Chapter 4: SEO and Web Analytics in Journalism: Case Studies from the Greek News Media Landscape

The journalism profession has radically changed due to the digitisation and the development of new media. As content is moving online, rapidly evolving Internet technologies have affected basic journalistic work processes. In this context, changes in technology as well as audience engagement have greatly expanded the skills required to be a professional journalist nowadays. A number of studies have shown that search engines constitute an important source of the traffic to online news outlets around the world, identifying the significance of top rankings in search results. Concurrently, in the digital age, the interest in monitoring online activities as well as the significance of studying the traffic data has intensified. This chapter summarises the major findings of two studies regarding the use and impact of SEO and web analytics on news websites and journalism profession in Greece. Through examination of a sample of Greek journalists and several Greek news websites, it aims to provide new insights in the field of digital journalism.