Twelve months ago, all anyone in our world talked about was how gen AI could affect content. That was understandable: AI burst into the public consciousness with the ability to quickly create serviceable content, especially social media posts and other assets that complement deep thought leadership.

Less discussed has been how AI is altering how content is consumed. And the early signs are it’s affecting content consumption deeply, in ways that have real and lasting implications for everyone working with words. And images. And charts. And video. And audio. You get the picture.

Here are just two snapshots of how we’re seeing AI change user behavior:

• After companies spent years of working on search engine optimization and finessing how clients can land atop Google results, search traffic is plunging. The problem? Instead of a user plugging “How do I optimize my supply chain?” into a search field, trawling through a list of results, and clicking on relevant answers, AI instantly delivers a concise list of bulleted actions. Voila! The bottom line is, users increasingly don’t get past the search screen.
• Time on page is plunging, for a different but related reason. Gauging how long a user is on a given page (and how far down they scrolled) used to be a decent proxy for engagement. We’re increasingly seeing mere seconds spent with content—just enough time for a user to grab an article’s text to drop into gen AI for a summary. Why settle in to read 2,000 words when you can instantly get a 200-word version?

Either of these changes is, in isolation, worrisome. Together, they have even more serious implications for how companies find and keep audiences, for the formats that work best in a world in which attention spans seem ever shorter, and for building a reputation as a thought leader. The good news? The fundamental imperatives of combating and complementing gen AI’s impact remain unchanged: quality, quality, quality. Companies need to focus on how they can provide distinctive perspectives well beyond the (admittedly comprehensive) summaries AI spits out.

Driving quality content takes much more than a bright or even revolutionary idea. Even the most original thinking can wither on the vine of poor execution. It demands what we’ve always advocated: quality across the entire content life cycle, from how ideas are generated and developed to how they’re articulated through formats and channels, and how they’re amplified. It also demands content that supports and drives broader external marketing objectives while simultaneously empowering colleagues internally.

The early results from our Content Compass diagnostic tool—which rapidly assesses the strengths and weaknesses of a company’s publishing operation—show there’s much room for improvement. Our critical mass of respondents provides an industry benchmark that shows:

• Companies are good at content strategy, identifying themes that resonate with users and correspond to overarching marketing objectives. Having said that, “good” is relative: this dimension rates 11.1 out of a possible 15, meaning the industry has a grade of 74%—not exactly honor-roll territory.
• Organizations are also good at audience engagement, at least in terms of amplifying content with coordinated promotion, especially through social media. The benchmark for this dimension is also 11.1 out of 15.
• Companies are so-so at content planning—rating 10.5 out of 15 at having editorial calendars, creating campaigns, and tying thought leadership to business development efforts—and struggle with measuring impact. Drawing a straight line between published content and revenue is a perennial marketing challenge.
• Organizations need the most help with customer centricity: defining intended audiences, understanding their format and channel preferences, and undertaking qualitative and quantitative research to dynamically track and adapt to their changing needs. On this dimension, the benchmark is 9.3 out of 15—or just 62%.

Of course, we’re the first to admit it’s easy enough to say “Quality rules!” Identifying truly distinctive insights is challenging even in the most content-savvy organizations, as is ensuring consistent world-class execution across the publishing life cycle. But, as gen AI is making clear, pursuing excellence is the only path to crafting compelling, engaging content that finds users where they are with what they need, at the very moment they need it.