It turns out Google’s recent algorithm change has helped many publishers. Outbrain, the content recommendation service with nearly 100 publishers like USA Today and Boston.com, said its data shows national publishers received a 53 percent increase in traffic and local sites got an additional 41 percent. The information is another piece to the puzzle of what Google’s “Farmer” algorithm change means to publishers. At the time it undertook the shift, Google said it was singling out “content farms.” Many publishers quickly applauded the move.

More in Media
Retailers are rushing to build AI apps. It’s unclear if shoppers will use them
There are almost 900 apps on ChatGPT and 353 Claude connectors, according to AppDiscoverability.com, which tracks AI app data.
Why news publishers are getting into the sports business coverage
Yahoo and Dow Jones are betting on the booming sports business beat, launching new verticals to capture high-value audiences and advertisers.
From ad tech tax to AI data brokers: the new middlemen keep 100%, publishers say
For some publishers, third-party content scraping lands as an even bigger affront than the ad tech tax they’ve spent years navigating – not a share of the pie, but the pie itself.