{"id":46985,"date":"2026-03-12T07:33:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T11:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/?p=46985"},"modified":"2026-03-11T15:22:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T19:22:30","slug":"publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/","title":{"rendered":"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"shariff shariff-align-flex-start shariff-widget-align-flex-start\"><ul class=\"shariff-buttons theme-round orientation-horizontal buttonsize-medium\"><li class=\"shariff-button twitter shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#595959\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2026%2F03%2F12%2Fpublishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes%2F&text=Publishers%20rethink%20YouTube%20strategy%20as%20search%20traffic%20erodes&via=DCNorg\" title=\"Share on X\" aria-label=\"Share on X\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#000; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"32px\" height=\"20px\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"#000\" d=\"M14.258 10.152L23.176 0h-2.113l-7.747 8.813L7.133 0H0l9.352 13.328L0 23.973h2.113l8.176-9.309 6.531 9.309h7.133zm-2.895 3.293l-.949-1.328L2.875 1.56h3.246l6.086 8.523.945 1.328 7.91 11.078h-3.246zm0 0\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"shariff-button linkedin shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#1488bf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2026%2F03%2F12%2Fpublishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes%2F\" title=\"Share on LinkedIn\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#0077b5; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"32px\" height=\"20px\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 27 32\"><path fill=\"#0077b5\" d=\"M6.2 11.2v17.7h-5.9v-17.7h5.9zM6.6 5.7q0 1.3-0.9 2.2t-2.4 0.9h0q-1.5 0-2.4-0.9t-0.9-2.2 0.9-2.2 2.4-0.9 2.4 0.9 0.9 2.2zM27.4 18.7v10.1h-5.9v-9.5q0-1.9-0.7-2.9t-2.3-1.1q-1.1 0-1.9 0.6t-1.2 1.5q-0.2 0.5-0.2 1.4v9.9h-5.9q0-7.1 0-11.6t0-5.3l0-0.9h5.9v2.6h0q0.4-0.6 0.7-1t1-0.9 1.6-0.8 2-0.3q3 0 4.9 2t1.9 6z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"shariff-button mastodon shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#563ACC\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s2f.kytta.dev\/?text=Publishers%20rethink%20YouTube%20strategy%20as%20search%20traffic%20erodes https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2026%2F03%2F12%2Fpublishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes%2F\" title=\"Share on Mastodon\" aria-label=\"Share on Mastodon\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#6364FF; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"75\" height=\"79\" viewBox=\"0 0 75 79\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M37.813-.025C32.462-.058 27.114.13 21.79.598c-8.544.621-17.214 5.58-20.203 13.931C-1.12 23.318.408 32.622.465 41.65c.375 7.316.943 14.78 3.392 21.73 4.365 9.465 14.781 14.537 24.782 15.385 7.64.698 15.761-.213 22.517-4.026a54.1 54.1 0 0 0 .01-6.232c-6.855 1.316-14.101 2.609-21.049 1.074-3.883-.88-6.876-4.237-7.25-8.215-1.53-3.988 3.78-.43 5.584-.883 9.048 1.224 18.282.776 27.303-.462 7.044-.837 14.26-4.788 16.65-11.833 2.263-6.135 1.215-12.79 1.698-19.177.06-3.84.09-7.692-.262-11.52C72.596 7.844 63.223.981 53.834.684a219.453 219.453 0 0 0-16.022-.71zm11.294 12.882c5.5-.067 10.801 4.143 11.67 9.653.338 1.48.471 3 .471 4.515v21.088h-8.357c-.07-7.588.153-15.182-.131-22.765-.587-4.368-7.04-5.747-9.672-2.397-2.422 3.04-1.47 7.155-1.67 10.735v6.392h-8.307c-.146-4.996.359-10.045-.404-15.002-1.108-4.218-7.809-5.565-10.094-1.666-1.685 3.046-.712 6.634-.976 9.936v14.767h-8.354c.109-8.165-.238-16.344.215-24.5.674-5.346 5.095-10.389 10.676-10.627 4.902-.739 10.103 2.038 12.053 6.631.375 1.435 1.76 1.932 1.994.084 1.844-3.704 5.501-6.739 9.785-6.771.367-.044.735-.068 1.101-.073z\"\/><defs><linearGradient id=\"paint0_linear_549_34\" x1=\"37.0692\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"37.0692\" y2=\"79\" gradientUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\"><stop stop-color=\"#6364FF\"\/><stop offset=\"1\" stop-color=\"#563ACC\"\/><\/linearGradient><\/defs><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Media businesses have had a love-hate relationship with YouTube. As a competitor for ad revenue, it has been a thorn in their sides. But as an audience development and discovery platform it has been part of their video strategy for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That makes sense: the platform has grown over the last two decades into a service that\u2019s&nbsp; too big to ignore. Last year it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/crkrkd2xlx6o\">reportedly generated $60bn in revenue<\/a>, indicative of its might. Even the most reticent broadcaster has experimented with dropping short highlights onto the service. It has also proven to be an excellent place to host video podcasts, with the visual element acting as a multiplying factor in terms of views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most importantly, however, YouTube has been consistent in delivering views to its biggest channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That consistency will be a welcome respite for publishers. With AI-powered search results <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2026\/03\/traffic-to-top-tech-publications-has-plummeted-since-2024-new-analysis-shows\/\">reportedly cutting traffic<\/a> to news sites\u2019 by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2025\/jul\/24\/ai-summaries-causing-devastating-drop-in-online-news-audiences-study-finds\">up to 79%<\/a>, it\u2019s understandable that they would look to increase their presence on a platform that is, at least, reliable in at least one way.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To that end we have seen a number of news sites recruiting for YouTube-specialist video producers, suggesting that the platform is climbing publishers\u2019 priority lists in 2026. The Reuters Institute\u2019s \u2018Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2026\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk\/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2026\">found that<\/a> \u201cin terms of off-platform strategies, YouTube will be the main focus for publishers this year with a net score of +74, up substantially on last year\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the UK, for example, Reach Plc\u2019s CFO Darren Fisher <a href=\"https:\/\/pressgazette.co.uk\/media_business\/plunging-google-discover-traffic-hits-reach-digital-revenue\/\">noted<\/a> that Facebook and YouTube \u201care increasingly rewarding, engaging content\u201d, in the face of falling digital revenue elsewhere.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where before the platform might have been seen as a source of supplementary ad revenue, it is now being factored into audience acquisition strategies more directly, as legacy media seeks ways to turn off-platform engagement into a viable audience development strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the UK the platform is the second most-watched service in the UK, behind the BBC and ahead of the commercial-powered ITV. That provides media businesses with a reliable opportunity to scoop up new fans, who can either be monetized through ads on the platform or converted to paying subscribers on the business\u2019 own site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-youtube-personalities\">YouTube personalities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Typically, the channels that succeed on YouTube have a recurring team of creators and on-camera talent, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2025\/05\/20\/how-gen-z-gen-y-are-redefining-video-engagement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">consistent with video consumption trends and preferences<\/a>. This format, aping the traditional television content alongside which YouTube increasingly competes on CTV, is increasingly personality-driven. There are YouTube news stars whose fame eclipses that of traditional television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That presents a big shift for some media businesses who typically put the brand front and center over individual journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chris Gallipeau, director of video and audio strategy at Canada-based Postmedia notes that, indeed, the team has found personality-led content \u2013 or at least videos with consistent hosts \u2013 has worked especially well across its brands\/ \u201cWe\u2019ve also found that having a consistent host or voice makes a big impact on engagement, he said. &#8220;Videos with a familiar, regular personality often see viewership double compared to those without.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe best performing voices or faces are often well-known contributors and popular names from our opinion and commentary sections of the newspapers where audiences already have a strong connection to their perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, The Sun\u2019s Director of Video Jon Lloyd explains that works well on YouTube, with its reliance on thumbnails that prominently feature the hosts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have found through hosts, shows are more likely to become appointment viewing\u00a0 with viewers. Our viewers for Tactics Exposed love Dean Scoggins and Will Pugh&#8217;s football expertise \u2013 and let us know in the comments. They come back to it weekly as they know they\u2019re going to have a clearer understanding of the game. They might stay through any dips if they recognize and trust the person speaking, which leads to longer listening sessions and higher completion rates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an example, the group\u2019s Vancouver Sun editor-in-chief Harold Munro is a frequent face <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/MQS9WTz2Apw?si=04u1v7chSnyWOtKT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">on the paper\u2019s channel<\/a>, speaking with various members of the team in explainer style shortform videos. Some publications have a leg up on that approach, having monetized their personality-led podcasts on the platform for years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chris Stone, executive producer of podcasts and video at the New Statesman, says: \u201cThat video extends our audience reach on YouTube but also on social platforms. The purpose of that is to grow the top of our funnel. Having video helps to expand your reach on socials, that\u2019s certainly what\u2019s happening with us\u2026 and the easiest way to produce that is from our podcasts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-consistency-and-growth\">Consistency and growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gallipeau explains that, even if the form of the journalism has necessarily changed, the group\u2019s editorial strategy is an extension of its coverage elsewhere: \u201cPostmedia has found success in both long and short-form video content on YouTube especially for our major news brands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat seems to really drive success is the topic. For brands like National Post and The Toronto Sun, there is a big appetite for federal and provincial political content. When we produce videos on those subjects, regardless of length, it generally outperforms the average video.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That lines up with research about the news consumption habits of US adults. Per a Pew Research Center study, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/journalism\/fact-sheet\/social-media-and-news-fact-sheet\/\">35% of US a<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/journalism\/fact-sheet\/social-media-and-news-fact-sheet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">d<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/journalism\/fact-sheet\/social-media-and-news-fact-sheet\/\">ults<\/a> self-report that they \u2018regularly\u2019 get news from YouTube channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The big question is the extent to which YouTube will remain consistent and prioritize that sort of news-led content within its algorithm. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2025\/12\/journalism-will-become-the-center-of-gravity-for-youtubes-next-era\/\">Writing for Ni<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2025\/12\/journalism-will-become-the-center-of-gravity-for-youtubes-next-era\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">e<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2025\/12\/journalism-will-become-the-center-of-gravity-for-youtubes-next-era\/\">man Lab<\/a>, Joon Lee argues that, as it gets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/newsletters\/2026-03-05\/how-netflix-s-push-into-podcasts-looks-on-youtube\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">squeezed by Netflix<\/a>, YouTube has recognized the need for legitimacy of the sort that legacy media can confer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Lee puts it, \u201cYouTube doesn\u2019t need journalism to boost ad revenue. It needs journalism to anchor its reputational power in the same way newspapers once anchored civic life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-shorts-and-resources\">Shorts and resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While YouTube might want legacy content to increase its legitimacy, publishers do have to tailor their content to each platform if they want to succeed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Charlie Carmichael, Head of Audience at talkSPORT, states that the brand has seen some significant uptick in subscribers as a result of taking advantage of the subchannel option on YouTube. \u201cThis platform-first mindset helped us grow our YouTube revenue by 30% YoY in 2025,&#8221; he said. &#8220;In addition to diversifying our audience and reducing the talkSPORT main channel\u2019s share of views from 81% to 67%. It\u2019s also unlocked new partnership opportunities, and we\u2019ve increasingly experimented with live-streaming non-traditional rights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, despite a media brand\u2019s popularity on shelves or screens, there is plenty more competition on the video site. As a result there are examples of best practice that even the biggest news brands have to adhere to, particularly with regards to recurring personalities and recognizable series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gallipeau explains: \u201cOn some of our larger brands, we work to apply YouTube best practices to help our video content stand out. We&#8217;ve also found great success in using formats like YouTube Shorts to raise awareness and drive traffic to our channels. This has a significant impact on subscriber and viewership growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The benefit of committing to the Shorts format is that \u2013 while tweaking is still required \u2013 it allows media business\u2019 YouTube efforts to bear fruit elsewhere.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the New York Times, for example, the video team is investing heavily in vertical video of the sort that can sit on YouTube Shorts in addition to TikTok and Instagram. The paper\u2019s video director Solana Pyne <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/business-news\/inside-new-york-times-vertical-video-strategy-watch-tab-1236420172\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> that \u201cour videos live both on our own platform and on a whole range of social platforms, Instagram, TikTok, also YouTube. We don\u2019t make video that would live only or thrive only on one platform.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unsurprisingly, many other newspapers are making their video content work harder on the platform.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Guardian, for example, repurposes sections of its longform explainers for the Shorts section. It acts as both a trailer for the \u2018main\u2019 video and an antennae that reaches the subsection of the YouTube audience that primarily consumes Shorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As YouTube climbs publisher and broadcasters\u2019 priority lists in the face of uncertainty elsewhere, they are to some extent dancing to the platform\u2019s tune in terms of video format Personality-led videos and the parasocial relationships they create with an audience are the order of the day, and Shorts are practically mandatory for discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alex Rothwell, Head of Video for The Times and The Sunday Times, notes that the team has identified that different forms of video on the platform work towards different ends. He said, \u201cWe have different approaches to our multiple YouTube channels to serve specific goals; revenue, audience growth, or a combination of the two.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He does note, though, that maintaining a consistent identity across those channels is key: \u201cAcross all of our YouTube output, we maintain a consistent visual identity by using The Times thumbnail branding. We\u2019ve also developed repeatable formats \u2013 such as Explains, Investigates, and Documentaries \u2013 which help build a loyal audience over time by establishing a clear and recognisable editorial identity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>YouTube, then, presents legacy publishers with an opportunity to widen the top of the funnel when it comes to acquiring audiences. It is, though, still a platform over which publishers and broadcasters have next to no control; the trick is in gaming its ability to concentrate audiences around a news channel while increasing investment with the brand itself.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shariff shariff-align-flex-start shariff-widget-align-flex-start\"><ul class=\"shariff-buttons theme-round orientation-horizontal buttonsize-medium\"><li class=\"shariff-button twitter shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#595959\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2026%2F03%2F12%2Fpublishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes%2F&text=Publishers%20rethink%20YouTube%20strategy%20as%20search%20traffic%20erodes&via=DCNorg\" title=\"Share on X\" aria-label=\"Share on X\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#000; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"32px\" height=\"20px\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"#000\" d=\"M14.258 10.152L23.176 0h-2.113l-7.747 8.813L7.133 0H0l9.352 13.328L0 23.973h2.113l8.176-9.309 6.531 9.309h7.133zm-2.895 3.293l-.949-1.328L2.875 1.56h3.246l6.086 8.523.945 1.328 7.91 11.078h-3.246zm0 0\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"shariff-button linkedin shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#1488bf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2026%2F03%2F12%2Fpublishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes%2F\" title=\"Share on LinkedIn\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#0077b5; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"32px\" height=\"20px\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 27 32\"><path fill=\"#0077b5\" d=\"M6.2 11.2v17.7h-5.9v-17.7h5.9zM6.6 5.7q0 1.3-0.9 2.2t-2.4 0.9h0q-1.5 0-2.4-0.9t-0.9-2.2 0.9-2.2 2.4-0.9 2.4 0.9 0.9 2.2zM27.4 18.7v10.1h-5.9v-9.5q0-1.9-0.7-2.9t-2.3-1.1q-1.1 0-1.9 0.6t-1.2 1.5q-0.2 0.5-0.2 1.4v9.9h-5.9q0-7.1 0-11.6t0-5.3l0-0.9h5.9v2.6h0q0.4-0.6 0.7-1t1-0.9 1.6-0.8 2-0.3q3 0 4.9 2t1.9 6z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"shariff-button mastodon shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#563ACC\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s2f.kytta.dev\/?text=Publishers%20rethink%20YouTube%20strategy%20as%20search%20traffic%20erodes https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2026%2F03%2F12%2Fpublishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes%2F\" title=\"Share on Mastodon\" aria-label=\"Share on Mastodon\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#6364FF; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"75\" height=\"79\" viewBox=\"0 0 75 79\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M37.813-.025C32.462-.058 27.114.13 21.79.598c-8.544.621-17.214 5.58-20.203 13.931C-1.12 23.318.408 32.622.465 41.65c.375 7.316.943 14.78 3.392 21.73 4.365 9.465 14.781 14.537 24.782 15.385 7.64.698 15.761-.213 22.517-4.026a54.1 54.1 0 0 0 .01-6.232c-6.855 1.316-14.101 2.609-21.049 1.074-3.883-.88-6.876-4.237-7.25-8.215-1.53-3.988 3.78-.43 5.584-.883 9.048 1.224 18.282.776 27.303-.462 7.044-.837 14.26-4.788 16.65-11.833 2.263-6.135 1.215-12.79 1.698-19.177.06-3.84.09-7.692-.262-11.52C72.596 7.844 63.223.981 53.834.684a219.453 219.453 0 0 0-16.022-.71zm11.294 12.882c5.5-.067 10.801 4.143 11.67 9.653.338 1.48.471 3 .471 4.515v21.088h-8.357c-.07-7.588.153-15.182-.131-22.765-.587-4.368-7.04-5.747-9.672-2.397-2.422 3.04-1.47 7.155-1.67 10.735v6.392h-8.307c-.146-4.996.359-10.045-.404-15.002-1.108-4.218-7.809-5.565-10.094-1.666-1.685 3.046-.712 6.634-.976 9.936v14.767h-8.354c.109-8.165-.238-16.344.215-24.5.674-5.346 5.095-10.389 10.676-10.627 4.902-.739 10.103 2.038 12.053 6.631.375 1.435 1.76 1.932 1.994.084 1.844-3.704 5.501-6.739 9.785-6.771.367-.044.735-.068 1.101-.073z\"\/><defs><linearGradient id=\"paint0_linear_549_34\" x1=\"37.0692\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"37.0692\" y2=\"79\" gradientUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\"><stop stop-color=\"#6364FF\"\/><stop offset=\"1\" stop-color=\"#563ACC\"\/><\/linearGradient><\/defs><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Media businesses have had a love-hate relationship with YouTube. As a competitor for ad revenue, it has been a thorn in their sides. But as an audience development and discovery&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2697,"featured_media":46987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5015,3041,4845],"tags":[4941,24],"coauthors":[3113],"class_list":["post-46985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-audiences","category-featured-post","category-video","tag-audience-acquisition","tag-digital-video"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes - Digital Content Next<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With AI answers reducing referrals and social reach proving volatile, media companies are turning to YouTube as an audience strategy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Media businesses have had a love-hate relationship with YouTube. As a competitor for ad revenue, it has been a thorn in their sides. But as an audience\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Digital Content Next\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-12T11:33:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"867\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@chrismsutcliffe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@DCNorg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6f0ef30d665e6808963d0d0293147622\"},\"headline\":\"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-12T11:33:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1574,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png\",\"keywords\":[\"audience acquisition\",\"digital video\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Audiences\",\"Featured Post\",\"Video\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/\",\"name\":\"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes - Digital Content Next\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-12T11:33:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"With AI answers reducing referrals and social reach proving volatile, media companies are turning to YouTube as an audience strategy.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png\",\"width\":867,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"-video play button blocks on a laptop to show youtube audience strategy-\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/12\\\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Digital Content Next\",\"description\":\"Official Website\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Digital Content Next\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/DCN-Logo-Large.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/DCN-Logo-Large.png\",\"width\":2050,\"height\":1276,\"caption\":\"Digital Content Next\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/DCNorg\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/online-publishers-association\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6f0ef30d665e6808963d0d0293147622\",\"name\":\"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/090b339664151ae73feb8d3332c0968ea0b95ec71491347f80ce14266580a101?s=96&d=mm&r=gf67c4b0d7edfcfbfaeafa7c416c77f72\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/090b339664151ae73feb8d3332c0968ea0b95ec71491347f80ce14266580a101?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/090b339664151ae73feb8d3332c0968ea0b95ec71491347f80ce14266580a101?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/chrismsutcliffe\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/digitalcontentnext.org\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/chrismsutcliffe\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes - Digital Content Next","description":"With AI answers reducing referrals and social reach proving volatile, media companies are turning to YouTube as an audience strategy.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes","og_description":"Media businesses have had a love-hate relationship with YouTube. As a competitor for ad revenue, it has been a thorn in their sides. But as an audience","og_url":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/","og_site_name":"Digital Content Next","article_published_time":"2026-03-12T11:33:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":867,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@chrismsutcliffe","twitter_site":"@DCNorg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/"},"author":{"name":"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter","@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/#\/schema\/person\/6f0ef30d665e6808963d0d0293147622"},"headline":"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes","datePublished":"2026-03-12T11:33:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/"},"wordCount":1574,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png","keywords":["audience acquisition","digital video"],"articleSection":["Audiences","Featured Post","Video"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/","url":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/","name":"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes - Digital Content Next","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png","datePublished":"2026-03-12T11:33:00+00:00","description":"With AI answers reducing referrals and social reach proving volatile, media companies are turning to YouTube as an audience strategy.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/YouTube-Audience-Strategy.png","width":867,"height":400,"caption":"-video play button blocks on a laptop to show youtube audience strategy-"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/12\/publishers-rethink-youtube-strategy-as-search-traffic-erodes\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Publishers rethink YouTube strategy as search traffic erodes"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/","name":"Digital Content Next","description":"Official Website","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/#organization","name":"Digital Content Next","url":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/DCN-Logo-Large.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/DCN-Logo-Large.png","width":2050,"height":1276,"caption":"Digital Content Next"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/DCNorg","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/online-publishers-association"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/#\/schema\/person\/6f0ef30d665e6808963d0d0293147622","name":"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/090b339664151ae73feb8d3332c0968ea0b95ec71491347f80ce14266580a101?s=96&d=mm&r=gf67c4b0d7edfcfbfaeafa7c416c77f72","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/090b339664151ae73feb8d3332c0968ea0b95ec71491347f80ce14266580a101?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/090b339664151ae73feb8d3332c0968ea0b95ec71491347f80ce14266580a101?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Chris M. Sutcliffe \u2013 Independent Media Reporter"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/chrismsutcliffe"],"url":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/author\/chrismsutcliffe\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2697"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46985"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46985\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46997,"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46985\/revisions\/46997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46985"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=46985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}