Last year’s Ahrefs Evolve was about surviving Google’s updates.
This year? We barely talked about algorithms. Instead, more than 500 marketers gathered, listening with rapt attention as every conversation revolved around artificial intelligence.
Its huge impact on our industry cannot be overstated.
Here are four themes that define Ahrefs Evolve 2025 for me.
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LLM has emerged as an alternative platform for search. Google itself released Artificial Intelligence Overview and artificial intelligence modesignificantly reducing website clicks.
Patrick Stokes slideshow
Patrick Stokes slideshow
Even before that, Tik Tok Gradually becoming the search engine of choice for Generation Z. Other searchers turn directly to Reddit for authentic reviews and comments.
Slides from Heather Physioc
Search behavior has changed dramatically. We no longer just search in that Google box. Users are discovering content, ideas, places, and purchasing from all kinds of places: YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Amazon, Instagram, Discord, and more.
It’s time for SEOs to realize this. as heather physicist In her talk, the modern search journey looks more like this:
Slides from Heather Physioc
Search is no longer just about Google, and SEO is no longer just about search engine optimization. now is search everywhere optimization.
You have to ask, “Where is our audience actually looking, and how do we show up there?”
Slides provided by Eric Siu
To this end, SEO can no longer work in isolation. New SEO leaders must work across different teams.
I mean, just look at the strategy patrick Recommendations apply to GEO:
Patrick Stokes slideshow
They are job descriptions for different teams. SEO can’t do all of this. The only way to do that is to have more teams and collaborate more often.
Patrick Stokes slideshow
or as Brian Casey Say, you want to reframe your job description and mindset from SEO to “Inbound General Manager”:
Brian Casey’s slideshow
If AI search is rewriting the way people discover content, the next question is: Where exactly does AI pull content from?
Unfortunately for all of us, the biggest ranking factor may no longer be our website. according to a AirOps researchIn terms of AI search visibility, brands are 6.5 times more likely to be cited through third-party sources than in the brand’s own domain.
Trained in internet speech, Google and other LL.M.s have become increasingly reliant on off-site brand and category signals.
as Kelly Ross As the saying goes, “Branding is the new SEO.”
Slideshow by Carrie Rose
In short: LL.M.s love popular brands.
Kevin Indigo’s slides
Why? Because LL.M.s “cite” brands they trust, and that trust is built the same way human trust is – through reputation.
Therefore, if you want to become an LL.M., you must build trust, authority and brand awareness. Luckily, our speakers have some great ideas on how to do this.
Carrie Rose believes that brand salience is the most important ranking factor: “The best marketers are training people and the Internet to associate their brands with category terms.”
Slideshow by Carrie Rose
How to build a brand? from Cyrus Shepard’s presentation, building a brand means appearing on podcasts, being interviewed, doing digital PR, appearing in directories, and having a strong author profile:
Slides by Cyrus Shephard
Kevin IndigoThe wonderful “Authority Stack” diagram shows how your website and brand start building trust through a flywheel:
Kevin Indigo’s slides
The most common theme I see is is the only one.
as Peeping at Raja Say: “You need to figure out your uniqueness.”
Slideshow from Peep Laja
Not just for your positioning, but for everything you do. Especially your content. cyrus says you should be this Expert, not expert. Kevin says you should be the only one with a unique perspective.
Kevin Indigo’s slides
Artificial intelligence is no longer a shiny new distraction. This is the minimum standard to remain competitive.
The winners now are distinguished not by whether they use AI, but by how deeply they integrate AI into their systems, teams, and thinking.
as john henry sheck states, “AI adoption = business transformation.”
However, this doesn’t mean you have to “do AI for AI’s sake.” The LL.M. is not a substitute for human interns. They are artificial intelligence and will work like artificial intelligence.
Slides by JH Scherck
as Ryan RoweOur Director of Content Marketing says you want to use it to automate your list items and allow yourself to focus on the important 20%: taste, judgment, and strategy.
Slides provided by Ryan Law
Sophie Brannon’s slideshow
However, no matter what you read on LinkedIn every day, you can’t just sit down and use artificial intelligence to automate every part of your job. Even if it’s a checklist item.
You still need humans to check and verify that you’re not generating nonsense, posting hallucinations, and everything is working as expected. If you skip the tedious part of AI adoption, which is not validating what the LLM is creating, then all you get is workflow disruption, computational expense inflation, and the entire campaign derailed by a single typo that is replicated at scale.
Slides by JH Scherck
If you want to start integrating AI into your work and processes, JH recommends the following:
- Start small and do something that cannot be scaled
- Treat prompting as a critical skill for everyone
- Establish artificial intelligence verification guidelines and comprehensively refine standards
- Create an internal AI learning center
- Weekly AI shows and lectures
- In every 1:1, ask “How have you used artificial intelligence this week?”
In an age where artificial intelligence can generate effective content on command, the only real advantage left to us is, unquestionably, humans.
The world doesn’t need another brand playing it safe, producing AI-generated sewage, and creating ads that are indistinguishable from cows eating grass.
Slides by Mark Schaefer
To win in the machine age, you must take risks. Have the courage to do something that cannot be ignored.
How did you do it? Madhav Bhandari This has been systematized into a framework: PIPE.
- pattern recognition — Find similarities in each channel and find a pattern to interrupt
- Interrupt guardrail — Set boundaries so you don’t blindly interrupt patterns. For example, is it branding or helps build a channel?
- Portfolio design — Balance loud performances that grab attention with thoughtful ones that enhance credibility
- execution system — Make it repeatable. Test small, review monthly, scale, and reward failure
Slides by Madhav Bhandari
Mark ShaferThe framework is relatively simple. You can disrupt the story, the story medium, the storyteller, or all three.
Slides by Mark Schaefer
Mark Schaeffer insists the storyteller shouldn’t be you. Which one fits perfectly? Chris CunninghamThink that in the future every company will need creators.
You want someone who can tell stories, share perspectives, and represent your brand publicly. If you’re lucky, you can find people on the inside. Empower them to publish content and participate in the community.
As Loganix’s Adam Steele told me at the Evolve afterparty, Ahrefs is a company that does this very well – we have a ton of well-known faces in the SEO community: our CMO Tim, our YouTube guru Sam Oh, our director of content marketing Ryan Law, SEO Patrick at SEO, and SEO guru Glen Allsopp. The rest of us are not far behind: Louise, Despina, Matthäus, and hopefully myself.
If you can’t find anyone in-house, hire a creator.
Slides provided by Chris Cunningham
As Chris said in his talk, even in marketing, you can play the game of Moneyball. Look for creators who are not big but are going viral. These people understand algorithms and know how to play the game.
final thoughts
SEO is constantly evolving. (Pun intended.) As SEO changes, so do our opportunities. It’s no longer just ranking first on Google, it’s ranking first for ideas, ranking first for conversations, and ranking first for trust.
Ahrefs Evolve’s speakers show us that this transition isn’t scary. It’s an opportunity to do more creative work, build a stronger brand, and connect with your audience in a way that really matters. When everyone else is making AI content, being truly human becomes your superpower. When search is everywhere, you will be everywhere.
The best part? This is just the beginning.
Ready to be a part of the change? Ahrefs Evolve 2026 is coming back to the United States. Join the waiting list And be one of the first to know when tickets drop.
