"We're calling it: 2026 will be the year AI remakes publishers' websites - and reader experiences. Publishers like Forbes, Newsweek, Time and The Washington Post are already adding AI tools and features to their websites, but this year those AI-driven onsite experiments will only accelerate. Core to these changes - on their homepages and beyond - will be adding more personalization to their sites using AI. And for some, the end goal isn't just personalization, but a site that anticipates reader needs, and interacts with visitors in real time."
""I think what shifts when it comes to personalization is that it becomes a filter or an input," said Mike Dyer, The Washington Post's new chief product officer. News publishers have to balance giving readers what editors believe readers need to know, and what readers themselves want to consume, he said. "What a site might look like in the not-too-distant future is the constant balance of those things... Editorial point of view will go from being the organizing principle to a critical filter of personalization," Dyer said."
"It's all an effort to improve engagement and keep readers onsite longer - a critical move as AI-driven search reshapes traffic and search volatility hits record highs. This has put a renewed focus on optimizing for engagement, repeat visits and dwell time - over page views and flyby readers. These moves will also help publishers meet readers' expectations for how they use the web in the era of AI chatbots, execs said."
In 2026 AI will remake publishers' websites by embedding personalization, real-time interactions, and on-site AI tools. Publishers will add chatbots, AI-generated summaries, and vertical video tailored by geolocation, referral source, and past behavior. Homepages will evolve into dynamic hubs that balance editorial judgment with individualized recommendations. The goal will be to increase engagement, dwell time, and repeat visits as AI-driven search changes traffic patterns and increases search volatility. Experimentation will focus on anticipating reader needs and delivering localized briefings, weather, and stock updates that keep visitors onsite longer.
Read at Digiday
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]