"The AI era is coming for publishers, whether they're ready for it or not. People Inc. - formerly known as Dotdash Meredith - is preparing for all the changes that come with AI's impact on search and content discovery by focusing on traffic and revenue diversification, as well as direct to consumer relationships, as it lessens its reliance on Google search."
"When IAC's Dotdash bought Meredith Corp. in 2021, about 60-65% of traffic was from organic search, Borsa said. Now it's about 25-30%. This trend will likely only accelerate. "Google is, to some degree, alluding to the fact that AI Mode will become the default search engine going forward. When and where that happens is to be determined, but it's absolutely real and impactful," Borsa said."
People Inc. is focusing on diversifying traffic and revenue and strengthening direct-to-consumer relationships to reduce reliance on Google search. Health and finance titles have been especially vulnerable to Google's AI Overviews and SERP changes, while brands with preexisting diversified sources like Travel + Leisure have been more insulated. Organic search share fell from about 60–65% in 2021 to roughly 25–30% now, a shift expected to accelerate as Google moves toward AI Mode as the default search. Despite search disruption, traffic and revenue continue to grow through investments in email, newsletters, Google Discover, social channels, and other strategies.
Read at Digiday
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