Publishers turn to other platforms to address platform referral traffic issues

Digital publishing executives are investing in other social platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to grow their reach. They are focusing on creating content specifically tailored for these platforms, like short-form videos on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and discussions and surveys on Instagram Threads and Reddit. Additionally, they are exploring the potential for on-platform content to lead to off-platform conversions, and some are testing new features like allowing URLs on organic videos on TikTok.

Publishers are diversifying their audience development efforts because they have become more vulnerable to platform algorithm changes and anticipate a decline in search referral traffic. They are also trying to mitigate the risk associated with relying on a few platforms for traffic referrals, especially since Instagram, Facebook, and Threads are all owned by Meta, and TikTok faces the risk of being banned in the U.S.

Condé Nast is focusing on Google search as their number one priority for growing traffic, considering it to be more stable. They have seen an increase in traffic from Google Discover, which they attribute to migrating their sites off Google AMP and optimizing their own sites for site speed and performance. This optimization has helped their content get picked up by Google Discover, although the stability of Google Discover as a traffic source is still in question.

Sarah Marshall from Condé Nast indicated that there have been no negative impacts from Google SGE on their search traffic. She believes that the nature of their journalism and stories will continue to draw people to their sites for a long time, as generative AI cannot replicate the trusted reviews and content that publications like Wired provide.

Publishers are facing challenges with social media platforms pushing less traffic out and creating more insular feed experiences. They need to better understand the business value of producing content like Reels, which generates engagement and views but does not necessarily translate into tangible business benefits like advertising revenue or conversions to email or paying subscribers. The actual value of these efforts has not been compellingly quantified yet.