Copywriting: Your 2026 Career Superpower

For years, many believed copywriting was a skill of the past, quietly pushed aside by automation and artificial intelligence. The rush for traffic and the subsequent AI gold rush seemed to demote the craft of words, the very foundation of SEO, advertising, and persuasion. Blog posts were auto-generated, product descriptions became formulaic, and content teams grew smaller. A convenient story took hold: if AI can write, then writing itself must no longer hold value. Recent shifts in search, like Google’s helpful content update and the rise of AI Overviews, further disrupted the landscape, dismantling business models built on informational content. With large language models now answering queries directly, traffic for purely informational content is evaporating. Yet, paradoxically, this signals a powerful resurgence. Copywriting is re-emerging as the most critical skill in digital marketing, but only if we understand what copywriting truly is.

AI did not kill the art of persuasion. What it dismantled was low-value informational publishing, content designed to intercept search queries rather than influence decisions. Think of generic “how-to” posts or “best tools” lists written for algorithms, not people. Large language models excel at this work because it involves synthesis, summarization, and pattern matching, tasks requiring little human judgment. This content often aimed to insert a page into a buyer’s journey, hoping for an affiliate reward, without genuinely attempting to persuade. Most SEO copy aimed to rank, not to convert. The rise of AI has exposed how little real, persuasive copywriting was actually being done. In the new environment, the ability to persuade is becoming more vital, not less.

The fundamental shift is from traditional search to a new paradigm. Old search forced users to condense their problems into keywords. This created a sea of similar content where victory often went to those with the biggest link-building budgets. Large language models reverse this process. They start with the user’s problem, understand context and intent, and then seek the best solutions. They are not merely ranking pages; they are selecting solutions. This selection hinges entirely on strategic positioning: who you are for, what problem you solve, and why you are a better choice. If an LLM cannot discern clear answers to these questions from your digital presence, you will not be recommended, regardless of backlinks or past authority. This is why copywriting now sits at the very center of SEO’s future.

We are moving from an era of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), focused on visibility, to one of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), centered on availability. Availability means increasing the likelihood your business is surfaced by an AI in a relevant buying situation. It depends on your relevance being legible to these systems. Most businesses still describe themselves in static, categorical terms like “an SEO agency in Manchester.” These labels state what a business is, but not the problem it solves or for whom. This is a massive missed opportunity. While much “AI SEO” advice focuses on familiar tactics like topical maps and link-building, the real opportunity lies in the world of copywriters and PR professionals, who think in terms of problems, solutions, and sales. This thinking stems from clear brand positioning.

Positioning is not a fixed asset. It is a viable combination of your target audience, your offering, and how you deliver it. Change one element, and you have a new position. Most companies treat their position as static, competing incrementally within established category rules. LLMs remove that constraint. If your business genuinely solves problems, there is no reason to limit yourself to a single, inherited position. Competitors will copy attractive positions, so the only sustainable advantage is the ability to continually identify and colonize new ones. This isn’t about dilution; it’s about being honest and explicit about the specific problems you solve well. A strategist can uncover new market positions, and a skilled copywriter can articulate them powerfully.

Consider insurance. A large provider may offer “car insurance,” but the problems of a new 18-year-old driver, a parent with a second car, and a courier are entirely different. Historically, search collapsed these distinctions into broad keywords. LLMs start with the user’s specific problem. If you excel at solving a particular use case, it makes strategic sense to articulate that explicitly, even if no one has ever typed that exact phrase into Google. Think of your business as a lock that can be opened by many combinations. Each combination is a different problem for a different person. If you only advertise one combination, you artificially restrict your AI availability. You are not just a solicitor in Manchester; you are a solicitor who solves a specific problem in a specific way for a specific client.

This evolution returns copywriting to its foundational role. Good copywriting has always been about creating a direct relationship with a prospect, correctly framing their problem, and making a compelling case for your solution. What’s new is that the audience now includes both a human decision-maker and an LLM acting as a recommender. Both demand clarity. You must be explicit about the problem you solve, who you solve it for, how you solve it, and why it works, backing these claims with evidence. This is classic direct marketing principles, which the web allowed many to forget. AI is bringing these fundamentals back to the forefront.

Yes, overall website traffic is likely to fall as AI answers more informational queries directly. However, less traffic does not mean less performance; it means less irrelevant traffic. In an AI-mediated world, effective GEO and positioning-led copy result in traffic landing on revenue-generating pages, visits from pre-qualified prospects, and more decisive user actions. Traffic stops being a vanity metric and becomes meaningful again, as every click carries intent.

Measurement must evolve alongside this shift. The key metric is no longer sessions but commercial interaction. Important questions include: How many clicks reached revenue-driving pages? How many visits turned into real conversations? Is branded demand increasing? Are lead quality and close rates improving? AI attribution is imperfect, but directional signals exist, such as prospects mentioning an AI recommendation or brand searches rising without new content. These indicators are enough to guide strategy.

The real shift the industry needs to make is profound. For a decade, SEO rewarded prolific publishing. The next decade will reward expert positioning. This means creating fewer, sharper pages. It means less generic information and more targeted persuasion. It means attracting fewer visitors, but with much higher intent. Your website should be treated not as a sprawling library, but as a curated set of sales letters, each one earning its place by clearly solving a problem for a defined audience. This is not the death of SEO; it is SEO maturing.

The reality is clear. Copywriting never died. The world of performance advertising always valued it for driving conversions, while parts of SEO chased traffic volume. We are now entering a world with less overall traffic, fewer clicks, and an intelligent intermediary between businesses and buyers. In this environment, clarity is a competitive weapon, and good copy is that weapon’s sharpest edge. The brands that will win are not those with the most content, but those that master the timeless basics of persuasive communication and public relations. The informational era of SEO has concluded. The focus must return to genuine marketing.

(Source: Search Engine Land)