You can scroll through trend reports and keynote recaps all day, but nothing quite compares to being there, in the room, on the floor, in the conversations. Our team just got back from TECHSPO San Francisco 2025, which ran alongside DigiMarCon Northern California, a powerhouse combo spotlighting the intersection of technology, marketing, media, and content.
You go to these things expecting to be wowed by flashy new gadgets, and we were. But the real takeaways weren’t just about the tech itself, it was about how people are talking about it. Here’s what really stood out.
MarTech Is Finally Becoming More Strategic and Connected
For years, many companies collected marketing tools that didn’t work together. This created a problem where important data got stuck in different apps, so you could never see the full picture of a customer.
What makes this new approach “strategic” is the focus on building a smarter, more flexible toolkit. We saw many new AI-native platforms designed to predict customer behavior or automate entire campaigns. There was also a lot of discussion about building a “composable” stack by using a set of best-in-class tools that are designed to be easily connected and swapped out. This gives companies more power and adaptability than a single, rigid “all-in-one” platform.
AI Is Becoming a Practical Tool
One of the most talked-about topics in those days was the use of AI in content marketing. The conversation about AI has changed. In previous years, it was often dominated by speculation and disruption. This year, the focus was firmly on integration and practical value.
We saw incredible tools for drafting copy, generating video clips, and automating the creation of visual assets in seconds. But nobody was seriously pushing the “AI will replace creatives” anymore, instead the real conversation was about using AI as an assistant to amplify human creativity. Think of it like A/B testing of a dozen ad variations or personalizing email campaigns for thousands of users so the human experts can focus on strategy, story, and the brand’s unique voice.
Discovery in a Zero-Click World and How It Impacts SEO
One of the biggest conversations at the conference was about navigating a “zero-click world.” More users are getting answers directly from AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Google’s Search Generative Experience, and Perplexity. This means they don’t always need to click through to a website, the AI summarizes the information for them, and the user moves on.
While this is great for users, it changes everything for businesses that rely on website traffic from search engines. For years, marketers have focused on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to get their websites to the top of Google’s results.
But with AI assistants giving users direct answers, a new approach is quickly emerging. At the conference, we heard two main terms for it: LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). Whatever you call it, the goal is the same: write clear, accurate, well-structured content that an AI system can understand and trust.
To make your content more “AI-usable,” focus on:
Clear, direct answers to specific questions your audience is likely to ask
Well-structured formatting with headings, subheadings, and concise summaries
Credible sources and examples that support your claims and build trust
Consistent terminology and clarity, so AI systems can easily interpret the content
Author attribution and publication dates, to boost reliability and authority signals
The more accessible and skimmable your content is, the more likely it is to be surfaced, referenced, or quoted in AI responses. Traditional SEO still matters, but now there’s a new question content creators have to ask: “Can an AI easily find, understand, and use this?”
In short: If you want to show up in AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT or Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) your content needs to be built for more than just humans; it has to work for machines, too. It may sound counterintuitive, but helping users without forcing a click is now one of the most powerful forms of brand discovery.
Key Reflections
One thing that really struck us: the overall tone of the event felt grounded. This industry has been through a lot in the last few years, and it shows in a good way.
Discussions consistently steered towards tangible value, focusing on return on investment (ROI), seamless integration with existing technology stacks, and total cost of ownership. Attendees were asking discerning questions, seeking to understand not just what a technology could do in theory, but how it would deliver measurable results for their business. This move from speculative enthusiasm to critical evaluation signals a new level of maturity across the industry.
We left feeling very positive, not because of some futuristic new gadget, but because the industry is clearly focused on solving real-world problems and building tools that provide lasting value.
