Common Dreams Google traffic was cut in half overnight

 

Our Google traffic was cut in half overnight

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  Common Dreams 

  commondreams.org

  From:commondreams@commondreams.org

  
  

  To:Common Dreams reader

  Tue, Oct 20, 2026 at 10:51 AM

  View in browser Hi Common Dreams reader, Last year, Google launched AI Mode, an AI-powered search tool built on vast amounts of plagiarized, copyrighted material produced by human journalists. Overnight, our organic search traffic was nearly cut in half. For a people-powered online news site like Common Dreams, losing new readers from internet search engines is an existential threat. We rely on reader donations to pay for everything we do, and fewer new readers means fewer potential new donors. So far, we've managed to offset the decline in Google traffic by reaching readers through other channels. As a result, our overall readership has held steady over the past year. But that could easily change after the election, when people usually pay less attention to the news. So to keep Common Dreams operating at full capacity, it's vital that we meet our Fall Campaign fundraising goal of $125,000 by October 31.