By John Doe - Sept. 26, 2024
In recent years, U.S. news publishers have been grappling with the decline in traffic from social media. But while traffic from social platforms like Facebook has dwindled, something new has been quietly taking its place — and it's coming from Google Discover.
If you're running a news site, you've probably noticed that traffic from social media has been decreasing. According to data from Chartbeat, a social analytics platform, traffic from social networks to U.S. news sites has dropped significantly — from 6% of total traffic in January 2023 to just 4% today. That's a one-third decline in just over a year.
However, it's not all bad news. While social referrals are falling, traffic from other sources, especially Google Discover, is growing fast. In fact, for some publishers, Discover is driving more visitors than traditional Google Search.
Google Discover is a relatively new tool that delivers personalized content recommendations via the Google app and Chrome's mobile app. If you've ever opened a new tab on your phone and seen a collection of news articles and content suggestions — that's Google Discover at work.
Unlike Google Search, Discover doesn't require users to actively search for information. Instead, it curates content that aligns with a user's interests based on their browsing behavior. And while it's still somewhat of a mystery how Discover selects which articles to show, publishers are starting to see it as an important referral source for traffic.
The Hill, a well-known U.S. political publication, has been particularly successful with Google Discover. In fact, it has now overtaken Google Search as The Hill's top referral source, according to Will Federman, the VP of audience and content strategy at The Hill.
However, figuring out what works on Discover is still a bit of a guessing game. Google's own guidelines for success on Discover are vague, leaving publishers to experiment with strategies. For example, BBC Studios is testing publishing at different times of the day to determine when content is most likely to perform well on Discover.
One approach that has worked for The Hill is localizing national stories — that is, taking a big news story and finding a local angle. According to Federman, this tactic has helped them capture more Discover traffic.
While some publishers are seeing positive results, Discover remains an uncertain space. "We can guess what might work on Discover, but we don't pitch stories specifically for it," said Anne Look Thiam, head of audience development at BBC Studios.
Brad Streicher echoed this sentiment, adding that while some patterns are emerging, Discover is still unpredictable. "There's a playbook that's starting to form, but it's still very hazy," he explained.
In addition to Google Discover, other platforms like Reddit and news aggregator apps are beginning to drive more traffic, though from smaller bases. Meanwhile, traffic from Facebook has dropped by over 40% since January 2023.
For news publishers, the takeaway is clear: while social media referrals may be shrinking, new opportunities are emerging through platforms like Google Discover. By experimenting and adapting, publishers can capitalize on this growing source of traffic — even if it's still a bit of a mystery.
*John Doe is a freelance journalist covering media trends and digital innovation. You can follow him on Twitter @JohnDoeMedia or reach out via email at johndoe@example.com.*