Is blogging still worth it for small businesses in 2026? (Especially with AI search)
With social media, the rise of short-form video and AI-generated content everywhere, you might think blogging sounds a bit old-fashioned in comparison.
Blogs were popular back in 2010. But with attention spans shorter than ever, who even reads blogs now? Surely everything needs to be condensed into 30-second videos to get attention.
Whilst there may be some truth to that, I’d argue that blogging isn’t dead, it’s just changed.
In 2026, with AI-powered search, generative answers, and evolving discovery tools, blogging is making a come-back and has quietly become one of the most important long-term visibility assets a small business can have.
But only if you approach it strategically.
TL;DR
Blogging is still relevant in 2026
AI tools and AI generated answers use blog content to generate answers
Clear, experience-led content performs best
You don’t need high volume - just strategic consistency
Blogging supports search, AI discovery, email, and social
How has blogging actually changed?
“Blog posts aren’t just about clicks anymore. They’re about being the source. ”
Before we talk about blogging specifically, let’s zoom out for a moment, because how people find content has fundamentally shifted.
We’re no longer relying on just one search engine or one platform. Content discovery now happens across multiple channels, often at the same time.
This broader shift in how people discover content is something I’ve also explored in my breakdown of the marketing trends predicted for small businesses in 2026 - particularly the growing impact of AI-powered search and generative answers.
Traditionally, finding content was simple. Someone had a question, typed it into Google, clicked a result, and read a blog post.
Blogging strategies were built around that behaviour, rank for keywords, write for search engines, and hope for clicks. And while that still exists, it’s no longer the full picture.
Today, people find content:
Through search engines
Through AI-powered tools that summarise answers (like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT or Claude)
Through social media, newsletters, and recommendations
And often through multiple touchpoints before ever taking action
You’ve probably noticed this yourself. You might ask ChatGPT a question, see an AI-generated summary in search, and later come across a related post on social media.
AI tools don’t just point people to websites - they use existing content to generate answers. And blog content is one of the main places they pull that information from.
That means blog posts aren’t just about clicks anymore. They’re about being the source.
Being the source means creating reliable, credible content that search engines and AI tools can confidently reference when answering real questions.
Recent expert analysis shows that while AI-powered tools are reshaping discovery, blogs remain a key source reference for both search engines and AI systems - reinforcing their strategic value in 2026 (WordPress, 2025).
This is why clear, helpful, experience-led blog content is becoming more valuable, not less.
Regular blogging around questions that genuinely matter to your audience can help you appear in AI-generated answers and search summaries, building visibility and brand awareness that compounds over time. If you are a small business owner, this is a no-brainer. Creating regular, optimised blog content can be a cost-effective way to generate real brand visibility over time.
If you want to go deeper into the technical optimisation side, I cover AI search optimisation and modern SEO strategy in more detail in my SEO class on Skillshare.
Why blogging still matters for small businesses in 2026?
“Blogging still matters in 2026, not as a trend, but as a foundation.”
For small businesses, this shift is actually good news. You don’t need to publish constantly, chase trends or compete with big brands on volume. Just one blog post a month can create meaningful results over time.
Experts in 2026 agree that authentic, experience-led blogging still outperforms generic AI-replicated content.
What matters more now is:
Answering real questions
Sharing genuine experience
Creating content that’s clear, useful, and trustworthy
A well-written blog post can support:
Search visibility
AI discovery
Social content
Email marketing
And long-term credibility
One piece of content can work in multiple ways, over a much longer period of time. For example, once you’ve written a blog post, you can:
Turn it into a newsletter
Repurpose it into several social posts
Use it as the foundation for a video or podcast
Link to it in client emails or sales calls
Instead of creating content in isolation, you create a connected ecosystem. For example, I repurposed a blog post I wrote on social media storytelling into several social media posts to help share my message.
This is why blogging still matters in 2026, not as a trend, but as a foundation. It attracts sustainable traffic. It builds trust gradually. And unlike social media posts, it doesn’t disappear after 24 hours. It may take time and patience, but trust me, it’s worth the effort.
What makes a blog post work in 2026
Blogs work particularly well for AI tools because they:
Explain topics in depth
Answer specific questions
Use clear headings and structure
Share real experience and context
All of this makes blog content easier for AI systems to understand, summarise, and reuse.
In many cases, AI tools aren’t looking for the most beautifully written content, they’re looking for the clearest and most helpful. And increasingly, the most credible.
Another important shift is the increasing value placed on experience-led content.
When you share what you’ve learned, what you’ve seen, or what you help clients with every day, you’re adding context that both AI tools and humans find useful.
This is something I’ve seen clearly through my own blogging. Content grounded in real experience tends to perform better over time.
Over the past year, by focusing on clear, question-led blog content aligned with AI search, my website traffic has more than doubled. Not by publishing constantly or chasing trends, just by consistently answering real questions in a structured, helpful way.
Practically speaking, your blog posts don’t need to be perfect or overly optimised. They don’t need to impress an algorithm, they need to help a person.
What matters most is that they:
Answer one clear question
Stay focused on a specific topic
Use clear headings and plain language
Show credibility (your background, experience, data, reviews)
Reflect your unique perspective
If you do this, you’re already creating content that works well for both people and AI tools.
For example, a blog post I wrote on how to make Instagram Reels last year, continues to appears in AI generated search and ChatGPT answers, bringing traffic to my site long after it was posted. This is because it’s a genuinely helpful post, that answers a real question from my audience.
Example of my content appearing in Google’s AI Overview results for an Instagram Reels search query, this is what “being the source” looks like in practice.
AI systems now prioritise structured, helpful content over generic keyword matches - and blog posts like this that explain topics clearly continue to get surfaced in AI summaries and generative answers.
Blogging = Answering real questions
The simplest way to think about blogging in 2026 is this:
Blog posts are answers to real questions.
Those questions might come from:
Clients
Emails or DMs
Sales calls
Industry changes or trends
Things people regularly misunderstand about what you do
If someone is asking the question, there’s a strong chance others are searching for it too, including through AI tools.
You can test this yourself. Search common questions related to your industry in AI tools like ChatGPT and look at who appears. What kind of content are they publishing? How is it structured? This is a great way to get your own ideas for the kind of blog content you need to be posting.
For example, last year, I wrote a post explaining what Generative Engine Optimisation means for small businesses - a concept that’s becoming increasingly important as AI tools shape how content is surfaced and referenced.
Generative Engine Optimisation is essentially about structuring content so it can be clearly understood and referenced by AI-powered tools - something blogs are particularly well suited for.
I wrote this post because people were asking me about what it was, and it was very topical at the time. My blog post now appears high in search results and continues to bring traffic to my site.
That’s a good example of answering one clear question at the right time.
A simple starting exercise
A common misconception about blogging is that you need to publish constantly. You don’t.
In reality, five to ten strong, well-written blog posts can build a solid foundation for most small businesses.
If you’re stuck, try this:
Write down:
Three questions people regularly ask you
Three things people often misunderstand about what you do
Three things you wish your audience understood better
That’s already nine blog post ideas, all based on real experience.
If you want a step-by-step breakdown
If you’d like a practical, step-by-step breakdown of how to structure your blog, optimise it for AI search, and measure success realistically, I go into much more detail in my Skillshare class on modern blogging strategy. Coming soon!
FAQ - Blogging in 2026
Is blogging still relevant in 2026?
Yes - but the strategy has evolved. Blogging now supports AI-powered discovery as well as traditional search. This is because blogs provide the structured, human-written answers AI tools depend on.
How often should I blog?
Consistency matters more than frequency. Even one strong post per month can be effective.
Do I need SEO knowledge?
Not advanced knowledge. Clear structure, helpful content, and answering real questions go a long way.
Is blogging better than social media?
They serve different purposes. Blogging builds long-term visibility and credibility. Social media builds reach and connection. Ideally, they support each other.
If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: blogging isn’t about chasing algorithms, it’s about answering real questions clearly and consistently.
In 2026, the businesses that show up aren’t the loudest. They’re the most helpful.
– Louise
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