Free SEO Conference on September 23 — And It's Raising Money for Shelter Animals in Ukraine

2026-09-14 — management consulting India

I watched Anton Shulke pull together a fundraiser that actually works. Not the kind where the organizer pockets half the money in "overhead." This one is direct.

SEO For Paws happens on September 23, 2026. It's a livestream. Attendance is free, but participants are encouraged to donate. And here's the thing: across all of SEO for Paws to date, more than $100,000 has been raised through donations and sponsorship, with the money going straight to where it's needed.

No holding pattern.

The speaker list includes Barry Schwartz and Glenn Gabe along with other established SEO names. The event leans into the question everyone in search is trying to answer: what happens to SEO as AI reshapes how people find things? So you're not sitting through a charity slog disguised as education. The content is actually what people in our industry are asking about right now.

The reason it exists is less abstract than most conference missions. SEO for Paws is a fundraiser founded by Anton Shulke to help the many pets in Kyiv, Ukraine. One of the shelters it supports is run by a woman named Oksana. She started by taking in one kitten. Then another. Then a dog. When the war happened and the streets filled with abandoned pets, her apartment became a shelter out of necessity. She now cares for around 60 cats and 4 dogs. Hand-feeds them. Gets them treated. Finds them homes when she can.

That's the actual beneficiary.

The format works because it respects everyone involved. Free registration with Q&A sessions, and a recording will be made available on YouTube. Sessions start at 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. UK. You can attend live or watch later. You can donate or not. No pressure disguised as inspiration.

Most industry conferences are extracting value from the room. This one isn't. Makes you wonder why more don't work this way.

Source: "We're proud to sponsor SEO for Paws, a unique initiative led by SEO Charity that brings the SEO community together to support animals in need." — Yoast