Publishers consider blocking Google as search traffic drops

In short: More websites say they are getting less traffic from Google, and some are considering blocking Google from scanning their pages.

What's going on

For years, many websites relied on a simple trade with Google. Google would scan their pages, list them in search results, and send people back to those sites to read the full article.

On a recent episode of The Vergecast, hosts David Pierce and Nilay Patel said that trade is breaking down. They discussed what some people are calling “Google Zero,” which is the idea that Google might send little to no traffic to many publishers anymore.

One example mentioned is Reddit. The show discusses Reddit’s reported interest in getting out of an AI training deal with Google, as Reddit’s traffic from Google drops. AI training deals are agreements where a company can use a site’s posts or articles to help teach an AI system, like using lots of examples to teach a student.

The Vergecast also discussed publishers considering blocking Google from “crawling” their sites. Crawling is when Google’s automated scanners visit pages to understand what is on them, like a librarian making index cards for every book.

The episode notes that even Google’s Search business is feeling pressure as Google puts more focus on AI features in search.

What to watch

If more sites block Google, fewer pages may show up in Google Search, or they may show up with less detail. Websites may also push harder for direct relationships with readers, like apps, newsletters, or subscriptions, so they are not dependent on Google for visitors.

Source: The Verge AI