In today’s competitive digital media landscape, publishers are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to reimagine the user experience and improve return on investment (ROI) for advertisers in the process. From real-time content personalization to smarter audience targeting, these AI-driven optimizations are helping publishers increase engagement, monetize more efficiently, and deliver performance that brands can measure.
As Digiday recently reported with weigh-in from the Horizon Commerce team, publishers like Future are building their own AI engines to surface more relevant content across their sites. Their in-house solution analyzes behavioral data in real time, helping recirculate articles, surface contextual video, and optimize reader journeys to increase time-on-site and ad exposure ultimately turning attention into revenue.
A Newer Playbook for Publishers
While social platforms have long used algorithms to optimize user experience—tuning feeds to maximize engagement and ad relevance—traditional media publishers have only recently started applying similar principles to their owned properties. Historically, many publisher sites remained static: fixed homepages, manually curated content modules, limited behavioral personalization.
That’s now changing.
“What we’re seeing is a move from static media into dynamic ecosystems—where every user interaction becomes a signal. Publishers are realizing they can apply the same CRO and experience strategies that e-commerce or social giants have used for years—and AI is what makes it scalable.”
Katie Kelly, EVP Commerce Experience
How AI Makes This Possible
AI offers both speed and scale that manual optimization can’t match. Machine learning models enable:
- Predictive content recirculation based on user intent
- Real-time audience scoring and segmentation based on behavior
- Dynamic ad formats, placements, and frequencies to reduce fatigue and boost ROI
- Test and adapt UX elements faster than human teams can manage manually
Future’s approach is a strong example. By leveraging AI to guide users deeper into the site with content tailored to their behavior, they’re creating high-quality inventory for advertisers—driven by engagement, not just volume.
Why Advertisers Should Care
This evolution isn’t just good for users—it’s good for brands. As publishers embrace AI-driven digital experience optimization, advertisers benefit from:
- Longer, more engaged sessions = more meaningful ad impressions
- Smarter targeting = less waste, better performance
- Higher-quality environments = increased brand safety and viewability
This shift enables better alignment with brand goals: Publishers can no longer treat advertisers as downstream. With AI powering content and ad experiences in real time, they’re now able to proactively prove their value—through performance, not just impressions.
What Publishers Should Focus On
To stay competitive and drive better advertiser outcomes, publishers should:
- Invest in AI recirculation and content personalization tools—whether in-house or via third-party solutions
- Apply CRO best practices from other verticals (e.g. e-commerce) to refine UX and ad delivery
- Use first-party data and AI modeling to enhance targeting accuracy as third-party cookies fade
- Tie user experience metrics to advertiser KPIs to strengthen sales narratives
What’s Next
As publishers mature their AI capabilities, expect the line between editorial and commercial strategy to blur. Shared dashboards, outcome-driven selling, and collaborative experiences will become the norm.
This convergence is also redefining how performance is measured—and what drives it. At Horizon Commerce, we see AI-powered CRO not as a trend, but as a necessity. Personalization engines, dynamic UX testing, and attention-based measurement are reshaping how content and advertising perform. When the digital experience is optimized for relevance and engagement, advertising doesn’t just blend in—it delivers real value.
Because when AI elevates the user journey, everyone benefits—the publisher, the advertiser, and most importantly, the audience.