Clutch and Conductor Release 2026 State of Content Report

As artificial intelligence reshapes digital discovery, new research shows content marketers are increasing investment rather than retreating, signaling a major evolution in how SEO and content strategy operate in an AI driven landscape.

Clutch, in partnership with Conductor, released its 2026 State of Content Report, revealing that organizations are expanding budgets as SEO expands into AI search and large language model visibility. The findings highlight a structural shift in how marketers define audience reach, performance measurement, and content success in an environment increasingly shaped by AI generated answers alongside traditional search engines.

The study surveyed more than 450 marketing professionals in January 2026, representing organizations ranging from small and mid sized businesses to large enterprises. Respondents included practitioners, senior leaders, and executives responsible for content production and strategy, offering a broad view of industry transformation.

According to the report, 87 percent of content marketers plan to increase budgets in 2026, while more than half expect to scale content output. Rather than viewing artificial intelligence as a threat, many teams see it as an opportunity. Eighty one percent expressed optimism about the future of content marketing in the era of large language models, and 67 percent described AI as more beneficial than risky for their strategies.

One of the most notable findings is the growing role of AI systems themselves as a primary audience. Nearly one quarter of respondents said large language models are now the main audience for most of their content, rising to 32 percent among enterprise organizations. This shift reflects a changing discovery model in which visibility depends not only on search rankings but also on whether content is cited or referenced within AI generated responses.

“These findings reflect a clear inflection point for content marketing,” said Mike Beares, Clutch CEO. “Teams understand that AI search is reshaping how buyers discover information, and they’re responding by investing in higher-quality, more authoritative content that can earn trust, citations, and visibility across emerging discovery surfaces.”

The research also indicates that marketers are redefining performance measurement. Traditional metrics such as referral traffic are no longer viewed as sufficient indicators of success, as influence increasingly occurs before users click through to a website. Many teams are expanding analytics frameworks to include brand mentions, citations, and presence within AI generated answers.

“The most striking shift is how quickly LLMs have become a first-class audience for content teams,” said Seth Besmertnik, CEO and co-founder of Conductor. “Just one to two years into AI search, nearly a quarter of marketers say LLMs are now their primary content audience. That’s a massive change in a short amount of time, and it reinforces why original, trustworthy content is becoming the currency of visibility in AI-generated answers.”

The report also emphasizes the growing importance of proprietary research and original reports, which marketers believe are more likely to earn citations within AI systems. While video and social channels remain important for engagement, structured and authoritative long form content is emerging as the foundation for durable AI visibility.

The findings suggest that as SEO expands into AI search, content marketing is entering a new phase defined by investment, experimentation, and strategic adaptation. For marketers navigating this transition, success increasingly depends on creating trustworthy, extractable content that performs not only for human readers but also for AI driven discovery systems.