As a long-time admirer of Ahrefs, attending Ahrefs Evolve 2024 felt like a natural progression in my professional journey. With its promise of cutting-edge strategies and networking opportunities, the event was a must-attend for anyone serious about digital marketing. 

It also held promise of an impressive speaker lineup and some pretty cool topics.

Now that it’s over, I’m excited to share the highlights, insights, and takeaways.

Getting There: The Adventure Begins

This year’s conference was hosted in Singapore, a city known for its creative energy and culinary delights. Singapore’s vibrant mix of innovation and culture provided the perfect backdrop for a gathering of marketing professionals. 

From its high-tech hubs to its world-class culinary scene, the city felt like a metaphor for the diverse and ever-evolving world of SEO.

The conference itself was held in the architectural wonder that is the Pan Pacific Orchard hotel, Google it if you are at all architecturally inclined, you will not regret it.

Elephants In The Room (and other beasts)

The first day kicked off with a bang and straight to the point.

AI Overviews

The truly big elephant in the room is the introduction of AI overviews (AIOs) into Google search results. For everybody out there who might have slept through 2024, this is an example:

These little snippets are not yet rolled out on all global markets but on the ones where they have been, they have started affecting user click through rates and reducing overall traffic.  Thankfully the feature is not yet dominant and is absent from many searches and the jury is still out on how pervasive AI Overviews will be in the future.

Helpful Content Update

The "Helpful Content Update"  was a big one, affecting websites across the board, but with fairly vague explanations and guidelines on what counts as actually “helpful”.  Statements like: “Focus on people-first content” or “Avoid creating content for search engines first” have been in circulation with the usual advice to avoid “optimization”.

The question remained what it all meant. 

Is Video the Future of Content and Search?

If anybody had any doubts, the world's second largest search engine is not Bing, it’s YouTube with Meta and TikTok riding fast on the short-form video train

1. Helpful Content vs Content That Actually Helps!

The era of the "one-size-fits-all" SEO strategy is over. Before Google’s Helpful Content update, it was common to rely on a tried-and-true formula: conduct keyword research, optimize with on-page tools, build some links, and watch your rankings climb. But as Cyrus Shepard pointed out in his talk, these methods often resulted in content that met KPIs but didn’t truly serve searchers.

For instance, if someone searches for a recipe, they want the recipe—not a lengthy essay on the history of pasta. If they’re looking for the best running shoes, they want recommendations backed by real expertise, not scraped product descriptions from e-commerce sites. Cyrus emphasized the need to create content that genuinely helps users, and I couldn’t agree more.

It’s time to shift focus from what the algorithm wants to what the user needs. This means breaking free from the "SEO brain" mindset and embracing creativity, authenticity, and user-first strategies. As Sam Oh mentioned, this isn’t just about written content—the same principles apply to platforms like YouTube and beyond.

2. Focusing on Brand Building

If there was one theme that echoed throughout the event, it was the growing importance of brand in SEO. Talks from industry leaders like Amanda King and Aleyda Solis highlighted how Google is increasingly favoring trusted, recognizable brands in search results.

This shift is partly a response to the challenges posed by AI-generated content. Instead of evaluating the quality of every article, Google appears to be leaning on established brands to anchor its SERPs. For smaller players, this underscores the need to invest in building a unique and trustworthy brand identity.

Building a brand is not going to be easy and that is going to be a huge challenge requiring discussions between SEOs, agencies and businesses. For now, we know that things like brand mentions and building out trust are more important than ever.

One idea that resonated with me is integrating our brand more deeply into content and campaigns. For instance, naming processes or methodologies after our brand—the "Ahrefs content creation process"—could help boost brand searches and establish authority. But as Aleyda pointed out, this only works if the processes are truly unique and backed by real expertise. The "Helpful Content" update is seeing to it that just playing the brand game without backing it up is going to be harder and harder to get results from.

3. Showcasing Expertise Through Action

Another key takeaway was the importance of demonstrating expertise with tangible, first-hand evidence. As Cyrus Shepard illustrated with the example of RunRepeat—a site that cuts shoes in half to test their performance—users and Google alike value content that goes the extra mile to provide unique insights.

Creating this level of content isn’t easy. It requires dedication, resources, and a commitment to original research. But the payoff is clear: not only does it enhance credibility, but it also makes your content difficult to replicate. For my own work, I plan to incorporate more multimedia elements, such as unique (personally made) screenshots, videos, and images, to provide visual proof of the processes and results we discuss.

Also we had a chance to see some pretty cool stats on how original images impacted final rankings and how much of a difference it made in the end.

And just to add a little authority to this approach, Cyrus is the guy who actually went undercover as a Google quality controller among a host of other things that made him embrace this idea.

4. Embracing TikTok and Short-Form Video While Earning Trust on YouTube

It’s impossible to ignore the rise of TikTok as a search engine for younger audiences. As Charlotte Ang pointed out in her talk, TikTok’s evolution into a search platform is reshaping the way users discover information. While I’ve traditionally focused on text-based content, it’s clear that video—particularly short-form video—is becoming a critical part of the marketing mix.

Platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels offer exciting opportunities to reach new audiences and showcase expertise in engaging ways. 

While I’m still exploring how to incorporate these formats into my workflow, the potential is undeniable. As Amanda King noted, SEO is no longer confined to websites; it’s about optimizing your presence across all platforms and mediums.

Not to mention this fits in wonderfully with the entire brand first initiative we heard so much about.

Sam Oh of Ahrefs also gave valuable insight on building and growing a YouTube channel and reminded me of the value of never forgetting that YouTube promotion is not a matter of tactics but a matter of earning trust and interest first and foremost.

5. Bonus - Jason Hennessey - How to build a multi million agency from ground up

One thing that really hit home is how we are often our own biggest constraint. 

Jason Hennessey of Hennessey Digital had quite and eye-opening lecture driving home again and again the importance of delegating, understanding one’s limitations and finding ways of building out processes and systems that take up time and prevent ourselves from just eating away at success.

• Have a vision (three-year one)
• Don’t be shy of giving it away for free (you will sell a lot more)
• Find and fix broken systems
• Always remember that it’s systems that fail, not people

Final Thoughts

Ahrefs Evolve 2024 was more than just an event; it was a reminder of the dynamic and collaborative nature of our industry. From the diversity of attendees to the actionable insights shared by speakers, it reinforced the importance of adaptability and innovation in digital marketing.

Breaking free from outdated strategies, investing in brand building, showcasing expertise, and experimenting with new formats like short-form video is where it’s at at the moment and we need to follow.

For those considering attending next year’s event, my advice is simple: don’t miss it. The connections, insights, and inspiration you’ll gain are invaluable. 

Here’s to another year of growth and success in the ever-evolving and occasionally frustrating world of SEO.