The TES Affiliate Conference returned to Cascais in February 2024, bringing together some of the most influential voices in affiliate marketing and digital strategy. UniK SEO was proud to take part in this international event, not only as attendees but as active contributors to the conversation.
Our COO, Greg Lacan, took to the stage as an invited speaker to discuss how you should adapt your SEO Strategy to algorithm updates in the Adult Niche.
About TES Affiliate Conferences
The 2024 edition of the TES Affiliate Conference, in Cascais, gathered some of the most active players operating in high-risk, high-competition digital verticals, including adult, iGaming, crypto, and affiliation-based businesses, not to mention international affiliates, advertisers, media buyers, platforms, and agencies conducting their activity in some of the most demanding digital environments. Topics such as algorithm volatility, traffic sustainability, monetization constraints, and platform limitations were at the center of the agenda.
For SEO professionals in adult niches, TES Cascais 2024 was the right stage to address one key reality: search visibility in adult markets requires a completely different level of expertise. This context made this year’s TES Affiliate Conference the ideal environment for UniK SEO to share hands-on expertise and contribute to the conversation on how adult websites can adapt, survive, and grow amid ongoing Google algorithm changes.
UniK SEO at TES Cascais 2024: SEO in the Adult Industry
TES Cascais 2024 was a natural fit for UniK SEO. As a full-service SEO agency with a deep specialization in high-risk, seriously regulated verticals, we actively work with brands operating in environments where visibility, compliance, and long-term traffic stability are constant challenges.
The adult industry, in particular, demands a level of SEO precision that goes far beyond standard best practices.
Greg Lacan on Stage: SEO Strategies for the Adult Niche
One of the highlights of TES Cascais 2024 was UniK SEO’s active contribution to the conference agenda through a dedicated talk by Grégoire Lacan, our COO.
The talk, titled “Adapting Your SEO Strategy to Algorithm Updates in the Adult Niche”, showed how adult websites can remain competitive and resilient as Google’s algorithm evolves and AI increasingly influences search results, rankings, and user behavior.
Rather than focusing on generic SEO theory, the session focused on how algorithm updates specifically affect adult websites and what businesses must do to respond proactively rather than reactively.
Key Challenges for SEO in the Adult Industry
During the session, several structural challenges unique to adult SEO were discussed, including:
- Stricter search engine regulations and content guidelines;
- Reduced tolerance for low-quality or manipulative practices;
- Reputation, authority, and trust as critical ranking signals;
- Limited use of social media and paid acquisition channels;
- Increased sensitivity to link quality and spam-related updates;
- User experience, security, and engagement as ranking differentiators.
These factors make adult SEO one of the most volatile and demanding specializations in organic search, where mistakes are often costly and difficult to recover from.
What We Shared: Practical SEO Frameworks That Work
The talk broke down how adult websites can adapt their SEO strategies around three core pillars:
Content
A strong focus on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), recognizable authorship, topical relevance, and content that stays firmly within the brand’s area of expertise. Human input, user-generated content validation, and alignment with helpful content principles were highlighted as essential safeguards against future updates.
Technical & UX
Monitoring Core Web Vitals, ensuring clean indexation, maintaining a solid site structure, and optimizing user interactions were presented as non-negotiable foundations, especially in niches where trust and usability directly affect performance.
Reputation & Link Building
Quality over quantity remains critical in adult SEO. The session emphasized earned links, digital PR, and reputation-driven strategies over outdated or risky link-building tactics that can trigger penalties after core or spam-related updates.
Preparing Adult Websites for The Future of Search
Looking ahead, the presentation placed strong emphasis on the shift from traditional SEO to AI-driven search optimization, where visibility is no longer determined solely by rankings and blue links. With generative search systems increasingly deciding which brands, pages, and sources are surfaced or referenced, adult websites must adapt their strategies to align with GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on rankings and clicks, GEO prioritizes how content is interpreted, selected, and reused by AI-powered search experiences. This requires adult brands to strengthen topical authority, structured content, authorship signals, and real expertise, all while staying within strict industry guidelines. The session highlighted that succeeding in AI-influenced search is no longer optional but a necessary evolution to maintain visibility, credibility, and long-term growth in the adult industry.
Highlights From the Event
TES Cascais 2024 was not just about talks and panels, but rather shared challenges and meaningful connections across the affiliate and adult digital ecosystem. Throughout the event, UniK SEO had the opportunity to engage with affiliates, advertisers, platform providers, and industry leaders who operate in some of the most competitive and regulated online verticals.
This conference created the perfect setting to exchange insights on algorithm volatility, AI-driven search, traffic sustainability, and the realities of scaling adult businesses through SEO. It was also a chance to strengthen existing partnerships and explore new collaborations with professionals facing the same constraints and opportunities as our clients.
If you’d like to know more about TES events, please click here.
