The Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026 will examine how affiliates can adapt their search strategies to maintain content visibility and attract new audiences during a dedicated Content & Discovery conference track in Lisbon.
The track, taking place on Thursday, Oct. 1, will bring together SEO specialists, affiliate experts and performance marketers to discuss organic search, content strategy and paid acquisition.
It will complete three days of programming on the Affiliate Leaders Summit Stage, following Platforms & Performance on Tuesday, Sept. 29, and Future of Affiliate Strategy on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Sessions will examine how affiliates can recover content removed from search results, balance investment between SEO and paid advertising, and prepare for changes in how audiences discover businesses.
Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “When you’ve spent years building an audience, it’s frustrating to see the approaches you’ve relied on start to lose ground. You’re still creating content and investing in your business, but getting people to find you is becoming a different challenge.
“We want affiliates to leave Lisbon with a clearer idea of where to invest their efforts. What needs changing? What still works? And what can they stop worrying about? Those are the questions we’re bringing experienced people together to tackle.”
The track will open with Trapped by the System: How DMCA Stacking Creates an Endless Loop, examining how affiliates can protect their search visibility amid repeated copyright complaints. SEO consultant Ivana Flynn will discuss how overlapping takedown notices can disrupt legitimate websites and provide guidance on managing complaints and restoring affected pages to Google’s search results once restrictions are lifted.
SEO expert and YouTuber Stewart Vickers, known as SEO Jesus, will then examine search-ranking opportunities in Gaming the Algorithm: The SEO Loopholes Still Working. The presentation will look at gaps in how search engines rank and surface content, as well as tactics SEO teams are using and how long those opportunities may remain open.
The panel SEO vs Paid: The 2026 Power Shift. Can Affiliates Survive Without Paying to Play? will examine whether affiliates can continue attracting visitors organically as advertising occupies more space in search results.
Sander Delabie, CEO and Founder of Clovio; Heitor Fonseca, Director of Marketing at F5 Media; Julia Logan, Head of SEO at AICT Media; and Jonathan Olsson, CMO of Match2One, will join moderator Russell Yershon, Founder of Connectingbrands, for the discussion. The panel will consider when affiliates should invest in SEO, when paid advertising may be worthwhile, and how the two approaches can be combined.
The track will close with What to Expect and How to Prepare for SEO in 2027: The Good, the Bad and the Crazy. Udit Bali, Founder of AdHook Media; Ivana Flynn, SEO Consultant; and Stewart Vickers, YouTuber at SEO Jesus, will discuss how affiliates can prepare for changes including AI-powered answer tools and new ways for people to discover businesses beyond Google.
The Affiliate Leaders Summit will take place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2026, at Lisbon’s Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and MEO Arena, bringing together 10,000 industry professionals for three days of networking, exhibition and education.
Attendance at the Content & Discovery track is reserved for Affiliate Leaders Summit VIP Pass holders, while affiliates and regulators may be eligible for a complimentary pass.