Semrush 2025: The Year in Review
When the Ground Beneath Marketers Shifted
December 23, 2025
The energy at Semrush's Spotlight 2025 was electric. Over 1,000 marketers from around the globe didn't just come for the latest tips. They came to confront the industry's next great evolution: the disruptive and definitive rise of AI. With 100+ speakers, 25+ keynotes, and 150+ 1:8 mastermind sessions, the event delivered. Speakers shared strategies that are set to change how marketing teams will work in 2026 and beyond. If you missed it, fear not. Here are the five biggest takeaways that everyone's talking about.
Top 5 Takeaways
Search is No Longer a Destination, It's an Expansive Landscape.
AI doesn't kill SEO; it shatters the limitations of the search box. The marketer's role is expanding from a single channel to optimizing for a "highly reactive" and all-encompassing search landscape– and marketers need an all-in-one solution to stay ahead.
The AI-Trust Paradox: More AI Requires More Humanity.
The future isn't AI replacing humans, but AI as a "force multiplier" to scale trust. The most advanced brand campaigns will be "collaborative and decentralized," enabling customers to distribute your brand for you by making them the hero.
The New SEO: From Traffic Acquisition to Influence Engineering.
As "growing impressions and shrinking clicks" become the norm, traditional SEO is over. The new battleground is "Share of Voice" within AI, requiring marketers to manage brand probability in LLMs and reverse-engineer "authoritativeness" for generative search.
Humanizing B2B: Selling to People, Not Organizations.
B2B marketing must evolve to sell the "benefit of the benefit"—tapping into the personal incentives of the individual decision-maker (e.g., "less time crunching numbers"), not just the organizational goals (e.g., "save time").
Resonance Trumps Reach: Rejecting Norms for Cultural Connection.
Growth is just an outcome; the real goal is "cultural resonance." In a world of generic trends, brands like Duolingo win by taking "creative risks" and rejecting industry norms to build a unique, authentic connection with their community.
AI doesn't kill SEO; it shatters the limitations of the search box. The marketer's role is expanding from a single channel to optimizing for a "highly reactive" and all-encompassing search landscape– and marketers need an all-in-one solution to stay ahead.
The AI-Trust Paradox: More AI Requires More Humanity.
The future isn't AI replacing humans, but AI as a "force multiplier" to scale trust. The most advanced brand campaigns will be "collaborative and decentralized," enabling customers to distribute your brand for you by making them the hero.
The New SEO: From Traffic Acquisition to Influence Engineering.
As "growing impressions and shrinking clicks" become the norm, traditional SEO is over. The new battleground is "Share of Voice" within AI, requiring marketers to manage brand probability in LLMs and reverse-engineer "authoritativeness" for generative search.
Humanizing B2B: Selling to People, Not Organizations.
B2B marketing must evolve to sell the "benefit of the benefit"—tapping into the personal incentives of the individual decision-maker (e.g., "less time crunching numbers"), not just the organizational goals (e.g., "save time").
Resonance Trumps Reach: Rejecting Norms for Cultural Connection.
Growth is just an outcome; the real goal is "cultural resonance." In a world of generic trends, brands like Duolingo win by taking "creative risks" and rejecting industry norms to build a unique, authentic connection with their community.
Plus One Amazing New Visibility Tool
One of the biggest announcements that had marketers buzzing was the unveil of Semrush One, an integrated visibility intelligence solution for the AI era. It builds upon Semrush’s renowned SEO capabilities and layers in AI visibility tools, including visibility tracking across leading LLMs, brand presence and sentiment measurement, brand perception management, and competitive insights.
With it, marketers now have the power to influence every moment of discovery, ensuring brand visibility and ultimately performance impact.
Those looking to take total control of their search performance can learn more here.
There's Always Next Year
In 2026, we’ll keep the momentum going with strategies and tools for ambitious marketers to drive what’s next.
More insights on AI, creativity, and the future of visibility — where innovation meets real-world impact. As in 2025, marketers can expect deep sessions, global voices, and bold conversations that redefine how brands grow in the AI era.
