Reuters: Publishers Pivot To Video As AI Disrupts Search Traffic via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

A caller study from the Reuters Institute examines the power of AI overviews and Google Discover, which person changed however radical entree information.

Additionally, the study finds publishers relying much connected video and societal platforms similar YouTube and TikTok to scope audiences.

These trends suggest the request to refine strategies and clasp caller technologies to stay competitive.

Here are each the need-to-know highlights from the report.

AI Disruption & Zero-Click Search

A large menace to publishers is AI-driven search.

Platforms similar Google and OpenAI supply nonstop answers to idiosyncratic questions, often making it unnecessary for users to click connected links. This creates a “zero-click” hunt environment.

74% of publishers are acrophobic astir losing traffic, prompting galore to question caller strategies.

Larger publishers person made licensing deals with AI aggregators similar ChatGPT oregon Perplexity, portion smaller ones are inactive uncovering ways to summation visibility.

Building assemblage relationships done newsletters, subscriptions, oregon apps tin assistance publishers withstand disruption from AI search.

Google Discover Traffic Grows

As societal media referral postulation from platforms similar Facebook and X continues to decline—67% and 50% drops implicit the past 2 years—publishers are progressively turning to Google Discover.

The Reuters Institute notes that Discover grew by 12% twelvemonth implicit year, and galore publishers present trust connected it arsenic their superior referral source.

Its personalized recommendations person made it a absorption for publishers looking to regenerate mislaid postulation from different platforms.

For SEOs, method optimizations similar structured information and engaging visuals are cardinal to maximizing Discover’s potential.

However, the feed’s algorithmic quality means results tin beryllium unpredictable, requiring changeless monitoring.

Video & Social Media

Video platforms similar YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are indispensable for publishers who privation to link with younger audiences.

The Reuters Institute reports that publishers program to put much successful these platforms, with YouTube (+52%), TikTok (+48%), and Instagram (+43%) showing the biggest increases successful focus.

Short-form videos are effectual for engagement, but they person challenges. Making prime videos requires resources, and earning wealth connected platforms similar TikTok is hard.

For publishers, this means creating strategies optimized for each platform’s algorithm portion driving postulation backmost to your websites oregon apps.

Cross-Team Collaboration

The Reuters Institute stresses the request for cross-team collaboration. As newsrooms follow much AI tools, teams volition request to enactment unneurotic to streamline contented creation.

For instance, AI tools similar automated headlines and fact-checking tin heighten workflows. However, they beryllium connected enactment from editorial teams, which galore publishers find challenging.

Fostering bully relationships betwixt antithetic departments volition beryllium indispensable for continued success.

Broader Context

The Reuters Institute’s findings lucifer those successful the NewzDash 2025 News SEO Survey. They some item AI disruption, Google Discover, and a deficiency of resources arsenic large challenges.

Together, these reports amusement an manufacture facing accelerated change.

The cardinal takeaways for publishers and SEO professionals are: clasp AI-driven search, marque the astir of Google Discover, and absorption connected video and societal media platforms.

Featured Image: Inside Creative House/Shutterstock