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Women in Tech SEO Fest 2026: An Agentic Future
Written by Sara de Rouw
Head of Content | Content Strategist
Last Thursday, my colleague Cynthia and I attended the Women in Tech SEO Fest in London. With an impressive line-up of speakers and a venue set against the backdrop of the brutalist masterpiece, The Barbican, expectations were high. And they were certainly met! We attended a series of fascinating talks and learnt new things about our field. Let me take you through it!
The future is agentic
What has stayed with me most of all from the talks is not so much the arrival of agents as their impact on us as marketers. As one of the speakers put it: “Agents are new channels and new users.” With the introduction of Openclaw – the most tangible form of agents we have seen so far – it suddenly becomes crystal clear what the future might look like.
For me, as a content marketer, it mainly means: bear in mind that the funnel is changing. Orientation is prompting, validation is agentic and decision-making is human-in-the-loop. Or agentic too, if you dare. In short, the compatibility and interactivity of your website are becoming even more important.
I must admit, though, that it’s really still a bit beyond me at the moment. I simply can’t yet properly gauge the timeline we’re looking at, what will come first and how we’re going to respond to it. But that makes it all the more interesting to me.
AI Search as an extension of SEO
After two interesting talks on data storytelling and content (which are certainly worth mentioning, but were less innovative), it was the turn of the powerhouse Aleyda Solis. With her sharp insight into SEO and brilliantly sharp mind, she took us on a journey into the future of AI search.
With a nod to the current tensions on the world stage, she referred to the current trend of falling click-through rates in the world of SEO as “The Great Decoupling”. The loss of search traffic is due, amongst other things, to AIOs. Nevertheless, she emphasised that this does not mean SEO must suddenly become GEO, AEO or some similar acronym. It’s simply changing. “AI search is now primarily both a performance and a branding channel,” she declared. And that means a shift in focus and more diverse content. Fortunately, we were already hard at work on this.
Architects of the system
“It is no longer our job to carry out the tasks; it is our job to build the system,” was the key message from one of the speakers. She emphasised that our role is shifting from that of an executive marketing body to that of an architect, in which we spend 50 per cent on strategy, 30 per cent on designing systems and 20 per cent on operational execution.
That all sounds very promising. I always wanted to be an architect when I was younger. But what exactly does ‘designing the system’ entail? My interpretation of this is primarily based on devising frameworks within which GPTs, agents and automation processes reinforce one another. In whatever sub-discipline within our field. The goal must be clear, as must the brief. What happens in between depends entirely on what works and what doesn’t.
There’s a subreddit for that
The last talk we attended was about Reddit. I’ve always had a great fascination with Reddit myself. Admittedly, I’m not an active user – more of a silent admirer. Reddit is, after all, a wonderfully human-to-human channel. Subreddits spring from shared interests, and knowledge is exchanged to one’s heart’s content. And in a world that’s becoming increasingly artificial, I find that a refreshing alternative.
Google, too, surprisingly often rates information on Reddit as valuable. After all, the SERP is full of Reddit content for certain search terms. This means Reddit can also be an interesting performance channel in your strategy – provided, of course, that your target audience is active there.
But before you add this platform to your marketing mix, be fully aware of the etiquette. Commercial messages are certainly not appreciated. Nor is shameless self-promotion as a company. No, anyone wishing to use Reddit to gain a wider reach must offer value. So immerse yourself in the world of your target audience. What are they talking about? Listen to the wishes they express on Reddit. Observe how they interact with your brand. And weigh up the pros and cons carefully before entering the critical Reddit arena.
And now in practice
As far as I’m concerned, the Women in Tech SEO Fest was a great success! We had the chance to gain an insight into the minds of a number of incredibly clever women. Now it’s our job to apply this knowledge to our own disciplines. So, let’s get to work!
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