer search behaviour. She emphasised the importance of embracing this innovative technology as a tool to streamline and improve our daily lives. Her presentation was a delightful blend of informative content and entertaining visuals, leaving the audience eager to explore the endless possibilities of AI.

And what better way to end a talk than with a video of puppies playing in the snow?

Omi Sido, Senior Technical SEO, Canon Europe

From data to discovery: using BigQuery to power your SEO

Omi highlighted the crucial role of cross-functional collaboration in digital marketing, emphasising the need for teams to pool their data to gain a comprehensive understanding of marketing processes. He delved into the power of BigQuery in combining data analysis to generate omni-channel reports that can optimise every stage of the marketing funnel.

As a seasoned expert, and a familiar face at Benchmark, Omi’s engaging presentations always leave a lasting impression on our audience, providing valuable insights that will continue to benefit attendees for years to come.

Anna Dunbar, Business Development Director, Click Consult

Content-focused SEO in action – a Click Consult success story

Anna shared a captivating real-world success story where Click Consult implemented innovative SEO strategies to achieve remarkable results. This groundbreaking approach recently earned Click Consult the prestigious Best SEO Campaign award at the UK Agency Awards. To learn more about these award-winning SEO campaigns, be sure to check out the detailed case study.

Panel session: Emerging trends to drive eCommerce performance in 2025

The panel session, hosted by our very own Julie Sowa, delved into the future of eCommerce and the role upcoming trends are playing in shaping the digital marketing landscape in 2025.

The audience actively engaged with the panellists, posing thought-provoking questions about the impact of AI on content, social media, SEO, and paid advertising. The lively discussion highlighted the potential of AI to revolutionise the marketing funnel, sparking exciting debates and valuable insights.

Lara Harding, Organic Social Media Executive, Click Consult

The art of organic social media in eCommerce

Lara emphasised the evolution of social media from a mere sharing platform to a dynamic marketplace. She explained how social commerce has empowered users to research, connect with brands, and directly purchase products within these platforms.

To capitalise on this trend, Lara advised brands to embrace the true essence of social media by focusing on storytelling, community building, and authenticity. She highlighted the power of user-generated content in nurturing genuine connections with audiences and driving sales.

Lara emphasised that avoiding a hard-sell approach and prioritising authentic engagement is crucial for brands looking to effectively leverage social media to achieve their marketing goals.

Finn Elliott, Founder, Autosem

How to build a team of integrated AI assistants that help your SEO team move faster

Finn shared a fascinating success story about how he innovatively worked to empower a SEO team with a small army of AI assistants. Through the automation of routine tasks, these AI assistants freed up valuable time for the team to concentrate on strategic initiatives.

Finn outlined his ideas for building a similar AI-powered team and painted a compelling vision of the future of SEO. In this future, SEO teams won’t be constrained by limited capacity, and teams of four could achieve the same output as teams of ten today.

Ending the day with drinks and good company

The day concluded with a well-deserved opportunity to unwind and network with speakers and attendees over a drink (or two!). The conversations ranged from insightful discussions about the day’s presentations to more light-hearted topics about the latest on Netflix, celebrity gossip, and upcoming plans for the festive period.

Click Consult would like to express our sincere gratitude to our expert speakers for their exceptional talks, our dedicated staff for their tireless efforts, and the friendly hosts at Malmaison. We also want to thank YOU, our valued audience, for your continued engagement and support, which made yesterday a truly memorable event.