Auto publishers claim audience the biggest losers in digital publishing war

While some publishers are mounting a campaign against Google and Facebook, insisting they pay for their news content, the co-founders of Australia’s CarExpert.com.au have come out in support of the social media titans.

“Google has always been at the forefront of helping small publishers establish their brand,” said CarExpert.com.au co-founder and managing editor, Paul Maric. “Our audience is finding us, and growing, thanks to the support of Google and Facebook.

“As a small publisher delivering high quality, independent car review content that outdoes traditional media in passion, enthusiasm and engagement, CarExpert.com.au is wholly reliant on Google and Facebook to reach the Australian audience,” Maric said.

Co-founder and publisher Alborz Fallah said that when the group’s original company, CarAdvice was founded in 2006 (and purchased by Nine/Fairfax in 2018), it owed much of its success to Google, as the market dominance of the traditional publishers would have crushed them.

"We know the power of Google in building brands. We hope the Australian government also considers the thousands of small and medium digital publishers that will be unfairly punished by requirements that clearly only benefit big media,” Fallah said.

Paul Maric added that the constant attack on Google highlights how little the big publishers actually understand about search algorithms and the way average consumers search for content.

"Our automotive media website, CarExpert.com.au could not exist today and employ around 20 staff without the search engine’s fairness in how it treats all publishers.

"Our content strategy has also helped us become one of Australia's most watched automotive channels on YouTube. This has all come about thanks to strong content strategy and search optimisation.”

Fallah added: “Google and Facebook are welcome to CarExpert.com.au content – because that’s what our audience wants. If Google and Facebook have free access to our content, it means that this content is easier for our readers to find – which in turn means they’re better informed and able to make smarter decisions – which is what we are all about.

“Forcing Google and Facebook to pay for access to professional content is not in the interests of Australian audiences because it’s the audience that suffers from losing its connection to content it can trust – and the audience relies on search engines and social networks to access that content.”

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Top Photo: CarExpert.com.au founders (L-R]: Anthony Crawford, Alborz Fallah and Paul Maric