NESS 2025 Schedule

Oct. 21 & 2, 2025

Day 1

Start Time (EST)Start Time (GMT)Speaker(s)SessionDescription
8:30 AM1:30 PMNetworking
9:00 AM2:00 PMJohn Shehata & Barry AdamsWelcome Day 1A packed 2-days of fun, knowledge sharing, networking, and competitions with prizes!
9:15 AM2:15 PMLily Ray
(Amsive)
Affiliate Content & Site Rep Abuse
10:15 AM3:15 PMDixon Jones (InLinks)Tracking what AI Knows about your brand and what you can do about itIt is easy to ask an LLM “What do you know about a brand”, but because every answer is different each time you try, it becomes harder to measure the quality an accuracy of the response. It is not always easy to spot hallucinations or incorrect facts and it is even garder to come up with a plan of action to remedy and improve. This talk offers a framework that goes a long way towards creating your own workflow for improvement, based on sound ideas and a positive foundation.
11:15 AM4:15 PMNetworking
11:45 AM4:45 PMJames Carson (Absolutely Agentic)AI Agents for News SEOAgents are the AI buzzword for 2024 but what do they really mean in a news context? With extensive experience in SEO and social media research for news organizations, including a ringside seat for the 2024 US election, James Carson will talk through the theory and practice in agentic newsroom adoption.
12:30 PM5:30 PMMarie Haynes (Consulting Inc.)AI Mode, AI Agents, AI In Wearables – The Online World Is About To Dramatically Change!Google’s AI Mode, Agent2Agent framework, and wearable tech are reshaping how we search and live online. Learn about the emerging world of AI agents and what it means for the future of businesses and search visibility.
1:15 PM6:15 PMNetworking
1:45 PM6:45 PMMaddie Shepherd (CBS News and Stations)The Art—And Science—Of Earning The ClickWith the rise of 0-click searches, Maddie explores “NavBoost” and its impact on news SEO. Learn how to engage journalists and grow CTR through practical newsroom tactics.
2:05 PM7:05 PMJohn Shehata (NewzDash)How to Survive in AI-First Era: News Visibility Tracking & Optimization
2:50 PM7:50 PMNetworking
3:20 PM8:20 PMPanelNews SEO Career Panel
  • Carly Steven (Daily Mail)
  • Marshall Simmonds (DeFine Media Group)
  • Rachel Heseltine (Paramount)
  • Barry Adams (Polemic Digital)
  • John Shehata (NewzDash)
4:20 PM9:20 PMJohn Shehata & Barry AdamsClosing of Day 1
4:30 PM9:30 PMEvent Closes – Free Networking

Day 2

Start Time (EST)Start Time (GMT)Speaker(s)SessionDescription
8:30 AM1:30 PMNetworking
9:00 AM2:00 PMJohn Shehata & Barry AdamsWelcome Day 2Welcome to day 2 of NESS 2024 Summit! Meet our hosts Barry & John, who will explain the history of NESS and what we have in store for the final day of the summit.
9:15 AM2:15 PMMike King
(iPullRank)
Keynote: The Future of SEO
10:15 AM3:15 PMSteven Wilson-Beales
(Global)
From Views to Victory: Cracking the YouTube AlgorithmWith more audience flocking to YouTube than ever before, there’s never been a better time to optimize your YouTube output for better engagement.
11:00 AM4:00 PMNetworking
11:30 AM4:30 PMHarry Clarkson-Bennett
(The Telegraph)
Revenue: How The Hell Do We Make Money Now?As a premium publisher, Harry will provide insights into how paywalls work in search and how Google (and users) interpret them. He will also explore available revenue options for publishers and how SEOs and marketers can contribute to business success.
12:15 PM5:15 PMErin Hallstrom
(Endeavor Business Media)
B2B Newsrooms SEOThe past year has brought major shifts to SEO, especially for B2B newsrooms. Google’s AI Overviews emphasize E-E-A-T signals, posing challenges for B2B publishers covering products they don’t use firsthand. Erin shares insights from Endeavor Business Media’s multi-phase research study.
12:35 PM5:35 PMNetworking
1:05 PM6:05 PMBarry Adams (Polemic Digital) &
Christine Liang (The New York Times)
Technical SEO In The Age Of AICrawlable and indexable websites remain foundational for achieving organic visibility in classic and AI-generated search. Barry and Christine will present their technical SEO insights for maximizing growth across all platforms.
1:50 PM6:50 PMAsk the News SEOs Panel
  • Edward Hyatt (WSJ)
  • Nicola Agius (Reach PLC)
  • Jessie Willms (Guardian)
  • Barry Adams (Polemic Digital)
  • John Shehata (NewzDash)
2:50 PM7:50 PMNetworking
3:20 PM8:20 PMPanelFuture of SEO Panel
  • Mike King (iPullRank)
  • Kevin Indig (Growth Memo)
  • Barry Schwartz (RustyBrick, Inc)
  • Barry Adams (Polemic Digital)
  • John Shehata (NewzDash)
4:20 PM9:20 PMJohn Shehata & Barry AdamsClosing of Day 2
4:30 PM9:30 PMEvent Closes – Free Networking