The year ahead promises a number of welcome returns. Scotland will return to the World Cup for the first time in 20 years. NASA will once again land on the moon. And Europe will get to witness a total solar eclipse for the first time in over 20 years.
In the content world, we also expect a sense of returning. Not going back to old ways but staying true to the age-old core of good content: authentic, accessible, helpful.
Naturally, AI will continue to shape how people consume content and the ways that pros create it. Let’s see how.
Human-centric storytelling takes centre stage
AI content now accounts for half of articles on the web, according to a study. It brings great speed to content creation, but it lacks the authenticity and human intelligence to connect with readers on an emotional level. It tries, but it misses the nuance that people need to feel seen.
Not so much as a backlash but more as a way to stand out, brands will return to human-centric storytelling to convey their purpose and impact.
Bringing lived experiences to the fore and emphasising emotions that are universally felt will help people relate to the content without cringing. Think Q&As, quotes and content that zeroes in on people’s real needs.
AI-assisted content becomes universal
Most content creators are using AI at some point in their day – the figure is 81%, according to SurveyMonkey. Through 2026, we expect continued adoption, not just of more people using it but people finding more ways to use it.
AI can support with ideation, drafting and repurposing content, but very few professionals will be pressing ‘go’ and ‘upload’. Humans will need to be sharp at editing it all for quality, otherwise they risk diluting the brand message and voice.
There’s an opportunity for marketers to take stock of the successes of AI to refine how they use it going forward.
More interactive and modular content
As attention spans shrink, brands will aim to engage audiences with dynamic content formats. Sliders, quizzes, calculators, polls and personalised content blocks are all effective ways to help beat the scroll and reward users for their attention.
Modular content is also set to rise in popularity. With small bits of content that can be repurposed and used across different pages, the modular approach gives creators more flexibility and quick ways to refresh content.
But short, snappy snippets won’t replace all content. It is another step in the customer journey, helping to capture attention and increase awareness. Brands still need to create a range of content types for different audiences and their place in the buying funnel. Procurement committees, for example, won’t be able to compare competing providers based on a ‘Which badger are you this week?’ quiz.
Dialling up accessibility and inclusivity
When we talk about different audiences’ needs, we tend to mean a deep dive into consumer preferences, behaviours, goals, fears, background, professional needs etc. Often overlooked are those crucial elements that enable all users to interact with the content.
To reach more people, many brands will focus on making sure content is accessible and inclusive this year. That involves using clear language and text that is easily translatable or already transcreated for different locations. Making sure alt text is easily understood by screen readers will also allow visually impaired readers to engage with the content.
To avoid alienating audiences, brands should be careful about language choice to avoid inadvertently showing bias or reinforcing stereotypes.
Shifting strategies for SEO and GEO
Keeping up with Google is a constant effort, and AI has added another layer to build into strategies. Last year, just 19% of marketers said they planned to add AI in search to their SEO strategy. Over the next 12 months, we expect that figure to be much higher as brands play catch up.
AI readability is key to effective content. It’s about creating content in a way that allows AI to process information and present it to searchers.
To get content AI search ready, marketers can deploy tactics such as answering questions succinctly and structuring content for AI to extract information and respond to AI-generative search behaviour.
The age of Google is still very much here, though. It was the go-to place for 9.1 billion searches a day last year. So, continuing to strengthen content to meet Google’s EEAT framework will be essential to rank highly this year. (As a reminder, EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.)
How does 2026 look for your content?
Planned and ready to get started? A bit wobbly? Totally hectic? However your content plans are shaping up, we can refine your strategy to target audiences and stay relevant through sea change.
Get in touch to get some clarity on your 2026 content agenda.
