In the Discover feed, Web Stories can appear as a single card where you can tap through the story.
It’s most likely to appear in the United States, India, and Brazil.
If you received a lot of traffic through Web Stories you may want to shift your strategy.
Google stepped back on where and when these Web Stories can show and seems like Google may continue to show fewer and fewer web stories in the future.
Here’s a summary of the recent changes Google made to Web Stories:
Changes:
- Removed from Google Images: Web Stories no longer appear in search results within Google Images.
- Removed from Google Discover carousel: The carousel displaying Web Stories within the Google Discover feed has been removed.
- Changed grid view to carousel: The grid view for Web Stories in Google Search results has been replaced by a carousel view.
Availability:
- Web Stories can still appear as single results within Google Search, but this feature is currently only available in specific regions and languages (primarily the US, India, and Brazil).
- Web Stories can still be accessed and displayed as single cards within the Google Discover feed, but the presence is likely to be reduced.
Impact:
- This update indicates a potential decline in Google’s focus on Web Stories as a prominent search feature.
- Publishers who heavily relied on Web Stories for traffic may need to re-evaluate their content strategies and explore alternative options.
Uncertain future:
- The reasons behind these changes haven’t been officially disclosed by Google.
- It’s unclear whether these are temporary adjustments or permanent shifts in Google’s strategy regarding Web Stories.
