Understanding Audiences and Algorithms in 2026: An Overview in the Age of AI - ONA 26 - Chicago - Clara Soteras

Clara Soteras was a speaker at ONA26 in Chicago, the annual conference organized by the Online News Association. Her talk, “Understanding Audiences and Algorithms in 2026: An Overview in the Age of AI,” offered a comprehensive look at how newsrooms—both large and local—can rethink audience and content strategies in a rapidly evolving landscape. The session explored where digital platforms are heading and how artificial intelligence is reshaping content visibility and distribution. It provided journalists and editors with practical frameworks to better understand shifting audience behaviors, and helped media organizations identify where to prioritize traffic, attention, and long-term value in an increasingly AI-mediated ecosystem.

Transcript

1. Understanding Audiences and Algorithms in 2026: An Overview in the Age of AI CLARA SOTERAS hello@clarasoteras.com
2. Hello! I'm Clara Soteras hello@clarasoteras.com SEO For News Publishers & Audience Growth Consultant: Spain, Europe, USA and LATAM. Associate Professor Journalism at Autonomous University of Barcelona SEO for News Professor in business schools Judge for Journalism and Judge for Search Awards Programme committee member for the Online News Association conference and OJA judge Member of the Catalan SEO Association, MujeresEnSEO and Google Product Experts Former Director of SEO and Product at El Nacional Former Head of Innovation and Digital Strategy AMIC
3. This is me&
4. My last project The 8SEO Playbook for News Publishers9 https://clarasoteras.com/en/books/
6. And this is me too& a lover of good coffee
7. But times change& And other options appear on the market that allow you to savor your morning in a different way.
8. How much longer will our coffee, as we know it, last? The future of media in 2026 Journalism and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026 https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2026-01/Newman%20-%20Trends%20and%20Predictions%202026%20FINAL.pdf
9. How much longer will our coffee, as we know it, last? The future of media in 2026 Journalism and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026 https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2026-01/Newman%20- %20Trends%20and%20Predictions%202026%20FINAL.pdf
10. How will be the future of audiences and publishers in 2026?
11. The temptation of matcha tea arrives Journalism and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026 https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2026-01/Newman%20- %20Trends%20and%20Predictions%202026%20FINAL.pdf
17. How can we rank and catch traffic on Search?
18. Where are the news on the SERP?
19. 1. Top Stories 2. Google Discover 3. Google News (+Google News Showcase)
20. 1. We can find the topics of the day in Google Trends
21. 1. We can find the topics of the day in Google Trends
22. 1. We can find the topics of the day in Google Trends
23. 1. We can find the topics of the day in Google Trends
24. 1. We can find the topics of the day in Google Trends
25. 1. Top Stories 2. Google Discover 3. Google News (+Google News Showcase) Google Discover is a personalized content feed designed for mobile device users, offering a stream of articles, videos, and updates tailored to their interests. Content appears based on users' interests and data related to their activity (registered in their Google account): Searches Videos Interaction with news Location history Followed topics
26. 1. The Sharpest Headlines Patterns That Consistently Perform 1 The "How-to" formula 2 The numbered list 3 What you don't say 4 The expert citation
27. 2. The Power of Images What you show and what you don't 1 Quotes 2 Maps and infographics 3 Collages 4 Emotions
28. 3. Your Entities, Your Location Talk about what you know, share your expertise and deliver the impact your audience is expecting from you. 1 Topics and category 2 Location 3 Cities as entities 4 Core product
29. And the time for content creators has arrived. Remember that whole E-E-A-T concept about being a reference in your field?
30. And the time for content creators has arrived. Remember that whole E-E-A-T concept about being a reference in your field?
31. 1. Top Stories 2. Google Discover 3. Google News (+Google News Showcase)
32. 1. Top Stories 2. Google Discover 3. Google News (+Google News Showcase)
33. And isn't it getting harder and harder to choose when to have a coffee? 1. MULTIMODAL AND MULTIPLATFORM SEARCH
34. And isn't it getting harder and harder to choose when to have a coffee? 1. MULTIMODAL AND MULTIPLATFORM SEARCH
35. And isn't it getting harder and harder to choose when to have a coffee? 1. MULTIMODAL AND MULTIPLATFORM SEARCH (New product launched in February 2026) storage.googleapis.com
36. 2. EVERGREEN TRAFFIC MELTS AWAY (like when you dunk your donut or muffin in your coffee) Is breaking news making a comeback? FIRST AI OVERVIEWS REPORT IN SPAIN: 1% of news searches trigger AI
37. 3. TO BECOME AN AUTHORITY AND A REFERENCE SOURCE FOR THE USER Because there are those who will prefer specialty coffee, a loyal audience that values the product, your brand, and will return tomorrow. https://searchengineland.com/google-search-tests-preferred-sources-for-top-stories-457640
38. 3. TO BECOME AN AUTHORITY AND A REFERENCE SOURCE FOR THE USER Because there are those who will prefer specialty coffee, a loyal audience that values the product, your brand, and will return tomorrow.
39. 4. CREATE A VALUE AND DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCT, CREATE EXPERIENCES, CREATE A COMMUNITY. A physical game to create economic experiences and editorial branding. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cronistacom_les-presentamos-el- juego-de-mesa-de-el-cronista-activity-7411811417194127360-vI8K? utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAB _yK3cBb_WAwSm3TyCb0DTZlDvCtTHQy-k
40. 4. CREATE A VALUE AND DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCT, CREATE EXPERIENCES, CREATE A COMMUNITY. The Telegraph - Newsletter <How to Become a Millionaire= about personal finance and personal savings. https://secure.telegraph.co.uk/customer/secure/new sletter/millionaire/
41. 4. CREATE A VALUE AND DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCT, CREATE EXPERIENCES, CREATE A COMMUNITY. NYT Cooking - growing with audiovisual content creators https://www.youtube.com/@NYTCooking
42. 4. CREATE A VALUE AND DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCT, CREATE EXPERIENCES, CREATE A COMMUNITY. Pamplonews - a very local WhatsApp community https://www.pamplonews.com/
43. 4. CREATE A VALUE AND DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCT, CREATE EXPERIENCES, CREATE A COMMUNITY. They have launched Bilbonews suscribete.bilbo.news Bilbonews - Suscríbete al boletín d& Únete a Bilbonews, el boletín diario de WhatsApp que te trae todo lo que&
44. 5. EEAT: AUTHORITY, TRUST, AND STRUCTURED DATA We need to work to position our content as expert content and have our journalists talk about their specialties.
45. 6. THE CONTENT CREATORS ARRIVE: THE NEW JOURNALISTS WITH AUTHORITY WHO GENERATE TRUST https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/publishers-prepare-to-be-squeezed-by-ai-and-creators-in-2026/? utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
46. 6. THE CONTENT CREATORS ARRIVE: THE NEW JOURNALISTS WITH AUTHORITY WHO GENERATE TRUST
47. 6. THE CONTENT CREATORS ARRIVE: THE NEW JOURNALISTS WITH AUTHORITY WHO GENERATE TRUST
48. If you thought it all ended here…
49. ,
50. 7. CHANGE MEDIA MEASUREMENT KPIs: LEAVE PAGE VIEWS AND UNIQUE USERS BEHIND. THE ECOSYSTEM HAS CHANGED
51. Are social metrics making a comeback?
52. A NEW GOOGLE DISCOVER UPDATE IS HERE A new update focused on Google Discover has been fully rolled out in the US This update will improve the experience in several key ways: Showing users more locally relevant content from websites based in their country Reducing sensationalist content and clickbait in Discover Displaying more in-depth, original, and timely content from websites with expertise in a given area, based on our systems' understanding of a site's content.
53. October 20253February 2026 vs. previous period Which domain is gaining more visibility? YouTube and X are experiencing exponential growth in the USA.
54. Large coffee growers vs. farmers Five major UK news organizations have joined forces to develop shared AI licensing standards. February 26, 2026
55. And finally, just a couple more facts&
56. Between 10.5 and 10.8 million tones
57. And one more piece of information&
58. Between 8.000 and 10.000 tones
60. NICHE MARKET VS. VOLUME MARKET your audience, your community, your core product, your authority
61. And the truth is, there's always time for a good coffee with friends.
62. Thank you so much! Shall we grab a coffee? ;) hello@clarasoteras.com clarasoteras.com
63. Get your copy now! The 8SEO Playbook for News Publishers9 You can browse a copy at the entrance of the room and decide if you9d like one, then come find me here.
64. Upcoming events& BOOK PRESENTATION "SEO FOR NEWS PUBLISHERS" IN& NEW YORK MAY 1 LONDON JUNE 25 Join us for free!