Health coverage killed by Google AI Overviews | LBC brands see RAJAR strong growth

Good morning from the team at Press Gazette on Thursday, 14 May.

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💉 AI written answers from Google are killing health coverage in major news brands.

New research published exclusively today in Press Gazette reveals that health is the topic area where an article link to a publisher is most likely to be replaced by an AI-written summary in Google search results.

Data from the same provider (Sistrix) suggests that where there is a Google AI overview at the top of search results, readers are 60% less likely to click through to the top web-page result. Put simply, for most people it seems that the AI-written summary is ‘good enough’.

Given Google itself admits “AI responses may include mistakes”, it is brave (or foolhardy) of it to be quite so gung ho about replacing sources with its auto-created answers for something that could be a matter of life and death for readers.

Healthline lost 48% of its UK traffic year on year in March.

Reach title Surrey Live, which previously achieved huge traffic growth by making itself the go-to place for weight-loss tips and other health advice, has dropped out of the UK top 50 altogether. In March its audience fell 60% year on year to 1.4 million visitors (hit also by changes to Google’s Discover algorithm).

In this in-depth report we reveal which UK publishers and topics are being hardest hit by AI Overviews and share some advice from experts on how to respond.

READ THE FULL STORY

📻 Today we have the latest quarterly update on radio listening from RAJAR.

It reveals speech and news-based stations holding up well, with GB News Radio and LBC leading the charge in terms of growth.

READ THE FULL STORY

🗞️ I’ve noticed a bit of a trend whereby independent publishers are setting up titles in response to changes and a perceived decline in the quality of established local news coverage.

At Reach sites, like the aforementioned Surrey Live, there has been a definite focus on writing content targeted at a national audience in particular subject niches to attract big numbers (but whilst possibly annoying the local readers).

The founder of the Staffordshire Signal said this was definitely part of the reason she decided to launch a monthly news magazine, website and newsletter aimed at reflecting a different side of life in the landlocked Midlands county.

The Signal is covering its costs with a free 10,000 copy distribution run and has a big ambitions.