Generative AI for Media Sellers

GenAI Dents Publisher Traffic but Also Aids Content Creation and Monetization

Report by Max Willens, and Yoram Wurmser  | Jan 8, 2025
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Executive Summary
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
AI starts to change the open web
GenAI could help publishers with monetization
Publishers turn to genAI to produce content more efficiently but are treading carefully
How publishers can best use genAI
EMARKETER Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
For publishers, genAI is changing everything from search referrals to the way they produce content.
Topics
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Worldwide
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
AI starts to change the open web
GenAI could help publishers with monetization
Publishers turn to genAI to produce content more efficiently but are treading carefully
How publishers can best use genAI
EMARKETER Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery

Generative AI (genAI) has started to upend long-established business models in publishing. Generative search threatens to reduce referral traffic, while made-for-advertising (MFA) content farms flood the online space with low-quality or downright false content generated by AI. On the other hand, publishers can use the same technology to improve their content, marketing, and monetization.

Key Question: How can publishers turn genAI from a threat into an asset?

The Majority of Consumers Think That Media Publications Should Always Cite AI When It Is Used (% of US consumers, by generation, May 2024)
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Key Stat: Over 80% of US consumers believe that media publications should indicate whether AI generated content.

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7expert perspectives

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    Table of Contents

    1. Executive Summary
    2. AI starts to change the open web
    3. GenAI could help publishers with monetization
    1. Publishers turn to genAI to produce content more efficiently but are treading carefully
    2. How publishers can best use genAI
    3. EMARKETER Interviews
    1. Sources
    2. Media Gallery

    Charts in This Report

    The Majority of Consumers Think That Media Publications Should Always Cite AI When It Is Used (% of US consumers, by generation, May 2024)Google's AI Optimization Is Now Ubiquitous Across Queries Requiring Specialized Knowledge (% of US Google search queries resulting in a Google AI Overview, by industry, May 2024 & Dec 2024)
    Made-for-Advertising Websites Capture Over a Tenth of Open Web Programmatic Ad Dollars (made-for-advertising (MFA) % of open programmatic website ad spending vs. unique websites worldwide, Q3 2024)About Half of Advertisers Will Spend More on Contextual to Address Cookie Deprecation (% of US marketers, 2020 vs. 2024)
    Nearly 40% of Consumers Have a Negative Reaction to Sponsored Content Generated by AI (% of US consumers who have noticed ads labeled as AI-created, May 2024)Despite Rapid Growth of AI-First Search Rivals, Google Still Drives Over 90% of Traffic
    Nearly One-Third of Marketers Use GenAI for SEO (% of US marketing and advertising professionals, 2023 & 2024)Most People Support AI Training Compensation for News/Media Publishers (% of US adults who are registered voters, Feb 2024)
    Only 20% of Journalists Use GenAI for Writing (% of journalists worldwide, Feb 2024)

    Interviewed for This Report

    Scott Brodbeck
    Local News Now
    Founder and CEO
    Interviewed October 31, 2024
    Jon Gillham
    Originality.ai
    Founder and CEO
    Interviewed October 30, 2024
    Eric Hochberger
    Mediavine
    Co-founder and CEO
    Interviewed October 30, 2024
    Marc McCollum
    Raptive
    Chief Innovation Officer
    Interviewed October 29, 2024
    Kristi O’Brien
    LTK
    General Manager, Brand Platform
    Interviewed October 21, 2024
    Sonali Verma
    INMA
    Generative AI Initiative Lead
    Interviewed November 5, 2024
    Ken Weiner
    GumGum
    Chief Technology Officer
    Interviewed November 8, 2024

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    authors

    Max Willens, and Yoram Wurmser

    Contributors

    Rahul Chadha
    Director, Report Editing
    Nikolai Dineros
    Donte Gibson
    Senior Charts Editor
    Na Li
    Director, Primary Research
    Jennifer Pearson
    VP, Research
    Carina Perkins
    Senior Analyst
    Tracy Tang
    Senior Researcher