A desperate publisher drowning in a sea of code and a monstrous algorithmic tentacle dragging websites into traffic-poor darkness – Image: Xpert.Digital
50% loss of visibility: How the biggest publishers can recover
Market analysis from 2024 for 2025+: The future of SEO for news portals
The digital landscape for publishers has undergone profound changes in 2024. While search engines like Google remain the primary traffic source for news portals and media companies, the competition for visibility is becoming increasingly challenging. Some of the largest publishers, including Web.de, Focus, and Stern, experienced massive declines in their organic visibility in 2024 – in some cases by more than 50%. At the same time, the demand for professional SEO consulting is growing, as the complexity of search engine optimization overwhelms traditional editorial structures. This report analyzes the driving factors behind these developments and outlines sustainable solutions for publishers who want to maintain their position in the digital news market in the long term.
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The structural challenges for publishers in SEO competition
Technical hurdles and algorithmic shifts
A website's technical infrastructure forms the basis for a successful SEO strategy. However, many publishers underestimate essential factors such as crawling efficiency, indexability, XML sitemaps, and mobile-first optimization. A striking example is the declining importance of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). Once hailed as indispensable for mobile users, AMP is now less favored by Google. At Stern.de, the excessive reliance on AMP led to a drastic 30% drop in traffic.
At the same time, the way search results are displayed is changing drastically. Google's own features, such as Knowledge Panels, News Boxes, and Featured Snippets, are taking up more and more space on the search results pages. For search queries about current news, celebrities, or sporting events, these elements often fill up to 80% of the visible area of the search results page. As a result, click-through rates for traditional news articles are dropping significantly.
Algorithmic updates like the Helpful Content Update of 2023 and the 2024 measures to combat “Site Reputation Abuse” further complicate the situation. These updates aim to devalue generic content and instead reward websites with high thematic authority. Publishers covering a broad range of topics are thus coming under increasing pressure.
Content relevance and the crisis of generalists
The traditional model of generalist news portals is losing ground. Google is increasingly prioritizing specialized domains with high levels of expertise. For example, specialized football platforms like Transfermarkt and Kicker have pushed general news sites out of the top 10 rankings for Bundesliga-related search terms. A similar trend is evident in the financial sector: While Focus and Stern were still leading the way for "stock tips" in 2023, specialized stock market portals like Finanzen.net now dominate the rankings.
This shift is based on Google's increased consideration of the EEAT criteria (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). While a regional newspaper like the Rheinpfalz can provide credible reports on the regional economy, it lacks the necessary authority for supra-regional political analysis compared to leading media outlets like Spiegel or Handelsblatt. Visibility data impressively illustrates this trend: 45 of the 100 biggest SEO losers in 2024 were broadly diversified publishers.
Monetization dilemma and paywall strategies
Balancing reach and monetization is one of the biggest challenges for publishers. While Google Discover can deliver high visitor numbers in the short term, these users are difficult to convert into paying subscribers. At the same time, overly aggressive use of paywalls prevents content from being indexed by search engines, thus reducing organic visibility.
Some publishers are experimenting with hybrid models. The Süddeutsche Zeitung, for example, uses a "metered paywall," where a limited number of articles remain freely accessible each month. In addition, certain content is specifically released for SEO purposes. Nevertheless, striking a balance remains difficult: an overly restrictive paywall model reduces the chances of being featured in Google News or Discover, as Google prioritizes free access.
The growing importance of professional SEO consulting for publishers
The special role of SEO for publishers
Organic visibility is essential for publishers, as their business model often relies on monetizing website traffic. Search engine optimization (SEO) of their online presence has always been a core discipline of online marketing for building reach. For publishers, SEO is therefore a crucial component of their business strategy for generating targeted traffic and leveraging it profitably.
Unlike many other website types, a clear distinction between marketing and advertising plays a crucial role for publishers. Many authors overlook the fact that they are not acting as advertisers for a product, but rather as publishers. Often, after reading just a few lines, it becomes clear that the content is not SEO-optimized, but rather pure advertising. This distinction is essential because readers quickly recognize promotional texts as such, which can lead to higher bounce rates.
Specialized SEO agencies for news portals
In German-speaking countries, several agencies have established themselves as specialists for publishers and news portals. These service providers understand the specific challenges of the media industry and offer tailored solutions that go far beyond standard SEO approaches.
The focus is on optimizing publisher websites for Google News and Google Discover. Their approach includes both technical optimizations and editorial processes specifically tailored to the needs of news portals.
These specialized agencies differ from general SEO service providers through their deep understanding of the publishing industry and its specific requirements. They often work closely with editorial teams and understand the balance between journalistic standards and SEO optimization.
Specific SEO strategies for publishers
For publishers, certain SEO strategies are particularly relevant, differing from those in other industries. These specialized approaches focus primarily on optimizing for specific news channels and developing content strategies that meet both journalistic standards and SEO requirements.
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- The SEO tip treadmill and "oversimplification" – Between "Top 10 lists" and the call for authenticity
- What is better? Structured AI-optimized content vs. handwritten article with advertising?
Strategic adjustments for future-proof publishers
Content strategies for news portals
Here are important content strategies for news portals to optimize visibility in search engines, Google News and Google Discover:
Timeliness and relevance
- Focus on current, timely reporting on relevant topics.
- Publish new content regularly to signal “freshness”.
- Monitor trends with tools like Google Trends to identify relevant topics early on.
Quality and expertise
- Create high-quality, well-researched content that exudes expertise and trustworthiness (EEAT principle).
- Add original insights, expert opinions, and your own research.
- Avoid clickbait and misleading headlines.
Optimized for mobile devices
- Ensure a responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes.
- Optimize the charging speed for mobile devices.
- Consider implementing AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages).
Visual storytelling
- Use high-quality, relevant images (at least 1200px wide).
- Integrate videos to increase the appeal of Google Discover.
- Use Web Stories for visually appealing, short-form content.
Structured data and metadata
- Implement relevant structured data such as NewsArticle schema.
- Optimize titles, meta descriptions, and URLs for better visibility.
Internal linking and topic hubs
- Create topic hubs for important events or subject areas.
- Use internal links to direct authority to specific pages.
Evergreen content
- Balance current news with timeless, evergreen content.
- Update existing content regularly to maintain its relevance.
Promote user engagement
- Encourage readers to follow your news portal on Google News.
- Create opportunities for user interaction such as comments or surveys.
By implementing these strategies, news portals can improve their visibility in search engines, Google News and Google Discover, while simultaneously providing high-quality, user-oriented content.
Google News and Google Discover optimization
One of the most important specialized strategies for publishers is optimization for Google News. Google News can essentially be understood as a search engine for news. An algorithm determines which news stories are displayed for which keywords and in what position. Optimizing for this channel requires specific expertise in areas such as setting up Google Publisher Center content, technically tagging news articles, and optimizing the news sitemap.
Google Discover represents another important channel for publishers. As the largest reach channel for news sites, Discover offers great opportunities to increase your own reach as well.
Technical SEO requirements for news portals
The technical requirements for SEO on news portals are particularly complex and demand specialized expertise. Certain technical aspects are especially relevant for publishers, aspects that are less of a focus for other websites.
One important area is the optimization of the news sitemap. This specific type of sitemap is essential for news portals to inform Google about new content and accelerate indexing.
Loading times also play a crucial role for news portals. Speed is a particularly critical factor for news portals, as users want to consume current information quickly.
Another technical aspect is the implementation of structured data and markup elements specifically for news articles. These elements help search engines recognize the content as a news article and present it accordingly in the search results.
Current trends and challenges in publisher SEO
The SEO landscape for publishers is constantly evolving, and recent data reveals worrying trends for the industry. The publishing industry is characterized by fast-paced trends. Your SEO strategy must be flexible and regularly adapted to current developments.
Particularly striking is the current loss of visibility for many news portals. A recent analysis for 2024 shows that 45 of the 100 biggest SEO losers were publishers, including Web.de (-57% visibility), Focus.de (-46%), and Stern.de (-50%). In contrast, e-commerce companies were able to benefit from algorithmic changes. The main reasons cited for this development are "Google snippets, AI-powered search assistants, and new SERP features" that have "displaced traditional news sites from the top results.".
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These changes present publishers with major challenges and underscore the need for specialized SEO strategies. The growing influence of AI-generated answers and new search engine features requires adapted approaches to maintain visibility and generate traffic.
At the same time, new opportunities are emerging. Mobile-first optimization is becoming increasingly important, as “over 60% of Google searches will be mobile by 2024.” Publishers who optimize their websites for mobile devices and improve their Core Web Vitals can increase their visibility.
Success factors for SEO in the publishing sector
The success of SEO measures for publishers depends on various factors specific to this industry. Based on the analyzed sources, several key factors emerge.
Specialization and thematic authority have become particularly important. “Google rewards specialized shops with high thematic relevance,” states the article linked above. This insight can also be applied to publishers:
- News portals that specialize in specific topics and build up a high level of expertise in those areas can achieve better rankings than generalists.
- Content quality is another crucial factor. Texts that are well-written and offer useful information are read more often. For publishers, this means they must offer depth and added value beyond simply being up-to-date.
- Implementing the technical requirements for Google News and Google Discover is also crucial.
Last but not least, continuous analysis and adaptation also play a crucial role. In the fast-paced world of search engine optimization for publishers, constant monitoring and adjustment of strategies is essential.
The future of SEO for publishers
The SEO landscape for publishers is undergoing profound change. The current trend, in which traditional news portals are losing visibility while e-commerce sites are gaining ground, presents the industry with significant challenges. At the same time, this development underscores the need for specialized SEO strategies and service providers who understand the specific requirements of publishers.
In this context, specialized SEO agencies for news portals are becoming increasingly important. With their in-depth understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities of the publishing industry, they can develop tailored strategies that go beyond general SEO approaches. Optimization for Google News and Google Discover, the development of specialized content strategies, and the implementation of technical requirements specifically for news portals are key elements of this.
For publishers, it will be crucial in the future to collaborate with specialized partners who not only possess general SEO expertise but also understand the specific needs and challenges of the media industry. Only in this way can they continue to generate visibility and traffic in an increasingly complex digital landscape and successfully lead their business model into the future.
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Konrad Wolfenstein
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