???? The Collapse of Google News Traffic & Rise of Google Discover | John Shehata on AI, SEO & Publishing
https://page2pod.com - In episode #81 of the Page 2 Podcast, Jon Clark and Joe DeVita sit down with John Shehata—former SEO lead at Disney & Conde Nast and creator of NewzDash/GDdash—to unpack how AI and Google Discover are rewriting the rules of news distribution.
John shares his unique journey from developer to news SEO expert and SaaS founder, diving into how AI, LLMs, and Google Discover are upending everything we know about news visibility.
He reveals why keywords are becoming less relevant, how Google’s personalization and categorization engines actually work, and what publishers must do to survive—and thrive—in this rapidly evolving ecosystem.
Tune in for actionable strategies on paywalls, content refreshing, newsletter growth, and building AI-resilient newsrooms.
???? In This Episode
- Why Google Discover now drives 65–70% of news traffic—surpassing search
- How AI Overviews & LLMs answer queries before users even click headlines
- The rise of entity & category optimization over legacy keyword targeting
- Data-backed tactics for refreshing evergreen content & choosing which URLs to consolidate
- Smart paywall strategies: teaser experiences, email-gate funnels & dynamic messaging
- Building newsletters, apps & tokenized models to future-proof publisher revenue
- A preview of NESS Conference 2025—meet the industry’s top AI & news experts
This is a must-listen for newsrooms, digital marketers, and SEO professionals navigating the shifting landscape of search, traffic, and monetization.
???? Mentioned Links & Resources:
- John Shehata on Linkedin
- John Shehata on Twitter
- NewzDash
- GDdash
- NESS Conference 2025
- 2025 News AIO Study
- John's SEO Week Presentation
- The Publisher's Survival Playbook
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