Google News Issue: Traffic Drops For Content Publishers Due To Indexing Disruption

Google’s News indexing service, which helps news websites get discovered, had a major problem that caused issues for several days, as acknowledged by Google’s Search Status Dashboard. It affected how websites were shown on Google News, resulting in a significant drop in traffic for content publishers. However, Google has now fixed the issue, and things are expected to go back to normal soon.

A] What is Google Search Status Dashboard?

The Google Search Status Dashboard serves as a tool that offers updates on the status of Google Search systems. It alerts users to any issues that may impact multiple sites or users, potentially shedding light on changes in site performance.

Image Source: Google Search Status Dashboard

B] What Triggered the Traffic Plunge for Content Publishers?

The traffic plunge for content publishers was triggered by an ongoing technical issue with Google’s News indexing service. The exact details of the technical issue have not been specified, but it affected the visibility of websites on Google News. As a result, fewer users could find and access news articles from these publishers through the Google News platform. This sudden drop in traffic had a negative impact on the publishers’ audience reach and overall website traffic.

Image Source: Twitter

Publishers have reported and raised concerns about the impact on their visibility and audience reach. Google Search Advocate – John Mueller confirmed the issue on July 10th and assured users that the investigation was underway.

Image Source: Screenshot from Semrush, July 2023

Further supporting evidence comes from Semrush Sensor, which has detected disturbances in the News category over the past month, highlighting the impact of the Google News indexing problem.

Image Source: Screenshot from Publisher Center Help, July 2023

The Publisher Center Help community, an online forum for publishers, has been in discussions surrounding the problem. Publishers have expressed worries about the volatility of Google News traffic in recent weeks, speculating that changes in syndicated content rankings could be contributing to the issue.

Google immediately investigated the root cause, and its team worked diligently to identify the issue and develop a solution. Regular updates were provided to the affected publishers, informing them of the progress.

Image Source: Google Search Status Dashboard

After two days of investigation and development, Google successfully implemented a fix on July 12. They expressed confidence that the implemented solution would restore normal operations and gradually bring back the usual traffic levels for content publishers.

C] Lessons Learned from Google News Indexing Incident

Publishers and website owners relying heavily on Google News for their traffic are advised to closely monitor the situation and stay updated on the progress. This incident underscores the dependence on major search engines and the potential consequences of disruptions on website traffic and online presence.