MozCon London 2025: debrief the day

Nick Bright, Director of Organic Strategy, and Katheryn Watson, Director of PR, attended the recent MozCon London 2025 event and are now back in the office, debriefing what they heard, how it landed, and why it matters for your strategy…  

Keyword Research for AI

Nick: Alright Katheryn, MozCon London 2025, here’s what I want to hear. Did it feel worth the buzz? Katheryn: Absolutely. Held on 12 August 2025 at The Mermaid in London, I really enjoyed the one-day format. You felt immersed in learning without the usual mega-event overwhelm… Nick: And I know you’ve gathered some great takeaways for our content strategy. Let’s start with Dr Pete’s talk on “keyword research for AI.” What’s the angle? Katheryn: He explained how a single search query can lead to a variety of related keywords, like different subtopics and similar concepts. He showed how user intent changes from researching (‘What’s the best…’) to buying (‘Buy now…’), and also includes searches for specific brands or competitors. The key takeaway for us here is figuring out where our digital PR content fits into these keyword groups and how we can incorporate that understanding into our brainstorming. Nick: That also ties neatly into bias in AI, right? Katheryn: Exactly. Dr. Pete’s warning is clear: feeding branded queries to an AI results in branded, biased outputs. The solution is to craft precise, narrow prompts without using loaded language. Think of AI as a support tool for your keyword research, not a complete substitute.  

The Foundation of Content Creation

Nick:Rebecca Jackson’s session stood out too. What should we take from that? Katheryn: She emphasised that understanding the audience is the foundation of content creation. The process starts with using GA4’s User Attributes to leverage first-party data. Next, she explained how to add layers of detail with SparkToro to find interests, roles, and affinities, and then use GWI to build a complete consumer profile with crucial insights into purchase behaviour. Only after this holistic research is complete should you start creating content. Nick: That’s why her fashion client example makes perfect sense. By creating editorial PR content, enhancing product description pages (PDPs) with material details and event context, and building product listing pages (PLPs) around event-driven searches, her client successfully boosted both visibility and revenue. Katheryn: And because she emphasized the importance of holistic audience insights, it was no surprise that she also mentioned Reddit. Mentions in Reddit-driven SERPs can build significant long-term credibility. You can find these valuable threads with SparkToro, and then use GA4 to measure the impact through referral traffic increases, snippet wins, and better performance in AI Overviews.  

Optimising for Impressions

Nick: Then we heard Tom Capper talk about AI Overviews. What’s the takeaway here? Katheryn: His core idea is to optimise for impressions, not just for the top rank. He explained that AI isn’t simply ranking content—it’s actively evaluating what users need. The AI is essentially asking, “What answers are most helpful and what content is most trustworthy?” Our job is to make sure our Digital PR (DPR) content answers those questions clearly and concisely.  

Becoming a Primary Source

Nick: And Chima Mmeje’s perspective on becoming a “primary source?” Katheryn: That’s the key: AI rewards original contributions. Your brand builds authority not by recycling content, but by publishing primary sources like proprietary research, frameworks, surveys, and original opinion pieces.  

AIO Success

Nick: Last but not least, Charlie Marchant’s practical tips for AI optimisation success? Katheryn: Simplicity wins. Exact phrase matching, clean readability, direct answers… AI loves all of that. We also need to monitor new AI-specific metrics, like referral and conversion from chatbots, AI prompt visibility, AI sentiment, and share of voice.  

Headline Takeaway

Nick: So, what’s our headline takeaway? Katheryn: MozCon London delivered a clear message: understand user intent, stay authentic, and embrace AI. This means mapping content to keyword families, building trust with primary insights, and designing a consistent experience that satisfies both users and AI. Nick: Couldn’t have said it better. How exciting is it that our own Paul Norris is going to be up on stage in New York at MozCon in November? Katheryn: Can’t wait!  

MozCon London 2025 Key Learnings

1. AI is a powerful tool, not a replacement. Use precise and narrow prompts to leverage AI as a support tool for your keyword research, not as a substitute for human strategic thinking.
2. Understand your audience from all angles. Before creating any content, you must have a deep understanding of your audience. Comprehensive insight should be the foundation of your content strategy.
3. Optimise for impressions and be an original source. To stand out from the “sea of regurgitated content,” you must become a primary source by publishing original contributions like proprietary research, frameworks, and op-eds.