It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for (or dreading, depending on what side you’re on): Facebook’s official announcement of their new algorithm update. Just like Google’s own major algorithm updates, this one is expected to affect nearly 40% of all traffic on the social media site.
The algorithm’s main focus will be to send less traffic to what Search Engine Journal calls “content sites.” These sites include click bait-type articles posted by companies such as Buzzfeed or The Onion, as well as business and company websites. Facebook has instead decided to go old school and focus on what it’s original intention was: to allow friends and family to connect online.
The algorithm has already had some major affects on publishers, with publisher stories already seeing their reach drop by over 42%. So, what do publishers do now?
Facebook’s Paid Advertising
You are probably already familiar with Facebook’s advertisement option, but you may not have used it because, prior to this algorithm update, you may not have needed to in order to reach the audience you want. Unfortunately, Facebook’s ads feature will start to play a major role in how publishers reach their audience. The social giant will continue to offer enticing deals to publishers, such as “Pay $100 to reach 18,000 – $24,000” to try and generate revenue.
Advertising is a guaranteed way for brands and publishers to reach a broad audience, but as more demand for staying on top of the news feed increases, the cost will increase significantly. For those who are doing SEO for businesses and companies, it’s important to have a strategy in place. Take the time to determine the type of audience you want to reach and when so you aren’t spending precious dollars to have your ads fall flat — or simply work on improving your organic reach.