Last week, the world got wind of the biggest Facebook algorithm change in years. Google officially reclaimed its spot as the top source of referral traffic since Facebook overtook it in August 2015, which means the world’s biggest social network has been pushing less and less traffic to content.
According to a Parse.ly data analysis of over 2,500 sites, Facebook referral traffic now sits at 35.1 percent, while Google referrals are hovering just above 40 percent. Combined, the two tech giants own 85 percent of the mobile ad market and make up nearly 80 percent of all referral traffic to publisher and branded content sites.
Longtime readers of The Content Strategist know we have always kept tabs on the impact of Facebook’s algorithm since it’s such a dominant force in media and marketing. This latest update is huge news for two crucial reasons.
1. Link posts are on the decline
Facebook recently cracked down on clickbait posts that display a fake “play” button to trick people into clicking on a URL, which may explain part of the dip. But that isn’t the whole story. Facebook has long been transparent about its desire to prioritize native content that keeps you…
