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Facebook made a public announcement that the company has some changes in mind for the News Feed of its social media platform. The main goal is to offer quality articles that don’t waste users’ time anymore. Therefore, speed will be the key for publishers to get more attention on their articles. The company admitted that this decision would impact links with slow load times.
The Upcoming Algorithm for News Feed Is Going to Promote Facebook’s Instant Articles
Facebook is resolute in its decision to update the platform. However, the changes will happen gradually over the following months. This way, publishers have time to streamline their online content and adapt to these latest requirements.
Even though the company revealed no connection to it, Facebook seems to promote its Instant Articles through this move. This is a mobile format that strips unnecessary code and comes with a cap on a number of ads that can appear on it. This way, mobile users obtain a better, faster experience than before and they are able to read one story after another.
On the other hand, publishers used to avoid this format. That’s because they feel that this strategy impairs their monetization plans. However, Facebook heard these complaints and began rolling more ads, restored subscription options, and intends to test a paid subscription paywall feature this fall.
It Is Unknown What Makes a Webpage Slow In the Eyes of Facebook
Therefore, Facebook will begin keeping track on the loading time of webpages on its platform. It will also take into account other factors such as the Internet connection of the user and the average speed of the selected page. If the link ranks as a fast page, then Facebook will make sure users will see it in their News Feed.
The company warned publishers that the moment this algorithm rolls out, those with slow pages will see a drop in reach. On the other hand, Facebook didn’t define what exactly makes a slow page. The statement only encouraged professionals to use tools that analyze and suggest improvements for their websites.
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