A Distinctive Record of an SEO Conference
Recently, I read an in-depth review of the on LinkedIn.
The article not only covered the event itself but also incorporated interviews with speakers, photos, and notes, as well as the author's own observations and reflections.
This "immersive recording" deeply touched me and prompted me to re-examine the current state of the industry and my own direction.
Is the Chiang Mai SEO Conference worth attending?
I have participated in many similar events before. Most of the time, it was just a "show of presence" and a chance to travel.
The actual gains were limited.
But this article is different - through detailed interviews and analyses, it made me re-think the essence of SEO and once again confirmed the path I have always believed in.
Black hats, white hats, grey hats: A true reflection of the industry
The text mentions:
- The number of black hat practitioners at the Chiang Mai Conference has significantly increased
- There are fewer white hat affiliates
- Not many white hat practitioners from in-house companies attended the conference
- Some white hat practitioners have begun to adopt grey hat or even black hat techniques
Therefore, I re-examined the definitions of black hat, white hat, and grey hat.
Regardless of how the industry changes, I always believe that white hat SEO is the main path that most people should adhere to.
After many years in the business field, I have always acted according to the rules and never relied on radical methods to seek short-term huge profits.
Just as Charlie Munger said: "The best way to win customers is to do the daily work to the utmost."
The same is true for SEO -
- black hat works quickly but is unstable;
- grey hat is attractive but full of risks;
- white hat, although it progresses slowly, can steadily accumulate long-term value.
What if we are a bit slower? At least we are walking steadily and firmly.
From Wang Shi to Duan Yongping: The True Power of Long-Termism
- Wang Shi - The Chinese Real estate tycoon
- Duan Yongping - The founder of a successful technology company , The "Chinese Warren Buffett"
When I read this article, I suddenly recalled a recent interview I had watched:
Wang Shi interviewed Duan Yongping,
Duan Yongping said: After retirement, he played golf for 3 hours every day. Over time, he felt that this approach wasn't sustainable, so he thought he needed to find something else to do.
It was impossible to look for a job and work anymore. Then he decided to study investment. So he started reading investment-related books, studying technical charts such as K-line and MACD, but he always felt that relying on technical indicators for investment was not feasible.
It was not until he met Buffett.
A sentence Buffett said to him completely enlightened him:
"Find an excellent company and hold it for the long term."
Only then did he realize: The key to investment is not looking at charts, but understanding the enterprise. People who don't understand the enterprise cannot do investment.
This sentence struck me because it is also applicable to SEO.
Every day, we are faced with various "technical secrets" and quick ranking techniques, but the true core always remains just one point: understanding users, creating value, and building trust.
Long-term operation of a high-quality website is far more important than chasing short-term technological trends.
Buffett's advice, if it is transformed into an SEO action, would be:
"Find a field that can continuously create value (your content positioning), and then devote all your energy and time to operating it."
SEO is no longer just a technical choice, but rather an investment philosophy:
- Invest in your website, not hype it.
- Invest in your content, not pile it up.
- Invest in your reputation, not consume it.
What matters is not "doing the right thing", but "refusing to do the wrong thing".
Someone once said: Success doesn't lie in how many things you get right, but in whether you can firmly refuse wrong choices.
After the direction is correct, the only thing to do is: delve deeply, without wavering.
Duan Yongping's success wasn't because he caught a certain market boom, but because he ignored all temptations and stuck to his area of competence, holding onto a good company for a long time.
So, what is our "good company"? It is the website and content system that can continuously answer users' questions and provide real value.
From "Not Understanding the Internet" to "Striving Not to Fall Behind"
Many years ago, someone asked me: "Is your company in the internet industry?"
At that time, I was completely bewildered. I had no idea which direction the door of the internet industry was opening.
Later, I started to get involved in We-Media and content creation. A bunch of unfamiliar concepts came flooding in：
- Anchor text
- SEO optimization
- Search intent
- Website structure
- Content semantic signals
Understanding one new concept every day is like taking one step forward.
With new problems constantly emerging, such as blog posts, writing a few each week is the best approach. Should old blog posts be deleted or kept and revised?
The process of understanding these issues is gradually leading to progress.
Don't fall behind, keep moving forward. The most important thing is to go as far as possible.
Final Words: Long-Termism of One's Own
Duan Yongping did not rush into the real estate industry (which was a hot sector/where quick money could be made) when it was booming. Just as true SEO practitioners should not blindly follow a certain unethical practice when it becomes popular.
They all chose to focus deeply within their own "sphere of competence" - one person understood enterprises, and the other understood users.
He made me firmly believe that in any field, the mindset of seeking quick money will eventually give way to the mindset of business operation.
In SEO, what is "operation"? It means operating your content assets and maintaining user trust.
This requires time, but time is the best moat."
SEO is not just about technology; it is also a long-term investment in oneself.
---Extended Reading---
Duan Yongping once said that he didn't read too many books, but the one he loved most was Buffett's "Letters to Shareholders".
He said that this one was enough for him to understand the essence of Buffett.
If you are interested in reading, “
you can check it out on Amazon. （click to read )
---“The tools and books I mentioned are part of my curated toolkit. If you're interested, I've compiled them all on my My Toolkit & Resources Page for easy access.”
---About Chiang Mai SEO Conference, if you want to learn more ,pls see the link from linhdin, My 2025 Chiang Mai SEO Conference Review (As a 6-Time Attendee)