A comprehensive analysis of Google Search Console data has revealed a significant shift in how Google distributes traffic to news publishers. The study, conducted by the Newzdash team at gddash.com, examined 8.1 billion clicks across hundreds of news publishers, comparing traffic patterns between 2023 and 2024.
Key Findings
Google Discover Dominates Traffic Share
- Traffic share increased from 41.6% to 55.6%
- Represents a 14% increase in proportion of total Google traffic
Traditional Web Search Declines
- Now accounts for 36% of publishers' Google traffic
- Down from 46.5% in the previous year
Other Search Types Lose Ground
- Google News, News, Image, and Video search all saw proportional decreases
Important Context
The study emphasizes that these figures represent the share of traffic from each search type, not absolute traffic numbers. A larger share doesn't necessarily indicate more overall traffic, but rather a shift in the relative importance of each channel.
This data suggests that publishers may need to reassess their strategies, with a particular focus on optimizing for Google Discover, now the largest source of Google traffic for many news outlets.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, understanding these traffic distribution changes could be crucial for publishers aiming to maintain or increase their online visibility.
