Google algorithm changes blamed for 50% traffic drop to news site the Sun

UK news site the Sun ended 2024 by losing half of its audience, due in part to “algorithm changes at certain platforms,” according to the latest earnings report from parent company News Corp.

On the earnings call, News Corp Chief Financial Officer Lavanya Chandrashekar was more specific, blaming “industry headwinds on search algorithms.” Yes, that means Google search algorithm updates.

The drop. Glenn Gabe, SEO consultant at G-Squared Interactive, shared a screenshot showing the massive visibility drop on X:

Why we care. Not all websites are losing Google traffic, but many are and have been over the past couple of years following multiple helpful content and core updates (and others). Another News Corp. publisher, the New York Post, also lost 27% of its traffic during the same time period. Although HubSpot’s traffic collapse was much discussed, HubSpot isn’t the only site struggling with traffic loss.

What the Sun is saying. A Sun spokesperson told Press Gazette they are less concerned about traffic metrics:

• “After an extended period of significant growth, we have been impacted by the volatility of the referrer platforms like everyone else, especially in the US.
• “But … we are focused on growing deeper engagement with our readers and less concerned about pure reach metrics like global UVs.”

So what metric does the legacy media brand care about “more than anything now”? YouTube watch time.