Why Is Traffic From Twitter Declining?
Twitter has drawn the most traffic to my blogs and websites for over a decade. That was until about a month or so ago. Twitter traffic has declined to almost half of what it once was.
I’m just as active on the network most days as I’ve been in over a decade.
New Twitter Options
There are several new options on Twitter now. For example:
- Twitter Blue
- The For You Feed
- Twitter Spaces
- Edit Feature
- Twitter Communities
- Video Options
All of these may make the social media network more fragmented. If you spend more time in spaces, you may not see your follower's tweets as often.
Like for example, Facebook has more engagement on groups than the regular feed and Instagram with their reels. Forget about the reach with Facebook pages unless you spend money on ads or do reels or stories often.
Ironically I signed up for Twitter Blue several weeks ago and saw more engagement in their analytics but still no increase in traffic to the blog.
The Changing Algorithms
The main reason for the drop in traffic from Twitter is due to changes in its algorithms. Over time, Twitter has tweaked its algorithm to prioritize certain types of content over others.
For example, tweets about current events or popular topics are now given higher priority than those with more evergreen themes.
This means that if your content isn’t timely or related to one of the current trends on Twitter, it’s less likely to show up in users’ feeds.
Just recently Elon Musk said that the Twitter algorithm will limit the recommendations to verified users. This is being done so that paying users will carry blue checkmark badges and have their tweets amplified in the “For You” column.
(Time will tell if this makes a difference and I’ll keep my membership to test it out.)
Decreased Engagement On Twitter
Another factor contributing to the decline in traffic from Twitter is decreased engagement on the platform overall.
This means there are fewer people viewing and interacting with tweets, which translates into fewer clicks on outbound links.
Additionally, many users are also now relying on automated services for their news and updates instead of manually scrolling through their feeds every day — which further reduces engagement levels even more.
I’ve seen that with bloggers from Triberr and Viral Content Bee to name a few.
The Rise of Alternative Platforms
There has been a rise in alternative social media platforms too. In the past several years the are probably hundreds of new social media networks that have sprung up.
What Can Be Done?
So what can you do if you’re trying to drive more website traffic via Twitter?
First off, make sure you’re sharing content that’s timely and relevant — this will help ensure it gets seen by more people who are likely interested in what you have to say.
Secondly, focus on increasing engagement with your followers by asking questions and engaging with them directly (instead of just sharing links).
Finally, consider experimenting with different types of media (like videos or images) as these tend to be much more engaging than plain text-based posts.
How have you found the Twitter algorithm working for you? I’d love to hear from you if you are a long-time Twitter user in the comments.
*A few sentences were made better via Jasper AI in this article.
