Wednesday, December 31, 2025
It has been a busy second half of the year for the Search Central Live (SCL) team! Zipping through the busy streets of Bangkok to the skyscrapers of Tokyo and the vibrant harbor of Hong Kong, we've been on a mission to connect, share, and—most importantly—listen.
As we close out 2025, we wanted to take a moment to look back at the incredible energy we encountered across the Asia-Pacific region. This isn't just a recap; it's a heartfelt "thank you" to the thousands of you who applied, attended, asked tough questions, and shared your wisdom with us.
Highlights from the road
This year, we tried something different. We heard your feedback asking for "more depth," "more time," and "more practical tips." So, we launched the Search Central Live Deep Diveformat, and the response was nothing short of inspiring.
Bangkok: Diving Deep in the Land of Smiles
We kicked off our "Deep Dive" pilot in Bangkok, and the reception was electric. With over 2,500 who expressed interest in the event, it was clear that the community was hungry for knowledge.
- The Vibe: Close to 100% satisfaction! We were blown away by the warmth and engagement.
- The Content: You loved the "SEO Mythbusting" (we see you, meta keyword fans!) and the detailed explanations from Google speakers on how Search works (we did go deep!)
- The Connection: The "Human Bingo" and the newly introduced "The Tower of Crawling & Indexing" boardgame were massive hits, proving that networking doesn't have to be awkward. Seeing business owners, developers, and content writers breaking the ice and sharing stickers was a highlight for us.
This is the first time we also pilot community talks at a true regional scale and the result was phenomenal. People loved the chance to learn from others in the region and the chance to showcase the work. In addition to Lightning talks, this also includes the new format we introduced, Poster sessions. We didn't know what to expect but the hall was full for all the rounds. We saw a vibrant marketplace of ideas.
Hong Kong: A Historic Gathering
For the first time, we brought SCL to Hong Kong for Chinese speaking site owners.
- The Reach: We welcomed friends from across the Greater China region, with diverse attendees ranging from massive ecommerce platforms to local startups.
- The Focus: Internationalization and localization was key. We tackled the tricky questions about hreflang and managing cross-border sites, vital for this global hub.
- The Community: Despite a nascent SEO community structure, the turnout was fantastic (86% show-up rate!), and the room stayed full right through the Q&A. It felt like a reunion of old friends.
Tokyo: Technical Mastery and Community Voices
Tokyo reminded us why the Japanese web ecosystem is so unique.
- The Engagement: A 92% show-up rate—almost unheard of for events that require no ticket purchase!
- The Depth: The questions here were technically sharp, pushing us to clarify the nuances of rendering and indexing for complex JavaScript sites.
- The Format: Besides the usual Google talks, we handed the mic to you. The 13 "Lightning Talks" from community members were standout favorites, covering everything from "How to Find Useless Search Results" to "The Hard Things About SEO".
What We Learned (Thanks to You)
You taught us a lot this year.
- AI is Top of Mind: Whether it's Gemini, AI Overviews, or content generation, you want to know how AI fits into your strategy. We will continue bringing you the latest updates and try to demystify the technology as much as we can.
- Community Matters: You valued the networking as much as the talks. Building bridges between SEOs, developers, and marketers is where the magic happens, and we are glad to know that SCL could provide a venue for you to share your experience, showcase your work, and connect with others.
- Local Nuance is Critical: One size does not fit all. We hear your requests for more localized examples and market-specific data.
We would like to thank all community speakers both lightning talks and poster sessions, for making this happen.
Search Central Live Deep Dive 2025 Community Speakers:
- FTTS to detect un/announced Google updates in your data
- How we use Google Trends with international keywords
- Scalable SEO through Product-led SEO Approach: Case Study
- SEO Audit ANY Website in Just 5 Minutes
Search Central Live Tokyo 2025 Community Speakers:
| Name | English title (Machine translated) | Japanese title |
|---|---|---|
| Changing SEO and Unchanging SEO |
変わるSEOと変わらないSEO |
|
| Storytelling Saves SEO: From the SEO Novel "The Villainess Learns SEO in the Age of Generative AI" |
ストーリーテリングがSEOを救う：SEO小説「悪役令嬢、生成AI時代にあえてSEOを学ぶ」から |
|
| I recently bought a new car, so I'd like to share my search journey. |
最近車を買い替えたので、そのときの検索ジャーニーを共有します。 |
|
| Search Marketing in the Age of AI - Search Shifts from "Points" to "Surfaces" and "Lines" |
AI時代の検索マーケティング - 検索は「点」から「面」と「線」へ |
|
| Is generative AI friend or foe? How to use it effectively on UGC sites |
生成AIは敵か味方か? UGCサイトにおける上手な付き合い方 |
|
| SEO specialists, where are you headed? Rakuten explores GEO and analyzes the current situation |
SEO担当者よ、どこへ向かう！？楽天が探るGEOの向き合い方と現状分析 |
|
| SEO specialists, where are you headed? Rakuten explores GEO and analyzes the current situation |
SEO担当者よ、どこへ向かう！？楽天が探るGEOの向き合い方と現状分析 |
|
| GEO? LLMO? "Every search leads to SEO" |
GEO？LLMO？「すべての検索はSEOに通ず」 |
|
| Where are your readers? Uncover the truth about your news site with Google Search Console! |
あなたの読者はどこから？ニュースサイトの実態をGoogle Search Consoleで暴こう！ |
|
| How to Find Useless Search Results (2025 Edition) |
役に立たない検索結果の探し方【2025年版】 |
|
| From "how to write" to "why to write": Rethinking content strategy in the age of AI |
「どう書くか」から「なぜ書くか」へ：AI時代のコンテンツ戦略のあり方を見直す |
|
| A 1.5-year-old new graduate created a template for SEO and website renewal proposals |
新卒1.5年目が作り上げたSEO×サイトリニューアル提案の型 |
|
| I have 10 years of experience in SEO. Why did the more I learned about SEO, the further away I got from results? |
SEO歴10年。なぜSEOに詳しくなるほど成果は遠のいたのか。 |
|
| The Hard Things About SEO |
The Hard Things About SEO |
Looking Forward to 2026
We aren't slowing down. The success of the "Deep Dive" format has given us the green light to continue pushing for more events next year. We are already looking at the calendar for 2026, with plans to return to your favorite cities and perhaps explore new ones.
Expect more practical workshops, more community speakers, and more transparency.
To everyone who attended, asked a question, or posted a summary: Thank You. You are the reason we do this.
See you in 2026!
