The Google logo is displayed during the Viva Technology conference at the Parc des Expositions Porte de … [+]
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Google has confirmed that an issue with Google News was identified on Monday that is sending less traffic to news publishers. But it is not clear when the problem will be fixed.
“There is an ongoing issue with indexing in Google News that affects all sites. Sites may be experiencing a decrease in traffic from Google News. We are working to identify the root cause. The next update will be in 24 hours,” Google wrote in a status update just after 4:00 pm ET Monday.
Bug identification by Google, first reported by Land of seekerscame hours after Twitter users who work in search engine optimization (SEO) first noticed a problem around 9:00 am ET.
Online news publishers rely heavily on Google News for traffic, a problem that could become an even more dire situation when the new version of Google Search is released to the public. As I wrote in May after trying it out, Google’s new AI-powered search is incredibly useful. But it also looks like a tool that will make many online publishers’ traffic plummet.
What’s the problem? The new version of Google search basically plagiarizes answers, sometimes word for word, giving users very little reason to click through to websites for more information.
Google did not immediately respond to emailed questions Monday afternoon seeking more clarity on what’s going on under the hood with Google News. I will update this article if I hear back.
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