Google's Antitrust Fallout & Major Shift in Traffic Distribution for News Publishers!!
John Shehata
CEO, Founder of NewzDash, GDdash, News & Editorial SEO Summit (NESS) | USA Today Top 10 SEO of 2022 & Former Global VP of Aud Dev @ Condé Nast
Plus: Hidden Gems update boosts forums - time to rethink your content strategy?
What a week it's been in the world of search! We're seeing some seismic shifts that could reshape the landscape for publishers and SEOs alike. First off, let's talk about the elephant in the room - Google's antitrust case. The ruling against Google isn't just legal jargon; it's a potential game-changer for the open web. We might be on the cusp of a new era where the playing field gets a bit more level. But don't pop the champagne just yet - we've got to see how this plays out in terms of actual remedies.
On the algo front, it's been a rollercoaster. We've seen significant ranking volatility on August 9th and 10th, and it wasn't related to the much-anticipated Helpful Content Update. This unpredictability is keeping us on our toes, folks. Add to that the fascinating shift in Google's AI Overviews - YouTube and LinkedIn are up, while Reddit's taking a hit. It's clear that the source hierarchy for AI-generated content is evolving, and we need to adapt our strategies accordingly.
But it's not all about Google. The Hidden Gems update has given a boost to forums, opening up new opportunities for community-driven content. And for those of you sweating over "toxic" backlinks - breathe easy. You've got bigger fish to fry. This week's newsletter dives deep into these topics and more, offering practical insights to help you navigate these choppy waters. So buckle up and let's dive in - there's a lot to unpack, and trust me, you won't want to miss a single detail.
We've just completed a massive analysis of 8.1 billion clicks across hundreds of news publishers, using Google Search Console data. Our @newzdash team at https://gddash.com crunched the numbers, and the results are eye-opening.
Analyzing Google SearchType Traffic share (2023 vs. 2024), Key findings:
Important note: These percentages represent the share of traffic from each search type, not absolute traffic numbers. A larger share doesn't necessarily mean more traffic overall - it indicates a shift in the relative importance of each channel.
What does this mean for your strategy? It's crucial to understand and optimize for Discover, as it's now the largest source of Google traffic for many publishers.
If you are in London or around, make sure you come to our SEO for News Meetup - London
As always, we've curated the most important news and insights to help you stay ahead of the curve. Let's get into it!
Keep calm and SEO on,
John Shehata
PS: Make sure to scroll down to our News SEO Jobs section, many great opportunities by CNN, Fox News, Business Insider, The Athletic, Dow Jones, Amazon, Disney and more!
??John Shehata’s SEO Relics
(Historic SEO Fun Facts)
The Dress That Broke the Internet: How a Viral Color Debate Reshaped Search Engine Dynamics?
The 2015 dress color debate, commonly known as "The Dress," became an unexpected internet sensation that had a significant impact on search engine behavior and social media trends. On February 26, 2015, a photograph of a dress was posted on Tumblr, sparking a global debate about whether the garment appeared to be black and blue or white and gold.?
This seemingly simple question quickly went viral, dividing internet users and even celebrities into passionate camps defending their perceived color combination. The phenomenon caused an unprecedented surge in search queries across major search engines. Google reported that at the peak of the debate, there were more than 20 million searches related to the dress color within a matter of hours.
This sudden and intense spike in search traffic for a single topic presented a unique challenge for search engines, which had to rapidly adapt to provide relevant and up-to-date information to millions of curious users. The incident highlighted the need for search algorithms to be more agile in recognizing and responding to rapidly emerging trends and viral content. As a result of "The Dress" debate, search engines began to implement more sophisticated real-time trending algorithms and improved their ability to quickly surface relevant content for viral phenomena.?
This event also influenced how search engines present information for polarizing topics, encouraging the display of multiple perspectives and scientific explanations alongside trending content. The dress color debate served as a catalyst for search engines to evolve their systems to better handle sudden viral trends, ultimately leading to more responsive and dynamic search experiences for users in the face of unexpected internet sensations.
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News SEO on Slack - Join 1500+ News SEOs:?
Want to stay ahead of the SEO curve? Join our News SEO Slack Community where 1500+ news SEO pros chat, share tips, and troubleshoot together. It's your go-to place for the latest insights, questions, and support. And the best part? It's FREE!
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Paris Olympics is here, and many nations are competing for Gold medals, but do also news publishers covering the event. Check the top news sites, SERP characteristic, videos, etc.
?? Introducing Our FREE SEO SERP Tracker for News Publishers!??
New Methodology - Beyond Keywords to Comprehensive Topic Tracking: Forget traditional keyword tracking – our new methodology analyzes the entire topic landscape, monitoring thousands of trending keywords to accurately determine news content authority in this rapidly evolving field.
NESS 2024 IS HERE!! Group Discount Pricing Available
The biggest SEO Global Conference focused on SEO and Audience Growth for News Publishers ... 800 attendees from 50+ countries.
This year marks the fourth edition of our online event that is set to take place on October 29 & 30.?We managed to lock down an exceptional speaker roster quite early this year, featuring amazing people from SEO and publishing.?
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NewzDash: Introducing Real-Time Search Volume!!
Traditional SEO tools lag with old data, NewzDash delivers real-time search volumes and rankings. Get hourly search volume estimates and rankings updated every 15 minutes with NewzDash - the only tool designed for news SEO. Try a demo today & Get your FREE Site Analysis!?
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