SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION IN UK NEWS PRODUCTION

TLDR

This paper explores the emerging practice of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in UK online newsrooms and its impact on news production. The study uses a short‑term participant observational case study at a national online news publisher and semi‑structured interviews with SEO professionals at three other UK media organisations to examine how SEO is operationalised in the newsroom. SEO practice varies across UK news organisations; some use sophisticated approaches while others do not, and its adoption is limited by time, resources, management support, and off‑page technical issues, with policy sometimes influencing editorial decisions but resistance remains, highlighting the need for further research.

Abstract

This paper represents an exploratory study into an emerging culture in UK online newsrooms—the practice of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), which assesses its impact on news production. Comprising a short-term participant observational case study at a national online news publisher, and a series of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with SEO professionals at three further UK media organisations, the author sets out to establish how SEO is operationalised in the newsroom, and what consequences these practices have for online news production. SEO practice is found to be varied and application is not universal. Not all UK news organisations are making the most of SEO even though some publishers take a highly sophisticated approach. Efforts are constrained by time, resources and management support, as well as off-page technical issues. SEO policy is found, in some cases, to inform editorial policy, but there is resistance to the principal of SEO driving decision-making. Several themes are established which call for further research.