By Joy Johnston
Publication Date: 2026-02-13 13:00:00
We’re in a new era where web content visibility is fragmenting across a wide range of search and social platforms.
While still a dominant force, Google is no longer the default search experience. Video-based social media platforms like TikTok and community-based sites like Reddit are becoming popular search engines with dedicated audiences.
This trend is impacting how news content is consumed. Google’s current news SERP evolution is directly influenced by the personalization of query responses offered by LLMs and the rise in influencer authority enabled by social media platforms.
Google has responded by creating its own AI-powered SERP features, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, and surfacing more content from social media platforms that provide the “helpful, reliable, people-first content” that Google’s ranking systems prioritize.
Now that search and social are more intertwined than ever, a new paradigm is needed – one in which newsroom audience teams…