Your questions, answered
Everything you need to know about Ahrefs Evolve San Diego. Tickets, venue, what's included, who attends, and what makes this conference different.
General
Ahrefs Evolve is a two-day in-person conference for marketing & SEO professionals focused on modern search strategies, AI search visibility (AEO/GEO), and data-driven growth. It brings together 500–600+ practitioners, in-house leads, agency owners, and founders from around the world.
It's both! And intentionally so. Ahrefs Evolve sits at the intersection of traditional SEO and the emerging world of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Sessions cover how search is changing and what practitioners need to do differently right now to make an impact.
BrightonSEO and MozCon are broader SEO events with a wide range of session levels. SMX Advanced skews technical. Ahrefs Evolve is built for marketing pros who are past the 'what is AEO' stage and want to know what's actually working. Every session discusses the AI shift and how you can stay ahead.
Zero Click and AEO Conf are invite-only or very niche. Ahrefs Evolve is open to all practitioners and combines the depth of a dedicated AEO event with the broader context of search marketing, giving attendees a full picture of where the industry is heading.
Who attends?
Attendees include in-house SEO leads, content strategists, agency owners, heads of growth, and founders. Most attendees are mid-to-senior level. Companies of all sizes send teams, from early-stage startups to enterprise brands.
No. Ahrefs Evolve is open to all SEO and marketing professionals regardless of which tools they use.
Evolve is built for practitioners who are already doing SEO or content marketing and want to understand how AI search changes their work. It's not an introductory event. Sessions assume a working knowledge of search fundamentals.
What will I learn?
Core topics include AI-driven search optimization (AEO/GEO), brand visibility in AI answers, modern content strategy, technical SEO in an AI-first environment, and data-driven growth. Sessions are practical, focused on workflows and tactics, not theory. See the agenda here.
Speakers are active practitioners and industry leaders. They are people doing the work, not just writing about it. This year's speakers include leaders like Ann Handley, Ross Simmonds, and Rand Fishkin alongside Ahrefs' own, Tim Soulo and Patrick Stox. Selection is based on the quality and practicality of their insights. See the full lineup here.
Yes, mainstage keynotes are recorded and made available after the event to All Access ticket holders. Recordings are accessible through the event app.
Food & beverage
Quite a bit, actually. Both days include a full lunch and tea/coffee breaks throughout the day. There's also an on-site coffee cart available. On the evening of Day 1, there's a happy hour with hors d'oeuvres. Day 2 closes with a full after-party including a buffet style dinner. All dining events are a chance to connect with speakers and fellow attendees in a more relaxed setting.
Yes! Day 1 ends with a happy hour featuring hors d'oeuvres, included in your ticket. Day 2 has a full after-party dinner. Most conferences don't include evening food and drink in the ticket price; at Evolve it's all part of the experience.
Yes, there's a dedicated coffee cart on-site throughout both days, offering complimentary coffee before and during the days. There is also complimentary drip coffee & tea available during all breaks.
Logistics
Ahrefs Evolve 2026 takes place on October 12–13, 2026 in San Diego, California at the InterContinental San Diego.
There are two options: a Standard Pass (2 days of sessions, workshops, happy hour, and after-party) and an All-Access Pass (everything in Standard, plus session recordings, premium seating, speaker lounge access, and a pre-event private networking reception).
Tickets are released in batches — each release sells out before the next one opens, and prices increase with each batch. The earlier you buy, the better the price. See current pricing and availability.
Yes. Teams of 3 or more get 10% off. All attendees must share the same email domain and tickets must be purchased together. Email events@ahrefs.com to get your team discount.
Every ticket includes full two-day conference access, lunch and tea/coffee breaks daily, an on-site coffee cart, the Day 1 happy hour, and the Day 2 after-party dinner. All-Access ticket holders also get session recordings, premium seating, speaker lounge access, and a pre-event private reception with speakers. See more details on the ticketing page.
Ahrefs Evolve is hosted at the InterContinental San Diego (901 Bayfront Ct), and we recommend staying there. Most attendees do. The best conversations happen in the lobby, over breakfast, and at the bar after sessions wrap. We've secured an exclusive Evolve rate of $339/night. Rooms are limited and the rate ends September 28 or when they sell out, so book early. The hotel is less than 2 miles from the airport, walkable to downtown and top restaurants, and has a rooftop pool, 24/7 fitness center, and on-site dining. Book the hotel.
Value & ROI
Ahrefs Evolve is focused on AI search strategy, one of the most pressing issues for any team with an organic traffic goal right now. Every session is practical. You'll leave with frameworks and tactics you can use immediately, plus access to a network of peers who are navigating the same challenges. Use our copy & paste letter to your boss.
The feedback from Evolve 2025 was consistent across the board: attendees came for the content and stayed for the community. Sessions were praised for being practical and immediately applicable, real workflows and examples from practitioners doing the work. The single-track format and tight 30-minute session slots were specifically called out as keeping energy and focus high throughout both days.
Networking was a close second. Long breaks, shared lunches, and the evening events gave attendees genuine time to connect and not just badge-swap.
Here's what a few attendees said directly:
"It's rare to go to a conference where every single talk gives you something you can actually apply the next day — this one delivered non-stop." — Harry Gill, AI Marketing Leader
"The knowledge shared, the networking, and the conversations were invaluable and easily made this one of the most impactful conferences I've ever attended." — Danai Woods, Website Manager
"One of the coolest things about being at Ahrefs Evolve is meeting the real people behind the content." — Joshua Callandret
"Paid $999 to spend 48 hours in San Diego with 22 experts and it was 100% worth it." — Ramin Schultz, Founder at Keebos
AEO & AI search
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of making content easy for AI systems to discover, interpret, and reference when generating direct answers — whether in Google AI Overviews, voice assistants, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or other AI-powered search experiences. As more searches result in AI answers instead of blue links, AEO is becoming as important as traditional SEO for organic visibility.
Because that's where search is going. Ahrefs has been tracking the shift in how AI systems surface content, and Evolve is built around giving practitioners the strategies they need to stay visible as that shift accelerates.
Courses and blogs are great for foundational knowledge. Evolve is for the stage after that — when you've read the posts, understand the concepts, and need to hear from people who are actively running experiments and seeing results. The conversations in the hallways and at the after-party often matter as much as the sessions.
