The rapid decline of search and its impact on news publishers is the focus of new INMA report.

It analyses what publishers quickly need to do to adapt to the changing realities of search and AI answer engines. The report, ‘As search ends for news, here is what’s next’, dives into:

-the state of search today and where audiences currently get their news;

-reinventing the search relationship;

-thinking beyond Google;

-new discovery funnels; and

-shifting content strategies.

The report is free to members and for purchase by non-members at INMA.org/reports

The report finds publishers must act quickly to develop “zero-search” strategies for engagement as audiences are becoming accustomed to getting their news in fragments, summaries, and answers – without visiting publisher sites, subscribing, or even seeing a brand.

Written by INMA Ideas Blog editor Paula Felps, the report offers a look at the state of search today, the impact this is having on news traffic, and practical guidance on the future of search alternatives. Organic search traffic is expected to shrink to potentially near zero over the next two to three years.

As users increasingly choose to consume information directly in AI-generated summaries and answer engines, Felps reveals, more than half of all searches on Google no longer end with a click. Further, according to INMA research included in the report, one-third of news publishers are at high risk of disruption due to weak subscription models and heavy reliance on search and advertising-driven traffic.

‘As search ends for news, here is what’s next’ explores how this transformation is rapidly unfolding, what it means for newsrooms, and what publishers must do to adapt. Felps concludes that while search isn’t dead, it’s not what it was, and offers an urgent message to publishers: Shifts in behaviour and technology will alter every department of news media companies, and those changes are happening fast.